I've never done a wedding before

Andyman

However, I was asked to do one next year. I'm not scared (yet =p), but I do realize how large of a responsibility it is. It's not just taking photos I like, it's taking ones I think they will like. People don't understand that just because someone is "good with a camera" doesn't mean they are good at everything with a camera. I think photographing people is a weak area of mine; but I want to learn.

I think I can learn quickly, but I will be the first to admit I need help with many things. I need help with this. It's still a ways away so I have alot of time to prepare, however, that is what I want to do - prepare. I've spent some time looking at wedding photo galleries online and I read an article someone posted here at DGrin that did a very good job of explaining some things about weddings (however not the technical side).

The wedding is still in the early planning stages so it's not time yet to go scope out the place (don't even know where it is yet!) yet or things like that; what I want to know is what kind of equipment should I have? I realize that there's endless combinations of equipment that you could use and use well for weddings, but... if you were doing a wedding, what would you take with you?

All my current equipment consists of a D50, two lenses, and a flash (listed in signature).

I appreciate any help .

ziggy53

Andyman wrote:

However, I was asked to do one next year. I'm not scared (yet =p), but I do realize how large of a responsibility it is. It's not just taking photos I like, it's taking ones I think they will like. People don't understand that just because someone is "good with a camera" doesn't mean they are good at everything with a camera. I think photographing people is a weak area of mine; but I want to learn.

I think I can learn quickly, but I will be the first to admit I need help with many things. I need help with this. It's still a ways away so I have alot of time to prepare, however, that is what I want to do - prepare. I've spent some time looking at wedding photo galleries online and I read an article someone posted here at DGrin that did a very good job of explaining some things about weddings (however not the technical side).

The wedding is still in the early planning stages so it's not time yet to go scope out the place (don't even know where it is yet!) yet or things like that; what I want to know is what kind of equipment should I have? I realize that there's endless combinations of equipment that you could use and use well for weddings, but... if you were doing a wedding, what would you take with you?

All my current equipment consists of a D50, two lenses, and a flash (listed in signature).

I appreciate any help .

Yikes!

Andyman wrote:

... I think photographing people is a weak area of mine; but I want to learn.
...

That is definitely an area you might want to improve, just in case any people show up at the wedding.

Seriously, this is like saying, "My friend wants me to help them fix their transmission. I've never really worked a car before but I have changed my own oil. They are leaving on a 3 month car trip so it has to be right. I have a socket wrench set and I'm willing to learn. What tools would you use?"

If this is someone you know and respect, you want to retain their trust and respect. Do not do a wedding until you can prove, to yourself and to them, that you are capable of delivering a product that meets their expectations.

If you have to, tag along to several weddings and don't pay attention to anything except what the photographer is doing. Ask a local photographer if you can assist them for some weddings. Study what they did and how it worked. Investigate different styles and techniques, and then investigate what it takes to duplicate those things. Volunteer to shoot a "pro bono" wedding for people that can't afford to pay anything, just for the experience.

Then you are ready to make some purchase decisions. Fixed lens vs zoom. Studio lights vs portable. RAW vs JPG and how many memory cards. Etc., etc.

The very first thing I would do, assuming your not giving up, is discuss with the person what their expectations are? What styles do they appreciate? What specific shots are they looking for? This is the sort of thing they will need to assess regardless who actually shoots the wedding.

I am not saying you should abandon your plans to shoot the wedding, I am just trying to help you understand the gravity and magnitude of the decision. Everybody has to start somewhere.

Best,

ziggy53

Shay Stephens

Some quick thoughts
What ziggy said is true. However, you have example photos on your site that show you have an eye for action, interaction, and emotion. That is key above and beyond equipment. So I don't worry about your ability to capture the meaningful photos that make a good wedding gallery. The trick will be the technicals in challenging environments.

My advice, if you are commited to this, is to practice low light action photography until you have nailed (1/60th at the fastest). Practice using your flash in this low light environment. Your lenses are fine as far as range goes, but your zoom is a bit dark for the reception. f/2.8 lenses (and better) give you more flexibility. For the ceremony if indoors and no flash allowed, just make sure you have a tripod handy. Might save the day at the reception too if it is too dark to focus while hand holding. Bring a flash light to help focus when all else fails. The brighter the lens, the easier it is to focus in low light.

Talk with the bride and groom to get a feel for what kind of photography interests them. Not specific shots, but more thematic in nature. Also find out what kind of formal photos they want, when and where it will take place. Scout the areas you will be shooting in. Be fully prepared to shoot the wedding by the time you have to do it. Make sure you and the B&G are on the same page when before the day begins. Communication is key.

A secondary thought is the time you will need to sort, process, and deliver the photos in a timely fashion. Make sure your workflow is up to the task by the time you leave for the shoot. It takes a lot longer to do a good job than most people think when you are dealling with so many photos. A wedding is a full time job for at least a week for an experienced pro.

Dee

wander to this...
I see you live in New Jersey -- let your fingers type in www.craigslist.org and if you look around you'll usually find some "back up photographer wanted" posts somewhere.

You might be able to make contact with some photographers needing either an assistant or a back up photographer -- or they might be willing to have you tag along.

In the meantime start photographing all your relatives in "wedding type" situations -- eating a meal, walking, talking, etc.

The problem with weddings is that everything can happen very quickly and get out of control so your lights need to be very portable. It also depends on the size of the wedding -- small group is easier to control and light... depends on the time of day as to how much lighting you'll need and what kind. An outdoor wedding might need some reflectors rather than flash, etc.

And if you have a trusted friend, I'd enlist them as an assistant for you -- to help round up people for poses, keep people from taking flash photos while you are trying to shoot, etc.

John Desjarlais

I don't photograph for a living, so I can't offer as much experienced advice as some of the other contributors. However, I was recently in a very similar situation - my sister loves my photography and asked that I be the backup photographer for her wedding. I used my Tamron 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 with SB600 flash for the whole wedding. On the plus side, the zoom and reach enabled some great closeups of "the kiss" and other cools shots. This was great for me, and I have a real affinity for close-cropped portraits. However, I really kicked myself later for realizing that ALL of my shots were close-cropped portraits of either one or two people, with precious few shots of some of the real action, like group dancing, etc. So I guess my advice is to make sure you change up lenses to force different kinds of shots. The other thing I'll add is that I just purchased an 85mm f/1.8 (~$360), and I'm stunned at how well this works in indoor light. You might consider such a lens, although you should figure out if a 50mm f/1.8 (~$100) makes more sense for shooting or for budget.

The only other things I would add (but I'd defer judgement to the pros) is that if you're going to be shooting outdoors in sunlight, you might want to get comfortable with fill-flash technique. Indoors, with bounce-flash.

Andyman

Thank you, guys. Very very much.

I realize it's huge. I know that even if they say less than pro results is fine with them, it's likely really not. For most people, the wedding day is the single most important event of their lives - why would you want anything less than the best?

When we talked about it seriously, I told them I would like to but that I could not commit yet. They were fine with that. It would be foolish to wait too long to decide, yeah, but the wedding is still months and months away.

I do know of a local photographer that does weddings that I might be able to talk to about gaining some experience. I agree that it would be a really good idea to do so.

One hinge in all this is whether I decide to go back to school this fall or not. If I go back to school then doing the wedding will be out of the question as I know I will not be able to prepare enough for it. If I don't go to school, then I'd really like to get all experience possible between now and the wedding. One plan I started to think about is foregoing my friend's wedding (at least, being the photographer), but still trying to gain experience by tagging along with another photographer and other methods of practice. Perhaps I could still photograph at the wedding but not be the "photographer."

Thank you guys for your practical advice and your technical advice. It's good to have some direction.

AntoineD

Hi,

you definitely will have to get one other lens.

Indoor, your tamron may be almost unuseable because of it max-opening.

You might consider buying a fixed 2.8 zoom with a more "humble" range like 17-55 or 18-70, something like that. Of course, the nikkor 17-55 f2.8 is way expensive for an amateur, but I know Sigma (and Tamron) are making some cool pieces.

You'll have a much clearer viewfinder, and much more: you won't be tempted to zoom in and out all the time: go as close as you can to your subject! To my opinion, getting as close as possible to people is the key...

Andyman

Thanks, Antoine!

spider-t

Andyman wrote:

Thanks, Antoine!

I'd like to second Antoine's 17-55 2.8 lens idea. It is a fantastic event lens. And while it is pricy, you can rent it for the day. Or better yet, rent it for the weekend. You should try it out first.

cheers!
Trish

AntoineD

spider-t wrote:

I'd like to second Antoine's 17-55 2.8 lens idea. It is a fantastic event lens. And while it is pricy, you can rent it for the day. Or better yet, rent it for the weekend. You should try it out first.

cheers!
Trish

thanks for the support

But, in fact, that lens may be way too heavy to mount on a D50. Sigma's and Tamron's lens might fit better. If you take the Nikkor one, it could be hard to hang the camera well enough.

Well: try it.

Bodley

ziggy53 wrote:

That is definitely an area you might want to improve, just in case any people show up at the wedding.
ziggy53

Thanks Ziggy - I needed a laugh today.

Andyman

Thank you guys for your advice. This 17-55mm you mean? May I ask what makes it worth the added cost over other similar lenses, like this? Is it only the better aperture or anything else?

AntoineD

Andyman wrote:

Thank you guys for your advice. This 17-55mm you mean? May I ask what makes it worth the added cost over other similar lenses, like this? Is it only the better aperture or anything else?

Hi, I suggest you read the review on bythom.com about the 17-55 and the 18-70. I pretty agree with him