If you could rent any lens as a guest...

[MonicaBH]

...at your best friend's wedding, what would it be?

This will happen in ~3 weeks. I have a baby shower to go to the day before, then the wedding, then I'll likely take pictures of my friends baby.

Something very versatile would be the most ideal. :blushing:

 

[Kerbouchard]

If you were the main shooter, I would say the 24-70 2.8. Since it doesn't sound like you will be the main, and instead will just be a guest with a camera, I would say the 70-200 2.8 VR. That way you can still get shots but not be in the way of the pro. For the pro's and your sake, make sure you review some wedding etiquite...don't stand over the pro's shoulder, don't distract the couple while the pro is shooting, try to shoot at an angle from the pro so that you aren't in their shots, and if I were you, I wouldn't even try to take pictures of the formals. There isn't much time to get all the shots that are needed, and other photographers can really slow things down.

I don't see it in your equipment list, so it should be mentioned. A flash is not an optional piece of gear. You will need an SB600 or better.

Just my .02.

 

[Stradawhovious]

So you aren't the primary photographist? If that's the case, and you already have a 50 1.8, if it were me I would opt for a 70-200 VR. Or a 80-200 depending in the cost and your budget. That would allow you to get really crisp photos, with a nice fast lens and stay out of the photographers way.

But that's just my opinion, and I really don't have any idea what I'm talking about.

 

[bentcountershaft]

I would have to see how far away the bar is from the rest of the action before I could make an informed opinion.

 

[RauschPhotography]

Another vote for the 24-70 f2.8 :thumbup:

 

[Stradawhovious]

Another vote for the 24-70 f2.8 :thumbup:

Technically, yours would be the first vote based on the circumstances.

Where have you been? I miss busting your chops.

 

[RauschPhotography]

Another vote for the 24-70 f2.8 :thumbup:

Technically, yours would be the first vote based in the circumstances.

Where have you been? I miss busting your chops.

Cleverly hiding

 

[MonicaBH]

I don't plan on being around for the formal shots. I want to take some nice pictures as a guest... of the ceremony/guests/party/reception/etc.

I considered the 70-300mm f/2.8 prior to posting here, but wanted something with a little shorter focal length for the baby shower & friends kid. I guess I have a good range with that lens, though.

I don't plan to rent a flash since I'm attending as a guest. I think it's a late afternoon/early evening ceremony so I should have some daylight to work with. I also don't want to bother the other guests (it will be a huge wedding from what I gather) with a flash going off behind/in front of them if I don't have to.

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

 

[bentcountershaft]

I agree on not taking a flash. You'll just be messing up the pro that's there.

 

[Kerbouchard]

If you don't plan on bringing a flash, you might as well stick with the 50mm 1.8.

I've only been assisting in weddings for about 6 months now, but with a D90, (which I also shoot with) I don't think you will get very good results without a flash. For one thing, an SB600/800/900 have a focus assist beam that helps a lot. The D90 doesn't really do well above ISO 800 unless you have a lot of light.

When I shoot, I generally use my 70-300 VR from a tripod for the ceremony(no flash). I don't take the formals and instead get to the reception early to get detail shots. I use a 35-70 2.8 and a Sigma 150 2.8 Macro for the detail shots. For the reception, I will use an SB800 and the 35-70 2.8 or a 50mm 1.8.

I can't even imagine trying to do an indoor reception without flash. As far as flash effecting the Main shooter, I don't think that is a concern. When I shoot, we have 3 shooters all using flash(bounced). It is very rare to have any of the other flashes show up in a shot.

 

[behanana]

I'm just going to thow this one out there, for my wedding my cousin came into town, he is a professional but wasn't shooting our wedding as a pro (he was family and there to get drunk with us, not to work). He did however come to the hotel where myself and my groomsmen got ready, he stayed back and just shot very candid shots. He also did this once we were at the church and kinda just followed around those who weren't in the formal shots and all the time just took nice informal candid shots. After we got everything back, from him and the pro we hired, both my wife and I loved his shots. They were the real ones, they showed the parts of the day that you don't usually get from the pro that is hired, they are there to get the shots of the formal and important parts.
The entire story being, as a friend you may want to do something similiar, see if you can meet your friend as she is getting her hair and make-up done, getting ready before hand and such, and if that is the case I would probably go with a 50-200 f2.8 just so you can be out of the way and keep everyone from "noticing" you. I know my wife and I enjoyed it greatly, just my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

 

[bennielou]

A lot will depend on where you will be sitting as a guest. I wouldn't use flash at the ceremony, mainly because it's annoying for a sacred ceremony. But we also don't know what time of day this shindig happens, what the location lighting is during that time, or anything else, so it's kind of hard to talk flash.

As far as lenses, I have bags full, but I pretty much use the 35mm 1.4 prime and the 70-200 2.8 IS because they seem to cover pretty much everything, unless I'm trying to do something funky.

 

[MonicaBH]

If you don't plan on bringing a flash, you might as well stick with the 50mm 1.8.

I've only been assisting in weddings for about 6 months now, but with a D90, (which I also shoot with) I don't think you will get very good results without a flash. For one thing, an SB600/800/900 have a focus assist beam that helps a lot. The D90 doesn't really do well above ISO 800 unless you have a lot of light.

When I shoot, I generally use my 70-300 VR from a tripod for the ceremony(no flash). I don't take the formals and instead get to the reception early to get detail shots. I use a 35-70 2.8 and a Sigma 150 2.8 Macro for the detail shots. For the reception, I will use an SB800 and the 35-70 2.8 or a 50mm 1.8.

I can't even imagine trying to do an indoor reception without flash. As far as flash effecting the Main shooter, I don't think that is a concern. When I shoot, we have 3 shooters all using flash(bounced). It is very rare to have any of the other flashes show up in a shot.

I should have mentioned that this is an outdoor event.

Thanks for your advice on where/when you're using different lenses. It's very helpful.

I took some shots as a guest at a relative's wedding a few weeks back at night with low light; my D90 & the 50mm 1.8 handled it surprisingly well with a wide open aperture, slowish (1/80-125) SS & ISO 6400. There is definitely some noise, but IMO, and for what it's worth, it doesn't ruin the shots. I don't necessarily know if they'd be received well if they were the pro shots, but I was just there celebrating my little cousin's big day.

I'm just going to thow this one out there, for my wedding my cousin came into town, he is a professional but wasn't shooting our wedding as a pro (he was family and there to get drunk with us, not to work). He did however come to the hotel where myself and my groomsmen got ready, he stayed back and just shot very candid shots. He also did this once we were at the church and kinda just followed around those who weren't in the formal shots and all the time just took nice informal candid shots. After we got everything back, from him and the pro we hired, both my wife and I loved his shots. They were the real ones, they showed the parts of the day that you don't usually get from the pro that is hired, they are there to get the shots of the formal and important parts.
The entire story being, as a friend you may want to do something similiar, see if you can meet your friend as she is getting her hair and make-up done, getting ready before hand and such, and if that is the case I would probably go with a 50-200 f2.8 just so you can be out of the way and keep everyone from "noticing" you. I know my wife and I enjoyed it greatly, just my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

That's a great idea. I know they have someone to shoot the ceremony/etc for them. How do I go about offering that without being intrusive, though? I don't want to be pushy, nor do I want to step on the toes of the 1º shooter. Mostly I just want to do it as experience for myself and maybe to have a couple of frameworthy pics for them...

 

[Stradawhovious]

If at all possible, I would try to get a custom white balance so the dress ends up being white............

Unless it's not supposed to be white of course....

 

[MonicaBH]

If at all possible, I would try to get a custom white balance so the dress ends up being white............

Unless it's not supposed to be white of course....

Ha, there is a yellowish tinge to her dress. By the time this was taken, I was quite tipsy on cheap (free) beer. Customizing my WB was not the first thing on my mind. Standing upright was.

eta: it does not look quite so yellow when it is larger sized and viewed in flickr on my computer screen.