Shooting my first wedding!

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 9, 2010

Actually, it's not a wedding at all.
A few of us from the photo club are shooting at a Roaring 20's party for the Historical Society. Well, that's kinda like a wedding reception, innit?

I am sorta pulling the noob here and asking for helpful sites/books to help me learn some flash basics in a hurry. I am currently browsing several sites with info, but thought maybe some of you have some favorites.

I'll be shooting with a 5dmkii, and thought I would mainly use a Tamron 28-75mm/2.8. Other options are the 50mm/1.8 and 100mm/2.8. I figured the Tamron is a pretty decent lens and it will give me the focal lengths needed for something like this. I also don't want to have to carry too much.

I just bought the 580exii Speedlight. I understand the concept of bouncing the flash. I was also reccomended to get a dish difuser. ? I have no idea of what the venue is like as far as architecture and lighting. Hopefully We can get their early to play around. Correct me if I am wrong, but in a situation like this, once you get the basic good exposure settings, you really don't stray too much from them. I mean if the lighting is pretty even throught the space, and I want to do some close up, shallow DOF images, I could pretty much just set it and for get it, walk around and snap pics.

For me, this event is for fun and to push my boundries. I normally have no interest in people.

What I like about it, is people will be in "costume" and there to have fun, so it will make it easier for me to have fun with it too.

Any helpful pointers?

Unspoiled · Jan 9, 2010

Bitter Jeweler said:
Shooting my first wedding!

That's some funny stuff! I figured you would have pulled in a few more responses with that.

I have to appologize...I don't have a lot of techincal advice for you. I have just started with flash myself. This is all probably stuff you have already heard...

A diffuser seems to be quite handy as well as watching the flash power. Meter the shot witout a flash and use the flash for fill. When I first used my flash I was over powering everything.

Do what you can to get the flash off the camera too.

This is where I started - Strobists

I'm not much of a people person either...Things like that will draw me out though. You should have fun.

Good Luck!

iolair · Jan 9, 2010

A few of you are shooting, which takes the pressure off ... maybe you could agree that each of you might concentrate on certain types of shot. Do you have to do any formals? (Posed group shots).

Practice with your flash in advance - bounced or diffused. Also practice shooting high ISO indoor shots. Practice makes perfect

I found the 1on1 series on YouTube quite helpful with info on using flashes:

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 9, 2010

iolair said:
A few of you are shooting, which takes the pressure off ... maybe you could agree that each of you might concentrate on certain types of shot. Do you have to do any formals? (Posed group shots).

There's no pressure at all. Which is great. Makes for an easy learning experience. Each of us can do what we want, maintain our own personal style, etc. We do have 2 guys doing formal posed portraits, with proper lighting equipment.

Practice with your flash in advance - bounced or diffused. Also practice shooting high ISO indoor shots. Practice makes perfect

Yup, that's what I'll be doing over the next two weeks.

Derrel · Jan 9, 2010

planet neil
Neil does a lot of article on how to use on-camera flash and make it look great.

Strobist
David Hobby spent quite a bit of time indexing the Strobist blog--now, over 1,000 blog posts have at least some alphabetical indexing.

My tip is this: shooting flash on-camera using a flash bracket or shoe-mounted flash or potato masher style flash can be done quite well in Auto-Flash mode--not TTL, not E-TTl, but the old-school Auto-Thyristor Flash method, and the key to getting the results you want is to set the flash at X power level, and set the lens aperture at X value and set the shutter speed at X value, and then use the camera's ISO in 1/3 stop increments to refine the exposures perfectly. With a great FF camera like a 5D-II, if you start at ISO 250, you have ample adjustment to 200 or 160 as well as 320 and 400 to get just exactly the exposure density you want in the highlights. This is a sort of semi-automatic shooting method that works for me.

manaheim · Jan 9, 2010

HOW DARE YOU SHOOT A WEDDING AND NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A FLASH!?!?!?!!?!??!!!?!?! BURRRRRNNNN!!!!

(yes, I'm kidding)

Good luck with it, Bitter!

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 9, 2010

Thanks Unspoiled.
I fear overpowering the flash, like you say. I wonder if it is better (aside from getting perfect exposure) if it's under powered, easier to bring up in post. I mean, if your gonna do it wrong, is under powered the better wrong choice. Kinda like the whole expose to the right philosophy.

iolair, thanks for throwing that link in there.

Thanks for the links too, Derrel. I looked at strobist, and wasn't sure what I should be looking for, thanks for better direction.

It's funny, because your "old skool" method is kinda how I thought it should work, but substitute ISO for shutter speed. Interesting tip. I'll experiment with that. That flash has so many controls and modes on it, I felt like Mostly Sunny and her 7D. :lol:

Flash is completely new to me, and it seems to quickly complicate life.

manaheim said:
HOW DARE YOU SHOOT A WEDDING AND NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A FLASH!?!?!?!!?!??!!!?!?! BURRRRRNNNN!!!!

I KNOWS!!!!!1!!1!!

Good luck with it, Bitter!

Thanks! It'll be fun.

[edit]
WTH is a potato masher style flash.
Also, does putting the flash on a bracket beside the camera make a whole lot of difference from shoe mount? Does give just a little bit more direction to the light?

iBats · Jan 9, 2010

The Digital Photography Book: Volume 2 by Scott Kelby has alot of awesome flash stuff, also its a great pair with volume 1 mostly because its a continuation

burstintoflame81 · Jan 9, 2010

If you even have to ask that question, then you shouldn't be shooting this. Let the real professionals handle it. If you were not lucky enough to pop from the womb engrained with flash knowledge, you should just quit now, and sell your camera. :lmao:

IgsEMT · Jan 10, 2010

Great, another newbee who wants to be a wedding photographer... lol (j/k).
Number of folks recommended you the sites above, which are great.
General rule that I adhere to is unless I'm on the ladder shooting a reception at about 15-20 feet, avoid direct light b/c it is harsh and isn't glorifying. There are probably hundreds modifiers out there on the market most with a purpose of softening up the light. My self, I prefer DIY-stuff, thus the less I spend on the business the better it is for me + it makes a interesting discussion, when clients/guests see what the heck I'm using

Incognito · Jan 10, 2010

I will not do weddings. Ive had 2 people ask me and I flat out refused so kudos for taking that step! I know sometimes they will not let you use flash (friend had this problem a few weeks ago) She didn't know no flash until she got there. I think its rare but definately something to be prepared for.

clbd39 · Jan 10, 2010

I did a shoot for Halloween parties, both uptown and downtown, the best thing I found is to tell people to have fun and be natural, when they tried to pose it was alright for some shots,but the best were when they were having fun, especially with costume, people will break out of their shell a little more!

As far as the flash, everything as far as basics has been said it seems, just be sure to know your flash and don't panic! Have fun

clbd39 · Jan 10, 2010

Incognito said:
I will not do weddings. Ive had 2 people ask me and I flat out refused so kudos for taking that step! I know sometimes they will not let you use flash (friend had this problem a few weeks ago) She didn't know no flash until she got there. I think its rare but definately something to be prepared for.

Reading > you

Actually, it's not a wedding at all.
A few of us from the photo club are shooting at a Roaring 20's party for the Historical Society. Well, that's kinda like a wedding reception, innit?

Dao · Jan 10, 2010

I do not have much experience on this type of photography at all. But I think take a look at "Shutter drag" or "Dragging the shutter".

It should be helpful in a low light situation. I'd tried it in a indoor museum type environment that I cannot bounce the flash due to high, dark ceiling and away from walls. The result was very good.