Wedding Photography Emergency!!! Please Help!!!

[Theantiquetiger]

So, i am doing my first wedding tomorrow. tonight was the rehearsal. The wedding is outside at 7:00pm. Here is what I was able to grab of the bride walking down the isle.

I told them we will need some slave flashes off to the sides and some kind of light on them as the stop to get the focus (I have all this).

Any other thing I could do?


wedding by Theantiquetiger, on Flickr

 

[e.rose]

Any other thing I could do?

Yeah. Find someone else to shoot the wedding who knows what they're doing.

Because if you're posting "Emergency! Help!" The night before the wedding and this was your result? Well, all I have to say is that I hope the bride is aware of your skill set so it doesn't come back to bite you later.

I don't not trying to be rude, and I'm not trying to be mean, even though I know what I said is probably less than to your liking, but that's the truth.

You shouldn't take on this kind of stuff until you KNOW you can 100% go into it with confidence.
.
.
.
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NOW...that being said... are they walking at night? Are there *NO LIGHTS* whatsoever lighting their path? How are they expecting their guests to see them walking down the aisle? There has to be SOME sort of light there...

 

[Derrel]

What's the deal with your flash??? Why is it underexposed at ISO 1,250 at f/5.6 at 79mm? What kind of flash do you have?

Are your batteries in the flash good, and fresh?

If the posted shot is an un-cropped image, based on the field of view shown, I would estimate that you're probably around 27 feet distant (Field of View Calculator would indicate exact distance, but that's close). You COULD shoot from closer, with a shorter focal length.

 

[manicmike]

Sorry, I have to agree with E.rose on this.

Best of luck though.

 

[Theantiquetiger]

Any other thing I could do?

Yeah. Find someone else to shoot the wedding who knows what they're doing.

Because if you're posting "Emergency! Help!" The night before the wedding and this was your result? Well, all I have to say is that I hope the bride is aware of your skill set so it doesn't come back to bite you later.

I don't not trying to be rude, and I'm not trying to be mean, even though I know what I said is probably less than to your liking, but that's the truth.

You shouldn't take on this kind of stuff until you KNOW you can 100% go into it with confidence.
.
.
.
.

NOW...that being said... are they walking at night? Are there *NO LIGHTS* whatsoever lighting their path? How are they expecting their guests to see them walking down the aisle? There has to be SOME sort of light there...

The wedding is poorly planned and very informal. They had no plans on lighting and were basically walking in the dark.

The bride and mother of the bride (the one who asked me to do it) knows I am not a wedding photographer, and I told them at first I didn't have the experience to do it. After talking me into it because of the other photographer has less experience (and equipment) than me, I told them I will not guarantee a single good shot.

That said, after the rehearsal tonight, I told them they will not get a single good image without any lighting. They are walking at night with no lights other than 6 candles lighting the path. The wedding is VERY informal, the bride really doesn't care, its more the MotB. They told me I could light it as I see fit, so I plan to use one or both of my slave studio flashes with umbrellas. I also have some small LED lights with gels (cold foot mount). I plan to place this down the isle to get a good focus.

The other photographer is using a cheap 50mm. So I told her about the slaves and we plan to shoot after each other. She will get the full body and I will grab the close up with my 70-200 2.8.

What's the deal with your flash??? Why is it underexposed at ISO 1,250 at f/5.6 at 79mm? What kind of flash do you have?

Are your batteries in the flash good, and fresh?

If the posted shot is an un-cropped image, based on the field of view shown, I would estimate that you're probably around 27 feet distant (Field of View Calculator would indicate exact distance, but that's close). You COULD shoot from closer, with a shorter focal length.

Brand new charged batteries in my Canon 430ex ii speedlite.

 

[e.rose]

Any other thing I could do?

Yeah. Find someone else to shoot the wedding who knows what they're doing.

Because if you're posting "Emergency! Help!" The night before the wedding and this was your result? Well, all I have to say is that I hope the bride is aware of your skill set so it doesn't come back to bite you later.

I don't not trying to be rude, and I'm not trying to be mean, even though I know what I said is probably less than to your liking, but that's the truth.

You shouldn't take on this kind of stuff until you KNOW you can 100% go into it with confidence.
.
.
.
.

NOW...that being said... are they walking at night? Are there *NO LIGHTS* whatsoever lighting their path? How are they expecting their guests to see them walking down the aisle? There has to be SOME sort of light there...

The wedding is poorly planned and very informal. They had no plans on lighting and were basically walking in the dark.

The bride and mother of the bride (the one who asked me to do it) knows I am not a wedding photographer, and I told them at first I didn't have the experience to do it. After talking me into it because of the other photographer has less experience (and equipment) than me, I told them I will not guarantee a single good shot.

That said, after the rehearsal tonight, I told them they will not get a single good image without any lighting. They are walking at night with no lights other than 6 candles lighting the path. The wedding is VERY informal, the bride really doesn't care, its more the MotB. They told me I could light it as I see fit, so I plan to use one or both of my slave studio flashes with umbrellas. I also have some small LED lights with gels (cold foot mount). I plan to place this down the isle to get a good focus.

The other photographer is using a cheap 50mm. So I told her about the slaves and we plan to shoot after each other. She will get the full body and I will grab the close up with my 70-200 2.8.

What's the deal with your flash??? Why is it underexposed at ISO 1,250 at f/5.6 at 79mm? What kind of flash do you have?

Are your batteries in the flash good, and fresh?

If the posted shot is an un-cropped image, based on the field of view shown, I would estimate that you're probably around 27 feet distant (Field of View Calculator would indicate exact distance, but that's close). You COULD shoot from closer, with a shorter focal length.

Brand new charged batteries in my Canon 430ex ii speedlite.

The wedding can be as informal as it wants to be, but I hope you have a contract.

Because when the MOTB sees the images and potentially decides she hates them (I hope she doesn't, but if she does...), you're gonna be up sh*t creek, because I don't think a verbal statement of "I can't guarantee a single shot" is gonna hold up in court.

Are they *paying* you for this?

And I hope you're taking into account the light the LEDs will produce and I hope they're less powered than the flashes, or else your lighting is gonna look really weird coming from the bottom like that...

You'd be better off using a flash on your camera, turning off the light in the settings of the camera, but leaving the flash assist on to focus. Just my two cents...

 

[Robin Usagani]

May the light be with you!

If I were you, I would shoot it at ISO3600, f/2.8, 1/30s, on camera flash. The more you expose the ambient, the less flashy it is.

 

[pixmedic]

wait a minute.....
let me see if I am understanding this.
the other photographer is less equipped and less experienced than you... and you are shooting your first wedding tomorrow.....
so...two inexperienced photographers, who may or may not have all the proper equipment/knowledge to shoot a wedding, are going to be shooting this wedding....at the same time?!?
Plus, the bride says she "doesn't care" about the quality of the pictures of her wedding?

Ladies and Gentlemen......
I give you.....




Recipe for Disaster.


*you might have a slightly better chance at getting some decent pictures by having the other photographer hold a flash on a light stand with a small softbox on it on to help get you some better lighting and just use a radio trigger. IE: use one flash on camera, and a second flash off camera.

I certainly wish you the best of luck. hopefully the other, more inexperienced photographer wont get in your way much.

 

[e.rose]

May the light be with you! If I were you, I would shoot it at ISO3600, f/2.8, 1/30s, on camera flash. The more you expose the ambient, the less flashy it is.

100%

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum

 

[runnah]

Ugh if you were in Maine I'd come help. Where are they doing the ceremony? Do they have a lighted stage type place? What are you going to do for formals?

 

[Theantiquetiger]

The wedding can be as informal as it wants to be, but I hope you have a contract.

Because when the MOTB sees the images and potentially decides she hates them (I hope she doesn't, but if she does...), you're gonna be up sh*t creek, because I don't think a verbal statement of "I can't guarantee a single shot" is gonna hold up in court.

Are they *paying* you for this?

And I hope you're taking into account the light the LEDs will produce and I hope they're less powered than the flashes, or else your lighting is gonna look really weird coming from the bottom like that...

You'd be better off using a flash on your camera, turning off the light in the settings of the camera, but leaving the flash assist on to focus. Just my two cents...

Doing it for free (MotB is life long friend 40+ years). I have some concerns about the LED lights, but I may have to make due.

To show you how unplanned this wedding is, the image above was taken about 6:30 (30 mins before the wedding scheduled tomorrow). They want to do the family portraits before the wedding (after 6pm, about the same time as image above). I will have the slave flashes for that, so it will not be as bad.

 

[runnah]

I would suggest posing them with something behind them so they don't look like animals caught on game cameras. Try using a shallow dof and you could get some bokeh going on any lights.

 

[Theantiquetiger]

wait a minute.....
let me see if I am understanding this.
the other photographer is less equipped and less experienced than you... and you are shooting your first wedding tomorrow.....
so...two inexperienced photographers, who may or may not have all the proper equipment/knowledge to shoot a wedding, are going to be shooting this wedding....at the same time?!?
Plus, the bride says she "doesn't care" about the quality of the pictures of her wedding?

Ladies and Gentlemen......
I give you.....




Recipe for Disaster.


*you might have a slightly better chance at getting some decent pictures by having the other photographer hold a flash on a light stand with a small softbox on it on to help get you some better lighting and just use a radio trigger. IE: use one flash on camera, and a second flash off camera.

I certainly wish you the best of luck. hopefully the other, more inexperienced photographer wont get in your way much.

I talked to the other photographer and will basically be my assistant. I have plenty of good equipment for lighting (two large slave studio lighting, on/off camera 430 speedlite, two LED lights with gels and dimmers)

 

[pixmedic]

wait a minute.....
let me see if I am understanding this.
the other photographer is less equipped and less experienced than you... and you are shooting your first wedding tomorrow.....
so...two inexperienced photographers, who may or may not have all the proper equipment/knowledge to shoot a wedding, are going to be shooting this wedding....at the same time?!?
Plus, the bride says she "doesn't care" about the quality of the pictures of her wedding?

Ladies and Gentlemen......
I give you.....




Recipe for Disaster.


*you might have a slightly better chance at getting some decent pictures by having the other photographer hold a flash on a light stand with a small softbox on it on to help get you some better lighting and just use a radio trigger. IE: use one flash on camera, and a second flash off camera.

I certainly wish you the best of luck. hopefully the other, more inexperienced photographer wont get in your way much.

I talked to the other photographer and will basically be my assistant. I have plenty of good equipment for lighting (two large slave studio lighting, on/off camera 430 speedlite, two LED lights with gels and dimmers)

I mentioned the other person holding a speedlight on a stand because its a technique that works pretty well for moving people.
studio lights are fine for the formals, where people just stand in one area. when you have people moving around, you need the flashes to move
with you so you can keep the lighting where it needs to be. especially if you want to get different angles of the bride and groom as they walk down the isle.
I honestly do not know anything about the LED lights, i have never used them before.

 

[orljustin]

"Informal' is not an excuse to give a sucky result. Ye gods. Apologize and buy a bunch of disposable flash cameras and hand em out.