schuylercat
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2007
- Messages
- 197
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- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
Hi all - new guy here.
I shot racing for about 8 years back in the 90's. Carried Canon hardware - 1N and an A2 backup body, 540ez, some L series glass, thousands of dollars of product and I'd burn through 50 rolls of Provia in a weekend at the track.
Never made a dime. Got published in On Track, The Global Racing Network, and a couple Finnish mags (they paid WAY better than the American Mags, even Racer). Had 5 kids, so I went back to my job in IT and my cameras have been gathering dust since. Sold the 1N. Still have an Elan II and the A2. I never missed it until now.
I have a 22 year old who's getting married next May. He's broke, and called me with a really disturbing proposition: would I shoot the wedding for him?
Im still laughing.
Like a good dad I said, sure. Ill get a book or something, and if you guys run by really fast I can get good speed shots
What an idiot. Back when I was shooting I knew a bunch of wedding guys: they worked twice as hard as I did, they had to actually know what they were doing, they all had Hassies and made real money. I got to drink beer in the press room and work in good light almost every weekend.
So Ive got my old gear, but its time to take this seriously: I cannot shoot 35mm chrome at this wedding. Im going to go digital. Oh, and I also have to learn how to shoot weddings in about 6-7 months. This is going to hurt.
So: heres my challenge: you guys all know what youre doing, and frankly I am barely capable of locating the shutter release. I was pretty good at shooting racing: sunlight, slow shutter, just carry a monopod and two loaded bodies at all times, panning is easy. It helped that I was a fan. But weddings? Oy. I am not a fan of weddings. So I need you to tell me what to do.
Heres my plan: first, I need to get money. Meanwhile, I need to plan a system. Then I gotta go shopping. Then I gotta practice my backside off. Im going to eBay off all my old gear (not the lenses: just the bodies and the flashes) and get new stuff. I have good Canon glass leftover a 28-80 F2.8L (tested it on a Rebel xti shot fine) and a 70-200 F2.8L. The long glass may come in handy if the pastor doesnt allow photographers in the crease (marriage, like Hockey, is a full-contact sport, right?). I think Im good, but with the 1.6 conversion Im left wondering about wide angle.
Heres my shopping list:
- Canon EOS 40D body - 1
- Canon Wide glass? I dunno. Do I need it? Cant afford the L stuff.
- Canon Speedlite 580 EXs 2 of them
- Canon STE2 slave controller (do I need this too? What if I keep one of the flashes on-camera? Will it remote-fire the other flash?
- Canon BGE2 grip
- Batteries 4 kits each with chargers
- Compact Flash 4 8MB cards, super-fast stuff.
- Diffusers, accessories (I have a bunch of Tiffen stuff already for stars and soft focus and the like. People still do that?
It adds up to about $3,000. Ouchie. Did I mention Im broke?
Next:
Can I live with a Rebel xti? Will that handle what I need?
Flashes: I like to shoot two flashes, but can I survive with the little ones, the 430s?
More about flashes: can someone help me get my head around how to use a two-flash setup with the new E-TTL stuff? Do I need the remote transmitter?
The last lens I bought predates image stabilization. I wonder if I need wide glass, should I look at a little zoomer with IS?
Comment and critique invited.
Cheers!
I shot racing for about 8 years back in the 90's. Carried Canon hardware - 1N and an A2 backup body, 540ez, some L series glass, thousands of dollars of product and I'd burn through 50 rolls of Provia in a weekend at the track.
Never made a dime. Got published in On Track, The Global Racing Network, and a couple Finnish mags (they paid WAY better than the American Mags, even Racer). Had 5 kids, so I went back to my job in IT and my cameras have been gathering dust since. Sold the 1N. Still have an Elan II and the A2. I never missed it until now.
I have a 22 year old who's getting married next May. He's broke, and called me with a really disturbing proposition: would I shoot the wedding for him?
Im still laughing.
Like a good dad I said, sure. Ill get a book or something, and if you guys run by really fast I can get good speed shots
What an idiot. Back when I was shooting I knew a bunch of wedding guys: they worked twice as hard as I did, they had to actually know what they were doing, they all had Hassies and made real money. I got to drink beer in the press room and work in good light almost every weekend.
So Ive got my old gear, but its time to take this seriously: I cannot shoot 35mm chrome at this wedding. Im going to go digital. Oh, and I also have to learn how to shoot weddings in about 6-7 months. This is going to hurt.
So: heres my challenge: you guys all know what youre doing, and frankly I am barely capable of locating the shutter release. I was pretty good at shooting racing: sunlight, slow shutter, just carry a monopod and two loaded bodies at all times, panning is easy. It helped that I was a fan. But weddings? Oy. I am not a fan of weddings. So I need you to tell me what to do.
Heres my plan: first, I need to get money. Meanwhile, I need to plan a system. Then I gotta go shopping. Then I gotta practice my backside off. Im going to eBay off all my old gear (not the lenses: just the bodies and the flashes) and get new stuff. I have good Canon glass leftover a 28-80 F2.8L (tested it on a Rebel xti shot fine) and a 70-200 F2.8L. The long glass may come in handy if the pastor doesnt allow photographers in the crease (marriage, like Hockey, is a full-contact sport, right?). I think Im good, but with the 1.6 conversion Im left wondering about wide angle.
Heres my shopping list:
- Canon EOS 40D body - 1
- Canon Wide glass? I dunno. Do I need it? Cant afford the L stuff.
- Canon Speedlite 580 EXs 2 of them
- Canon STE2 slave controller (do I need this too? What if I keep one of the flashes on-camera? Will it remote-fire the other flash?
- Canon BGE2 grip
- Batteries 4 kits each with chargers
- Compact Flash 4 8MB cards, super-fast stuff.
- Diffusers, accessories (I have a bunch of Tiffen stuff already for stars and soft focus and the like. People still do that?
It adds up to about $3,000. Ouchie. Did I mention Im broke?
Next:
Can I live with a Rebel xti? Will that handle what I need?
Flashes: I like to shoot two flashes, but can I survive with the little ones, the 430s?
More about flashes: can someone help me get my head around how to use a two-flash setup with the new E-TTL stuff? Do I need the remote transmitter?
The last lens I bought predates image stabilization. I wonder if I need wide glass, should I look at a little zoomer with IS?
Comment and critique invited.
Cheers!