Any tips on taking on a church (Presbyterian) without flash and having a designated location to stand? I never had this problem before so any tips are welcome. I am using D70 and have (1) 50mm F/1.8 and (2) 28mm-200mm F/3.5-5.6. The first would be nice for low light but the 2nd would be nice if I'm stuck somewhere far far away. I'm also planning to use ISO400 because I find 800 quite noisy from 5R upward. Anyone had this experience before?
Church Wedding Without Flash
- Thread starter dawgbyte77
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Go take a look at the church at the 'time' you are required to shoot. check the designated area and the place whether have any natural lighting from windows/skylight etc. From there you will know what lens you need.
Have you tried iso800 over exposed by 1/3 or 1/2 stop to see if it's still noisy?
Have you tried iso800 over exposed by 1/3 or 1/2 stop to see if it's still noisy?
I've shot at Presbyterian churches before, can use flash leh, and I'm free to roam about.
You'll need a faster glass than f/3.5 tho' if without flash, tune up to ISO800. Pretty ok on D70.
You'll need a faster glass than f/3.5 tho' if without flash, tune up to ISO800. Pretty ok on D70.
Snowcrash said:
Yeah. I'm just concern if the church has too many window, then I get backlight as well and the exposure (subject against background) will go haywire. The bride just mentioned this issue yesterday and the wedding is on Saturday. I could have scouted the place last weekend.
ISO800 overexposed... hmm... not yet but kinda hard on low light without flash. So far I tried ISO800 with flash on f/4.5 1/60s on a group photo and the shadow area has a lot of noise (specially the guys with black pants n jackets). Can still fix using noise reduction program but details (hair, smile lines, crease in clothes) also gone.
Del_CtrlnoAlt said:
I wanna be like IAmASaint and with a tripod/VR lens and a hipshot/PJ style, I can seriously injure some guest and ruin my future career.
espn said:
I guess it depends on the priest. I tried blowing up ISO800 up to 12R and its quite bad on black pants leh... hmm... maybe because of the tungsten/spotlight temperature combination... I try to experiment on that again.
Wow, career.dawgbyte77 said:
ISO800, shouldn't be that bad :think: Alternatively, subcon the shots to me, I help you do noise removal. :bsmilie:
espn said:Wow, career.
ISO800, shouldn't be that bad :think: Alternatively, subcon the shots to me, I help you do noise removal. :bsmilie:
yeah.. maybe its the ballroom light in Marriot Hotel... maybe I'm not using enough flash as well (EV -1, bounce). Okay, I'll just ask the guest to keep quiet and shhhz anyone talking before taking the shot. :sweatsm:
dawgbyte77 said:
even if the church has lots of windows, did u check if the sanctuary is brightly lit or dim? if its brightly-lit, then ur 28-200 shld be able to handle it at a reasonable mid-level ISO. if its dim-lighting, plus not enuf sunlight coming in from the windows, then u're in trouble. at the tele end of f5.6, i suspect even if u bump up the ISO to the max, u might still end up with a low shutter speed and hence, blur pics due to hand-shakes.
do go check it out urself, the shooting location? if possible, suggest u borrow a 70-200/2.8 or a 80-200/f2.8 from someone.
For Presbyterian, I don't encounter any problems yet, maybe is my camera outfit and my face make me look like a Pro. :bsmilie:
Anyway, when the sermon starts, the photographer are expected to be seated and not taking photos, but the matrimony starts, the photographer may come forward to take photos, the alter is out of bound, only when the signing of cert, you are allow to get up alter.
Some churches or pastors may not allow to use flash, so you just do whatever you can, the wedding couple would rather to have less photos than the photographer create a scene on their holy matrimony.
Hope this help.
Anyway, when the sermon starts, the photographer are expected to be seated and not taking photos, but the matrimony starts, the photographer may come forward to take photos, the alter is out of bound, only when the signing of cert, you are allow to get up alter.
Some churches or pastors may not allow to use flash, so you just do whatever you can, the wedding couple would rather to have less photos than the photographer create a scene on their holy matrimony.
Hope this help.
Mariott, is pretty ok, shot there once, the ceiling isn't very high, ISO400-ISO640 works, don't really need to -1 EV, bounce is fine tho' but not at 90 degrees.dawgbyte77 said:
Give you a hint... always work with the co-operation of the systems & logistics guy(s), they can help a lot
i think i would do the same. i find 800 pretty noisy too. shoot at 400 if you can afford to.
for backlighting, use the spot-metering lah. if contrast is too high, set tone to -2. can tweak later.
think i would mount the 50/1.8 and only change lens for a WIDER angle (28-35mm range). if you use your lens at more than 50mm the aperture will probably force either ISO 800 or higher!
i think it helps to have a word with the minister/pastor before it starts and get the final say from him. that way you'll know your boundaries clearly.
Church wedding is treated as a very serious event where two individuals are going to say their vows before God and man. This is a lifetime commitment and every distractions should be minimised. I have taken countless time in Church wedding, and the last thing one do is to put oneself in the spotlight where the congregation, groom and bride and the officiating ministers get distracted by the "antics" of the cameraman (eg. standing next to the pastor to take close-up, unnecessary movement across the sanctuary, causing distraction such that the ceremony is disrupted). Basically the church takes a very serious view when regarding Holy Matrimony.
So these are some of my experiences
a. Ask for the program so that you will know when to take and how to position. Key events to watch out,
i. father of bride covering her face with the veil. this make take place just outside the sanctuary or in a special room where whe rest.
ii. walking down the aisle (usually flash is allowed at this point until both groom and bride are in front of the altar, this is where ZERO flash begins - but still you need to ask). If flash is not permitted, station yourself at the end of the aisle and shoot from there, as the bride and the father walks down toward the sanctuary
iii. father giving away the bride (this is where the Officiating Minister will say "Who give this woman away to this man?", the father will in turn raises his arm
iv. the taking of vows, where the bride and groom exchange their vows (bride is still covered by the veil)
v. the exchange of rings, you are going to be at a distance
vi. the unveiling, frontal shot is most vital
vii. the pronoucement of man and wife which will result in a kiss by the groom, sometimes the more modes will plant a kiss on the cheek. You have to asked the bride and groom what it is going to be. Tell them to do it slowly for it can happen very fast
viii. signing of the marriange cert. Bride, groom and witnesses (usually the fathers)
ix. special items presented by friends while they sign
x. walking down the aisle
Normally, due to restricted movement, I have to engage another friend to help, where strategically I will place myself on the left or right of the alter (where the pastor will stand) with a tripod (long lens 200 mm), a friend of mine will be located to cover the frontal shots (unveiling, exchange of rings, kissing), you need to have even longer lens (depending on the sanctuary). To ensure that the moment will be captured in posterity, the backup plan is to get the bride and groom to go through the motion of getting married when the official one is over. That is when the service is over. This will have to be told to the couple first, as the duration between these "re-do) and to be present in the refreshment hall is rather short.
Depending on the couple, some bride arrive half an hour before the event, and will be hidden in a room where she can rest. This is a good oppportunity to take those impromptu shots, just be mindful that usually this type of room serves as a Sunday School rooms where it can be very cluttered.
Hope these tips help.
Regards
TC
So these are some of my experiences
a. Ask for the program so that you will know when to take and how to position. Key events to watch out,
i. father of bride covering her face with the veil. this make take place just outside the sanctuary or in a special room where whe rest.
ii. walking down the aisle (usually flash is allowed at this point until both groom and bride are in front of the altar, this is where ZERO flash begins - but still you need to ask). If flash is not permitted, station yourself at the end of the aisle and shoot from there, as the bride and the father walks down toward the sanctuary
iii. father giving away the bride (this is where the Officiating Minister will say "Who give this woman away to this man?", the father will in turn raises his arm
iv. the taking of vows, where the bride and groom exchange their vows (bride is still covered by the veil)
v. the exchange of rings, you are going to be at a distance
vi. the unveiling, frontal shot is most vital
vii. the pronoucement of man and wife which will result in a kiss by the groom, sometimes the more modes will plant a kiss on the cheek. You have to asked the bride and groom what it is going to be. Tell them to do it slowly for it can happen very fast
viii. signing of the marriange cert. Bride, groom and witnesses (usually the fathers)
ix. special items presented by friends while they sign
x. walking down the aisle
Normally, due to restricted movement, I have to engage another friend to help, where strategically I will place myself on the left or right of the alter (where the pastor will stand) with a tripod (long lens 200 mm), a friend of mine will be located to cover the frontal shots (unveiling, exchange of rings, kissing), you need to have even longer lens (depending on the sanctuary). To ensure that the moment will be captured in posterity, the backup plan is to get the bride and groom to go through the motion of getting married when the official one is over. That is when the service is over. This will have to be told to the couple first, as the duration between these "re-do) and to be present in the refreshment hall is rather short.
Depending on the couple, some bride arrive half an hour before the event, and will be hidden in a room where she can rest. This is a good oppportunity to take those impromptu shots, just be mindful that usually this type of room serves as a Sunday School rooms where it can be very cluttered.
Hope these tips help.
Regards
TC
If you have to, do ISO 1600. D70/D100 at ISO 800 should be usuable. 1600 is still acceptable if you don't underexpose. I've printed ISO 1600 from a D100 up to A4, the noise isn't objectionable. It's not a wedding shot tho.
All else fails, convert the ISO 1600 into B&W for that classic look.
Regards
CK
All else fails, convert the ISO 1600 into B&W for that classic look.
Regards
CK
That's a rough guide, don't depend fully on it as if your life depends on it. Learn to be flexible, take it as a guide and improve it to your preferencedawgbyte77 said:
Nothing is for sure during events, flexibility helps a lot.- Status
