Shooting solemnisation ceremony indoors

[eunene]

A friend recently approached me to help shoot his Solemnisation Ceremony at his place. Thankfully I am just the backup photographer...so not so stress. But still determined to give him some good shots.
Ceremony is at nice bungalow with high ceilings and will be held from 7pm onwards.

I have a D70 with 18-105mm VR and SB-600 flash (attached stofen).
I can't bounce flash of the ceilings as its too high. Think I should carry a bounce card too?
I set the WB to tungsten and usually shoot on aperture priority.

Any tips as to what I can do to improve the images I take?

Thanks guys. Advice much appreciated. =)

 

[agws1970]

A friend recently approached me to help shoot his Solemnisation Ceremony at his place. Thankfully I am just the backup photographer...so not so stress. But still determined to give him some good shots.
Ceremony is at nice bungalow with high ceilings and will be held from 7pm onwards.

I have a D70 with 18-105mm VR and SB-600 flash (attached stofen).
I can't bounce flash of the ceilings as its too high. Think I should carry a bounce card too?
I set the WB to tungsten and usually shoot on aperture priority.

Any tips as to what I can do to improve the images I take?

Thanks guys. Advice much appreciated. =)

Bring more batteries and angle Omnibounced flash vertical. Can get a great soft effect for portrait and half body shots of couple. For group and further shots, bounce card is a must. And practice with some friends before actual day. there is no 2nd chance for this and no replay.

 

[jfoo]

thankfully you are a backup so there's no pressure on you to deliver shots.

you can use the stofen or a bounce card for your flash but do not set it to tungsten for WB. set it to flash or auto and leave it at that. whatever mode you use is fine as long as you are comfortable with it.

MOST IMPORTANT TIP: stay out of the way of the official photographer. let him/her do the work properly to deliver images that will bring memories to your friend and his family.

 

[eunene]

Thanks folks!
I am actually doing a test shoot this week. From about 7-8pm.
Will take your advice and work on it. Will get some friends to pose as subjects for me.
Ya...most definitely stay out of way of main fotographer.

 

[eunene]

Bring more batteries and angle Omnibounced flash vertical. Can get a great soft effect for portrait and half body shots of couple. For group and further shots, bounce card is a must. And practice with some friends before actual day. there is no 2nd chance for this and no replay.

Hmm...I never try with bounce card before and I dunno how to make one leh.
Any idea how to secure one for the SB-600?

 

[jfoo]

Hmm...I never try with bounce card before and I dunno how to make one leh.
Any idea how to secure one for the SB-600?

can use rubber-band, scotch tape, velcro tape and whatever you can think of. search CS or google. tons of information on the net.

 

[recca123]

I use Demb Flip it diffuser for this kind of situation so that the light can bounce infront and not be too harsh. I will only use my stofen if the ceiling are reasonable for bouncing..

Anyway my recent encounter, was invited to Ipoh to be my friend's brother for his wedding and it turned out that he was not able to get a photographer for his wedding and I had to be his photographer at the last min...

 

[catchlights]

set WB to tungsten than everyone will have a blue face....

thankfully you are a backup, hopefully you will not block the main for taking shots.

 

[eunene]

set WB to tungsten than everyone will have a blue face....

thankfully you are a backup, hopefully you will not block the main for taking shots.

Yea...I was experimenting again.
Just made myself a bounce card using templates I got online.
More experimentation to come...before actual shoot. =)

 

[Legoz]

Yea...I was experimenting again.
Just made myself a bounce card using templates I got online.
More experimentation to come...before actual shoot. =)

Solemnisation is a very small scale event. The main photographer would most prob be able to cover all angles during the ceremony. As such, if you shoot along side with the photographer, you will end up with similar shots.
If you shoot opposite the photograpgher, you would be in his pics.

I think to help your friend, you should limit your shots to groupie shoots before / after the ceremony and also whatever opportunistic shots that you can get.

Alot of people get carried away thinking that more photographers = more shots to choose from. Thats partly true until you see the pics and see just about all your shots would have a guy with a camera stuck to his/her face. How nice is that?

Regards