My Friend's Wedding - The correct settings?

[Belle&Sebastain]

My friends insisted that I take for them. They keep reassuring me that they are fine with me taking the pictures. That means I get to take their wedding for "fun" too. Of course wish to take nice pictures for them.

if the photos are not of their standard then you may lose your friendship, why save money for this type of event...

 

[catchlights]

if the photos are not of their standard then you may lose your friendship, why save money for this type of event...

Seen like she is taking her friend's wedding on 18 Sept, this day is super duper hot date for wedding day, if her friend wanted to find any photographer available for shooting the wedding also very difficult, I understand many couples wedding on this day have no photographers available for them, many of them also a can’t find a venue for holding wedding dinner.

 

[catchlights]

The photos I took turned out to be very normal. Well, it was a good scary experience. Everything happened so fast and guess what? I did not change into fresh batteries for my flash and they went dry when the groom was at the gate!!! Arghh.... I had to use the built-in flash for a while. Scary.

And tomorrow, it will be the wedding dinner.

In gist, wedding photography is really a big deal. Not easy at all. Hats off to wedding photographers.

You can ask the couple to pause for a while for you to reload films, replace fresh batteries

But you have to get prepare for enough frame counts, fresh batteries for 1st march in follow by cake cutting, 2nd march in follow by champagne toast, for this moment nobody is going to wait for you.

 

[KenChua]

Use bounce Flash when you are Indoor. Start flash compensation from '0' and meter and fire a few test shorts.

 

[dawgbyte77]

You can ask the couple to pause for a while for you to reload films, replace fresh batteries

But you have to get prepare for enough frame counts, fresh batteries for 1st march in follow by cake cutting, 2nd march in follow by champagne toast, for this moment nobody is going to wait for you.

Another suggestion is to have a consumer cam handy in your pocket... something is better than nothing if worst comes to worst. If you encounter any problem during march in or cake cutting, the last thing you want to do is stop and figure out your camera problem. :sweat:

 

[dawgbyte77]

Use bounce Flash when you are Indoor. Start flash compensation from '0' and meter and fire a few test shorts.

Most ballrooms have high ceilings, "romantic" lights and even chandeliers so bounce flash = bounce card only if this is the case. Otherwise, ceiling bounce would be the best choice especially for 2-3 rows table shots.

 

[KenChua]

Most ballrooms have high ceilings, "romantic" lights and even chandeliers so bounce flash = bounce card only if this is the case. Otherwise, ceiling bounce would be the best choice especially for 2-3 rows table shots.

Forget to add is fit your flash with your Dom. I'm not using any bounce card. It is just to cast the shadow away and illum the foreground.

A thing to take note is to make sure there are no polish surface type of wall at the back of the subjects. If it happens to have one, you might want to consider shifting the subjects.

 

[catchlights]

1. She is using film for this shoot
2. Not sure she shoots with bounce flash before
3. The wedding dinner is tonight
4. Not sure is she familiar with the venue setting

I would advice her to shoot with her own usual style, in order to have predictable results, unless someone is guiding her alone.


Never, never try something new and not familiar during a wedding shoot.

 

[catchlights]

Forget to add is fit your flash with your Dom. I'm not using any bounce card. It is just to cast the shadow away and illum the foreground.

A thing to take note is to make sure there are no polish surface type of wall at the back of the subjects. If it happens to have one, you might want to consider shifting the subjects.

Yes, but sometime is easier to move or lower yourself to take the shot, then asking 5 to 6 persons to shift.

 

[vbs1979]

:thumbsup: Good advice from a seasoned campaigner.

Its good to have experience pro who are willing to advise the newbie photographer.

Next time need you to 指点，指点。

 

[yowch]

Shooting at 1/30 is normally not a problem on teh photographer. I know of sniper friends who can be VERY stable, yet won't use 1/30. Why? Because the target is moving! A friend shot a wedding, with dance and motion and lots of activities, all at 1/30. Plenty of motion blur, but the background (eg house furniture or wall hangings) are all sharp. It was the target that moved.

To capture busy movements, I suggest 1/15 and stable hands. To get still and sharp, 1/60 is the lowest that I'll go.

 

[madmacs]

if the photos are not of their standard then you may lose your friendship, why save money for this type of event...

i think there is a higher chance of losing their friendship if she doesn't do them this favour. i don't believe the couple will blame her if the photos are not up to their standard. after all they didn't want to engage a pro in the first place.

 

[vbs1979]

I think the lady kind of know what she is doing. Worse come to worse, shoot in Program Mode and Auto Flash.

The shots will not turn out too bad except it may be not so "Pro".

Anyway, she is doing her friends a favour, so i guess the couple wont mind having normal pics.

As for the shutter speed, it has to vary according to the effect which the photographer wish to achieve. Too many motion shots is equally boring as too many freeze shots.

Just my 2 cents thought.

 

[yanyewkay]

For some couples, wedding photography is not as important as to others. It is at their "very low end of the expenditure scale".

true. I have a friend who did not have a photog for his actual day. cos he didn't feel it's necessary. For these ppl, since there is already none to begin with. Any amatuer photog pics are all bonus.

 

[catchlights]

true. I have a friend who did not have a photog for his actual day. cos he didn't feel it's necessary. For these ppl, since there is already none to begin with. Any amatuer photog pics are all bonus.

I have seen many couple have their wedding solemnize at ROM building, grooms with ranted suit, brides with very nice gown, huge hand bouquet, private suite for solemnization, etc. But no photographers, just only friends or relatives using point and shoot cameras.

Yes, still many many wedding couples don't think the pictures wedding day event is necessary, let alone ask them to spend money on it, it is almost impossible, unless you want to shoot for them free.

 

[2100]

18th Sept rained like cats and dogs in the morning. ;p Luckily from my bus stop to the bride's bus-stop and then to the HDB all sheltered. The videographer said call cab also no cab - waited for 15 mins then came.....he was late a bit.

These few days always rain.....hope this weekend 23rd and 24th is ok.

 

[jOhO]

18th Sept rained like cats and dogs in the morning. ;p Luckily from my bus stop to the bride's bus-stop and then to the HDB all sheltered. The videographer said call cab also no cab - waited for 15 mins then came.....he was late a bit.

These few days always rain.....hope this weekend 23rd and 24th is ok.

yeah man that day.. showers of blessing... ahahha

 

[Virgo]

18th Sept rained like cats and dogs in the morning. ;p Luckily from my bus stop to the bride's bus-stop and then to the HDB all sheltered. The videographer said call cab also no cab - waited for 15 mins then came.....he was late a bit.

These few days always rain.....hope this weekend 23rd and 24th is ok.

Yah man...Luckily I reached the bride's house at 5:30am. :bsmilie:

At that time, the wind was already howling, and I said to myself, siao liao...sure rain, and true enough, it started raining cats and dogs around 6am, and continued throughout the morning. The bridegroom was late because of the heavy rain! Yes, what a day!

 

[espn]

Yah man...Luckily I reached the bride's house at 5:30am. :bsmilie:

At that time, the wind was already howling, and I said to myself, siao liao...sure rain, and true enough, it started raining cats and dogs around 6am, and continued throughout the morning. The bridegroom was late because of the heavy rain! Yes, what a day!

The rain came in the north-east around 6.30, I didn't get drenched but my equipment did :sweat:

The bridegroom was early but the door-opener was late. Hahaha... oh well. It did make the weather more bearable.

 

[Virgo]

The rain came in the north-east around 6.30, I didn't get drenched but my equipment did :sweat:

The bridegroom was early but the door-opener was late. Hahaha... oh well. It did make the weather more bearable.

So did my equipment, especially my 580EX, which acts as an 'umbrella' for my camera body. Luckily all systems go!