Shooting my first wedding.. Tips

[dimples_giggles_1009]

I'm going be be shooting my first wedding Saturday. I'm really quite nervous about it cause that is such a special time for 2 people and I don't want to flunk it up. It's going to be in a church and quite dim lighting. The gear I have to use will be my canon eos 60d with 18-135mm & 50mm 1.8 and attachment flash canon speedlite 430ex II. Any tips/advice to ease the process.

Added note:
(there will be a pro photographer there....) I'm a secondary shooter gaining experience just would like tips from others that have shot weddings before and what you learned.

 

[russellsheath]

Haven't ever photographed a wedding dimples but hopefully one day I will. i mainly take photos of family memebers. Check them out here Russell Sheath Photo Blog

I would say keep it simple. And get LOTS of detail shots. The flowers, the favours, the setting etc. All of which build up a fantastic album. Move around lots to get lots of angles too.

Let me know how it goes

Russ xx

 

[cgipson1]

Based on what I have seen of your work so far, All I can do is wish you luck! I don't think you are ready! I really hope that the bride and groom know what they are getting!

Especially since you posted this two days ago!

Have a canon 60D and i always shoot on auto mode **hide** never in a different setting... anyone have any tips or threads to help me venture out and try new things with manual an changing aperture levels which I only have learned a little about... I know that can make a world of difference.... I have the fantastic plastic 50 1.8 & the kit lens that came with my camera 18-135is & canon speed lite 430ex II

I mainly shoot pictures of children and couples. ;-)

And you had really better be insured (liability)... because if they sue you... you could be TOAST!

 

[SCraig]

A wedding is a very important event for those involved. It is an event that would be very difficult and expensive to reproduce, and one that, good or bad, they will remember for a long time. A wedding is also NOT the place to be learning how to shoot one as the first photographer. You should already know how what to do long before you get there through experience with another photographer. Asking for tips 5 days beforehand is not a good beginning, it is a recipe for disaster. I've shot weddings, both as a second camera and a first, and I will never, ever, not for anything in the world do it again.

Shoot absolutely everything in sight. Everything. Bracket every single important shot; 2 stops under, 1 stop under, properly metered, 1 stop over, and 2 stops over. That way you stand a decent chance of one of them being good. Shoot every family member on both sides several times. Shoot the kids, shoot the visitors, shoot the clothes, shoot the church, shoot every single thing you can see and then shoot them again. You are going to have to overcome your lack of experience with sheer overkill in quantity and hope for the best.

 

[bratkinson]

Seeing your equipment, you'll need the flash 100% of the time while the 18-135 is mounted, and most, if not all of the time with the 50 f1.8. I strongly urge you to get an L bracket and short flash cable to get the flash off the camera, or you'll be fixing a lot of red-eye in post processing. Also, wherever possible, aim the flash to bounce off the ceiling or whatever, again to reduce red-eye. In most churches, however, you'll have to aim the flash more directly. I'm not sure about the 430 ex ii, but if it has a built-in flip-down diffuser, use that, too, unless you need the 'reach' of a brighter flash.

Be sure to set the flash-menu on your 60D to enable red-eye reduction. That way the flash will give a little mini-flash before the big flash to minimize the red-eye.

Also, be on the lookout for wall-scounce lighting or other bright 'hot spots' and avoid having them in the picture. I did my first (and last!) wedding as an (ex-)family member, but as 3rd shooter (2 paid pros there) and that and the dim incandescent lighting really caused me problems. Thankfully, the pros KNEW how to take good shots.

Lastly, look through wedding pictures others have posted here and at other web sites and see what they take pictures of. Everything from the bride and groom getting dressed, to closeups of the rings, bride arrival at church and final 'primping', nervous groom, THEN comes the aisle. A couple of shots of each person walking down the aisle, but don't be directly in front of them. Be off to the side a bit. You might want to zoom in from afar with the 18-135, but your flash won't reach that far! During the ceremony, I tried to be as inconspicous as possible. Try not to "interrupt" the "Do you...I do" with a flash! They are shaking already! If you are rock-steady at that point (seated, kneeling), you MAY want to try the 'auto w/no flash' setting on the 60D for a couple shots...but don't expect them to turn out due to yours or their shaking.

And, of course, first married kiss, outside the church, and lots and lots of pix at the reception.

Lastly, as others have said many times before...be sure to let the bride & groom know in advance you are NOT a pro and that the results may be less than expected.

 

[cgipson1]

A wedding is a very important event for those involved. It is an event that would be very difficult and expensive to reproduce, and one that, good or bad, they will remember for a long time. A wedding is also NOT the place to be learning how to shoot one as the first photographer. You should already know how what to do long before you get there through experience with another photographer. Asking for tips 5 days beforehand is not a good beginning, it is a recipe for disaster. I've shot weddings, both as a second camera and a first, and I will never, ever, not for anything in the world do it again.

Shoot absolutely everything in sight. Everything. Bracket every single important shot; 2 stops under, 1 stop under, properly metered, 1 stop over, and 2 stops over. That way you stand a decent chance of one of them being good. Shoot every family member on both sides several times. Shoot the kids, shoot the visitors, shoot the clothes, shoot the church, shoot every single thing you can see and then shoot them again. You are going to have to overcome your lack of experience with sheer overkill in quantity and hope for the best.

Yea.. 10,000 shots might give you a chance! Got that many memory cards? lol!

 

[tirediron]

WHY is there never a wall to hit your head against when you need one?

 

[cgipson1]

WHY is there never a wall to hit your head against when you need one?

My girlfriend laughed her A$$ off, when she read this! lol!

 

[Derrel]

WHY is there never a wall to hit your head against when you need one?

Aw.man, that's soooo traditional!!! Come on, move into the modern era...take the heel of one hand, and vigorously SLAM it INTO the forehead. The net effect is the same, and it's also much cooler!!! (And by vigorously, I mean slam the chit out of that forehead!! Make it HURT!!!)

 

[Kerbouchard]

This is going to be a disaster...

My tip is to make sure that the bride, groom, parents, friends, etc know that you fully expect it to be a disaster and that they should expect the same thing.

 

[tirediron]

WHY is there never a wall to hit your head against when you need one?

Aw.man, that's soooo traditional!!! Come on, move into the modern era...take the heel of one hand, and vigorously SLAM it INTO the forehead. The net effect is the same, and it's also much cooler!!! (And by vigorously, I mean slam the chit out of that forehead!! Make it HURT!!!)

You haven't figured out by now I'm a 'traditional' kind of guy?

 

[SCraig]

Seeing your equipment, you'll need the flash 100% of the time while the 18-135 is mounted, and most, if not all of the time with the 50 f1.8. I strongly urge you to get an L bracket and short flash cable to get the flash off the camera, or you'll be fixing a lot of red-eye in post processing. Also, wherever possible, aim the flash to bounce off the ceiling or whatever, again to reduce red-eye. In most churches, however, you'll have to aim the flash more directly. I'm not sure about the 430 ex ii, but if it has a built-in flip-down diffuser, use that, too, unless you need the 'reach' of a brighter flash.

Be sure to set the flash-menu on your 60D to enable red-eye reduction. That way the flash will give a little mini-flash before the big flash to minimize the red-eye.

Also, be on the lookout for wall-scounce lighting or other bright 'hot spots' and avoid having them in the picture. I did my first (and last!) wedding as an (ex-)family member, but as 3rd shooter (2 paid pros there) and that and the dim incandescent lighting really caused me problems. Thankfully, the pros KNEW how to take good shots.

Lastly, look through wedding pictures others have posted here and at other web sites and see what they take pictures of. Everything from the bride and groom getting dressed, to closeups of the rings, bride arrival at church and final 'primping', nervous groom, THEN comes the aisle. A couple of shots of each person walking down the aisle, but don't be directly in front of them. Be off to the side a bit. You might want to zoom in from afar with the 18-135, but your flash won't reach that far! During the ceremony, I tried to be as inconspicous as possible. Try not to "interrupt" the "Do you...I do" with a flash! They are shaking already! If you are rock-steady at that point (seated, kneeling), you MAY want to try the 'auto w/no flash' setting on the 60D for a couple shots...but don't expect them to turn out due to yours or their shaking.

And, of course, first married kiss, outside the church, and lots and lots of pix at the reception.

Lastly, as others have said many times before...be sure to let the bride & groom know in advance you are NOT a pro and that the results may be less than expected.

You may not be able to use a flash. Not all weddings allow it so be certain to check beforehand. The advice to bounce your flash is a good one but make certain that whatever you bounce it off of is white. The light from the flash will pick up a color tint of whatever it is bounced off.

If you use that 1.8 lens be very, very aware of your depth of field. At f/1.8 it is going to be very narrow and you are going to have to watch out for it.

If you have to use available light watch your white balance. The bride paid a lot of money for that wedding gown and she does not want to see it the wrong color in photographs.

That's all I've got. You are on your own.

 

[tirediron]

This is going to be a disaster...

I sincerely hope not, but I'm afraid that there's a LOT of room for things to go wrong.

 

[Mrgiggls]

dimples, as you can see, this community regards wedding photography as something akin to a Secret Service agent covering "Tha Man" on a public relations tour of rural Afghanistan. You better know your bizz-nass LOL

We're really not saying these things to hurtful, we just want you to understand the implications of taking on a wedding.

 

[Kerbouchard]

This is going to be a disaster...

I sincerely hope not, but I'm afraid that there's a LOT of room for things to go wrong.

There is a lot more room for it to go wrong than for it to go right. I've shot around 50 weddings as an assistant and always turn out great shots. I've shot one on my own 'as a favor' and it was a disaster.

I couldn't even imagine going into that situation with the gear the OP has and the experience she has. Unfortunately, this will be a disaster.