advice for shooting a wedding reception

ilovetherayne · Apr 20, 2008

a friend has asked me to take pictures of her wedding reception and
i'm not sure if i'm fully equipped for it.
what i have is a Nikon D40 with the 18-55mm kit. should i get a better lense? a speedlight flash?? any advice would be great!

JIP · Apr 20, 2008

If you will be the only photographer there and they will be dependng on you for their only pictures yes, you are teribly under-equipped for that. If you are just going to be there as a supplement to a pro you should consider getting a flash.

JerryPH · Apr 20, 2008

You are in for a surprise my friend.

Here, let me help you find something to read and not have us repeat ourselves for the 15th time:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/search.php?searchid=1411533

Good luck.

christopher walrath · Apr 20, 2008

A flash and a tripod. Maybe a SFX filter or two.

Mav · Apr 20, 2008

Get an SB-400 or 600 and a bunch of spare batteries, and then rent a 17-55DX f/2.8 a few days in advance so that you know how to use it and you'll be in pretty good shape. While you're at it, get an extra EN-EL9 battery for your D40 too. I'd have no problem taking on a wedding reception with my D40, the 17-55, and the little SB-400 flash. I'd shoot in RAW + JPEG mode too. And make sure you have enough memory cards.

General shots: shoot at f/4. Individual portraits: f/2.8. Group shots: stop down to f/5.6 or even f/8 to make sure everybody is in focus. Learn how to use the exposure/focus lock button on your camera too - it'll come in handy.