WPJs... would you bring...?

[Yatlapball]

Tks

Hoarding is one thing. But would you actually bring it out on the shoot. If it's a huge ballroom (think those that can accomodate up to 100 tables variety), I think the tele would have its uses...

 

[jOhO]

i have this "thing" about teles during weddings...

if u are the only photographer, wat are the chances that you will be 30m away from the couple? and IF there are opportunities for such shots.. wat are the chances that between that 30m, no one or thing blocks your view when a crucial moment happens? AND... wat if u needed to move to get a better angle, being so far away, the circumferance of the imaginary circle that you have to move on would be huge if u are standing further...

so i really wonder how to use (long-ish) teles at weddings.... unless got another main photog and i'm the second/backup/journalistic/chapalang/extra photog. even then.. it's not worth the weight!! :bsmilie:

 

[TrailsofLife]

I only bring 70-200 for church or outdoor wedding, when I can't go too near the wedding couple. Seldom use it for chinese wedding. But I wouldn't sell it away because I like the range, it give nice bokeh and take nice portraits. At chinese weddings, I normally use my cheapo 85 f1.8, because I can just stand near to the couple, about 3-5m.

 

[roDz]

For me...17-40mm on one body and 50mm on another body...usually i'm the main photog so i cant get far from the couple...

 

[antere]

On several occasion, I lugged my 70-200mm with me during wedding shoots thinking that it could come to use...but it usually don't stay out for long and few shots came from it.

The only time i can remember it to be extremely useful is when the couple seperated to entertain different groups of guests throughout most part of the wedding. Used the tele to shoot the groom from afar while following the bride around.

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

i have this "thing" about teles during weddings...

if u are the only photographer, wat are the chances that you will be 30m away from the couple? and IF there are opportunities for such shots.. wat are the chances that between that 30m, no one or thing blocks your view when a crucial moment happens? AND... wat if u needed to move to get a better angle, being so far away, the circumferance of the imaginary circle that you have to move on would be huge if u are standing further...

so i really wonder how to use (long-ish) teles at weddings.... unless got another main photog and i'm the second/backup/journalistic/chapalang/extra photog. even then.. it's not worth the weight!! :bsmilie:

but why does every shot need to be 3m from the bride & groom?

its interesting to use teles for weddings, i'm beginning to use tele primes as much as 60% in the evenings as a means to tell a different feel stories for weddings, as for the distractions, that where the teles excel, to remove the unwanted elements by the use of narrow appertures and throw everything else OOF.

the challenge is to get interesting compositions and focus on the subject/object at hand, very challenging and interesting.

my aim is to use just 3 lenses for dinner weddings 24mm, 85mm and 135mm exclusively, so far so good, my 17-35 and 24-70 has been in the bag lately, with more experience i should be able to leave my zoom lenses at home.

actually 10m is a good start to work with!

85mm in full frame is my new found focal length, love it to bits!

 

[jOhO]

but why does every shot need to be 3m from the bride & groom?

its interesting to use teles for weddings, i'm beginning to use tele primes as much as 60% in the evenings as a means to tell a different feel stories for weddings, as for the distractions, that where the teles excel, to remove the unwanted elements by the use of narrow appertures and throw everything else OOF.

the challenge is to get interesting compositions and focus on the subject/object at hand, very challenging and interesting.

my aim is to use just 3 lenses for dinner weddings 24mm, 85mm and 135mm exclusively, so far so good, my 17-35 and 24-70 has been in the bag lately, with more experience i should be able to leave my zoom lenses at home.

actually 10m is a good start to work with!

85mm in full frame is my new found focal length, love it to bits!

it really does depend on the type of photog u are. most of us of course wanna be pure journalistic but (at least for me) when i'm the only photog the couples or SOME couples will be constantly yelling for me for a photo. that's one reason why i can't be 10 or 30 meters way. ok maybe 10m still ok. :bsmilie:

135 is doable, i wouldn't mind trying it out but i won't be buying that lens soon, anyway nikon's 135 supposedly isn't strong. but.. the 70-200.. esp at the 200 end.. at least for my style i haven't seen a need so i sold it. and.. i DEFINITELY can't appreciate the weight. ;p

regarding some replies above about not being able to go near the couple say at church.. it's interesting.. i'm shooting a couple this sat that already got married in australia some weeks back, and she passed me the photos of the wedding in au to make into a montage. when i asked her if there's any images of them from the front of the church, she said there wasn't any. all the shots were from behind (taking their backs) and from far away. she said the photographer said they weren't allowed to go near.

i was baffled. i've never been in a sitation where the only place in church i could stand was in the aisle some 10-20 meters away and zoom in. take wat??? and honestly, even if i was "disallowed" to do a few things.. i would still "tau jiak". it's for the images, and it's for the couple. i would of course do so quietly and as discreetly as possible!

 

[CYRN]

I bring my 70-200 2.8 for 2 reasons firstly it's my fastest zoom lens (the rest are f4)... just in case I need to shoot ambient indoors. Secondly, should my main lens konk off for whatever reason, I have this for backup. paired with 50f1.4.

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

it really does depend on the type of photog u are. most of us of course wanna be pure journalistic but (at least for me) when i'm the only photog the couples or SOME couples will be constantly yelling for me for a photo. that's one reason why i can't be 10 or 30 meters way. ok maybe 10m still ok. :bsmilie:

135 is doable, i wouldn't mind trying it out but i won't be buying that lens soon, anyway nikon's 135 supposedly isn't strong. but.. the 70-200.. esp at the 200 end.. at least for my style i haven't seen a need so i sold it. and.. i DEFINITELY can't appreciate the weight. ;p

regarding some replies above about not being able to go near the couple say at church.. it's interesting.. i'm shooting a couple this sat that already got married in australia some weeks back, and she passed me the photos of the wedding in au to make into a montage. when i asked her if there's any images of them from the front of the church, she said there wasn't any. all the shots were from behind (taking their backs) and from far away. she said the photographer said they weren't allowed to go near.

i was baffled. i've never been in a sitation where the only place in church i could stand was in the aisle some 10-20 meters away and zoom in. take wat??? and honestly, even if i was "disallowed" to do a few things.. i would still "tau jiak". it's for the images, and it's for the couple. i would of course do so quietly and as discreetly as possible!

Oochs, i always explain to my couples that any posed shots would be best done at only one time (Table to table shots) as it will posed a distraction to my work, the only ppl to flout the rules are jia meis, i always politely decline to take any form of requests from anyone except the paymasters.

 

[Yatlapball]

Some priests (or whatever you call them) might frown on you getting to close to the altar/stage/table/whatever it is.

After my first AD assignment as main photog, I'm sort of inclined to using primes too like Belle&Sebas. f/1.4 hohoho (i've fallen in love with available light) Only taking out the 17-55 to cover the (yawn) table shots...

I guess recce-ing the location (if unfamiliar) beforehand would tell you if the tele-zoom should be brought along (if you're not strong enough to carry all the gear around with you that is). LRRP trained personnel shouldn't have a problem with lugging camera bags around. They surely aren't as heavy as our alice packs. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[ellery]

Tks

Hoarding is one thing. But would you actually bring it out on the shoot. If it's a huge ballroom (think those that can accomodate up to 100 tables variety), I think the tele would have its uses...

Yatlapball - one question which you need not post an answer for - how many weddings have you done ? If you have done enough it is automatical to know what you will need and where to use what.
An 80-200 for ball room is not such a great idea for candids, an able candid shot shooter can do this with say 28-135 focal length. Reason being you need to be close enough to be able to shoot at the right time and also see the preshot situation before you go into action. Imagine using a 300mm(200x1.5) to find a shot and standing 20 to 25 feet away, not really workable. Blending into the woodwork until it time to shoot is a skill and an attribute. For church weddings this has a use but you can still do a church without a 80-200. Unless the head shoulder or head shot is relevant no bride and groom is going to be in estacy on seeing it no matter how hard you tried before you got it - its not a model shoot.
For instance I will use a 55 macro or a 180 macro for some shots in a wedding - it's just my work flow. If I had a FE, there a couple of places where this can be deployed. It is all about how you use what you have not the other way around. Simpler said you focal lengths will follow how you see the wedding; shooting being with seeing the final picture first otherwise how will you know it when it in the view finder.

Smile has anyone left a camera and lens on a tripod and rushed off to shoot again ? Or had to leave a tripod alone. Some horror stories of your equipment being adpoted by some one else at weddings makes me very uncomfortable with that idea. Damages to unattended equipment is also some you need to consider.

 

[Yatlapball]

tks ellery. yes, i have not exactly covered enough to have the experience. But I couldn't have been carrying the entire contents of my dry cabinet on my maiden shoot. That was the main reason in asking if the most WPJs here even bother carrying a telezoom with them.