Wedding Reception | Any Last Minute Advice?

[D-B-J]

I'm shooting a reception this weekend. Gear in hand is a D800 gripped (backup is a D5100..), Tamron 70-200 2.8 VC, Nikon 16-35 f4 VRII, Nikon 50mm 1.8G, Nikon 85mm 1.8G, SB600x2, SB700, Pocketwizards, umbrella's, an assistant, and a bunch of other little things. I'll have the assistant following me with off camera flash for some, as the ceiling is vaulted (close to 25' in the middle). Two flashes (one on either side) of the dance floor for the evening. Lots of memory cards to fill. A list of what needs to be shot. Confidence (for the most part).

Do you have any last minute advice?

Cheers!
Jake

Disclaimer: Yes, this is my first real event. Yes it's a paid gig. Yes that may be foolish of me, but I'm jumping in headfirst, and it'll likely be alright. I KNOW I can get images the bride is pleased with, but whether or not I get material I myself am pleased with is another question. It's just the reception (the ceremony is at another location another day), so it's not a FULL wedding. PHEW!

 

[sscarmack]

Your going to do just fine!

Don't get caught up in taking 5 million pictures, but focus on a key impact, or climatic of the moment.

Be extremely careful with your OCF, wedding reception = bunch of drunk people.

The wedding is not just about the bride, it is (obviously), but watch out for little cousins dancing, flower girl etc, cute little moments like that.

Oh and of course, details details details. The more details the better

Cake, cookies, glasses, plates, center pieces, etc.

Good luck!!! And most importantly, have fun!

 

[tirediron]

When you set up your stationary flashes, measure out the distance for optimum exposures at different apertures so that you can approximate, reasonably accurately, the correct exposure. For your assistant, make sure that he/she can eyeball whatever distance they need to be at, based on your desired aperture.

 

[D-B-J]

Your going to do just fine!

Don't get caught up in taking 5 million pictures, but focus on a key impact, or climatic of the moment.

Be extremely careful with your OCF, wedding reception = bunch of drunk people.

The wedding is not just about the bride, it is (obviously), but watch out for little cousins dancing, flower girl etc, cute little moments like that.

Oh and of course, details details details. The more details the better

Cake, cookies, glasses, plates, center pieces, etc.

Good luck!!! And most importantly, have fun!

I plan to get there at 3:30 and it doesn't start till 5. So I'll have PLENTY of time before people even arrive to get details of the tables, location, etc. Long exposures of the location with blurred cloud is one idea I have. Another that I've done before that was cool was a 30sec exposure of the dance floor mid dance time. I have lots of ideas and am really excited. I expected to be nervous, but as the date gets closer I get more excited. Maybe this photography things is a future for me?

Jake

 

[D-B-J]

When you set up your stationary flashes, measure out the distance for optimum exposures at different apertures so that you can approximate, reasonably accurately, the correct exposure. For your assistant, make sure that he/she can eyeball whatever distance they need to be at, based on your desired aperture.

One thing I can't decide is to set them at 14mm or zoom in? Is it best to have a wide spread flash or a focused one?

 

[sscarmack]

Also, if there are chandeliers, it makes for nice bokeh balls lol

 

[Derrel]

Keep CALM, and stay alert. Exude a friendly, confident demeanor. Check your settings periodically, and review images periodically to make sure that you have not done anything stupid or by accident. Do NOT shoot everything as a horizontal simply because it is easiest. Make damned sure that your filled memory cards are kept on your person in a safe, secure type of card box or card storage wallet. If you are second shooting, insist that YOU take the memory cards with you at the end of the event and that YOU get to download them, then make a transfer of the images to the primary. Do NOT just hand over $400 or $500 worth of memory cards to some guy, with images on them. You might give a person a ride to an event, but would you hand them your car keys at the end of the night, and let them drive off in your car? Enjoy the event. Look for interesting stuff going on.

I do not set speedlights in umbrellas to 14mm, but use 24mm instead.

Stay alert!

 

[D-B-J]

Keep CALM, and stay alert. Exude a friendly, confident demeanor. Check your settings periodically, and review images periodically to make sure that you have not done anything stupid or by accident. Do NOT shoot everything as a horizontal simply because it is easiest. Make damned sure that your filled memory cards are kept on your person in a safe, secure type of card box or card storage wallet. If you are second shooting, insist that YOU take the memory cards with you at the end of the event and that YOU get to download them, then make a transfer of the images to the primary. Do NOT just hand over $400 or $500 worth of memory cards to some guy, with images on them. You might give a person a ride to an event, but would you hand them your car keys at the end of the night, and let them drive off in your car? Enjoy the event. Look for interesting stuff going on.

I do not set speedlights in umbrellas to 14mm, but use 24mm instead.

Stay alert!

Oh this is all me! and I have two Pelican Cases for memory cards, and will be writing to two cards all day. And I was going to bring my laptop and back up back up before I even left.

 

[tirediron]

When you set up your stationary flashes, measure out the distance for optimum exposures at different apertures so that you can approximate, reasonably accurately, the correct exposure. For your assistant, make sure that he/she can eyeball whatever distance they need to be at, based on your desired aperture.

One thing I can't decide is to set them at 14mm or zoom in? Is it best to have a wide spread flash or a focused one?

I would probably leave it set fairly wide just give me the greatest latitude, but as Derrel mentions, 14mm might be a bit too wide. If you have time, do a couple of test runs to dial things in.

 

[D-B-J]

When you set up your stationary flashes, measure out the distance for optimum exposures at different apertures so that you can approximate, reasonably accurately, the correct exposure. For your assistant, make sure that he/she can eyeball whatever distance they need to be at, based on your desired aperture.

One thing I can't decide is to set them at 14mm or zoom in? Is it best to have a wide spread flash or a focused one?

I would probably leave it set fairly wide just give me the greatest latitude, but as Derrel mentions, 14mm might be a bit too wide. If you have time, do a couple of test runs to dial things in.

Well the event is from 5 on, so I'll likely have a little time while shooting to do some tests and changes.

 

[waday]

Long exposures of the location with blurred cloud is one idea I have.

You're going to do great! If you're doing anything outside, be prepared in the event it's raining... 2 examples:

(1) My wedding. It pretty much rained all morning, and when we were going to take pictures, the ground was too wet. We had to walk along the pathways to avoid getting mud everywhere. It was hard, the photographer got muddy, but we got great photos, despite being on a walkway for most of them.

(2) My sister's wedding was thrown for a loop when it started POURING just as we started driving to the first location for photos. The photographer had to make a quick decision to find somewhere inside to take photos. In the end, it worked out because there was a huge fireplace at the reception. However, my sister didn't get anywhere near the photos she had imagined (neither style nor quantity). (The other place was a flower garden, which would have been beautiful.)

 

[NedM]

Honestly, I have only photographed two weddings in the course of my photography career. I have a few booked in the coming months, so I have some experience.

I remember my first wedding, the church and the intermission photos went smooth but the reception was just so challenging!

It's hard to spot key moments or get those fantastic candid shots when you're too focused on the newlyweds.
Which was my first mistake.

Instead of looking around the reception for the flower girl, or mom and dad laughing or even the party-goers sharing a drink.. I was too concentrated on the bride and groom. I followed them wherever they went because I figured I wouldn't miss a shot!

Turns out, I was missing all the right shots, but I still managed to somewhat capture the life of the party.
Point in case, take the time to look at your scene. Find key figures like the parents and close friends of the bride and groom.

On my second wedding, one that thing that really helped a lot, was I had the bride and groom take me to be photographed with each table at the reception! Which really gave me a lot to work with!

I was able to see who and was important. Who didn't like to be photographed and which people were the life of the party.
This wedding was much more successful for me because of that.

I'm just an amateur, but we all have to start somewhere!

Oh, and definitely capture the details! Table decor, presents, snack bar or place cards. Anything that you would want to see and look back on your wedding day and go, "Oh, I remember that!"

My 2 cents.

 

[D-B-J]

Honestly, I have only photographed two weddings in the course of my photography career. I have a few booked in the coming months, so I have some experience.

I remember my first wedding, the church and the intermission photos went smooth but the reception was just so challenging!

It's hard to spot key moments or get those fantastic candid shots when you're too focused on the newlyweds.
Which was my first mistake.

Instead of looking around the reception for the flower girl, or mom and dad laughing or even the party-goers sharing a drink.. I was too concentrated on the bride and groom. I followed them wherever they went because I figured I wouldn't miss a shot!

Turns out, I was missing all the right shots, but I still managed to somewhat capture the life of the party.
Point in case, take the time to look at your scene. Find key figures like the parents and close friends of the bride and groom.

On my second wedding, one that thing that really helped a lot, was I had the bride and groom take me to be photographed with each table at the reception! Which really gave me a lot to work with!

I was able to see who and was important. Who didn't like to be photographed and which people were the life of the party.
This wedding was much more successful for me because of that.

I'm just an amateur, but we all have to start somewhere!

Oh, and definitely capture the details! Table decor, presents, snack bar or place cards. Anything that you would want to see and look back on your wedding day and go, "Oh, I remember that!"

My 2 cents.

Good advice here. Thanks! Yeah, I will have to consciously tell myself that it's not JUST about the bride and groom. Candids are important, and I'll do everything in my power to get those.

Jake

 

[NedM]

Honestly, I have only photographed two weddings in the course of my photography career. I have a few booked in the coming months, so I have some experience.

I remember my first wedding, the church and the intermission photos went smooth but the reception was just so challenging!

It's hard to spot key moments or get those fantastic candid shots when you're too focused on the newlyweds.
Which was my first mistake.

Instead of looking around the reception for the flower girl, or mom and dad laughing or even the party-goers sharing a drink.. I was too concentrated on the bride and groom. I followed them wherever they went because I figured I wouldn't miss a shot!

Turns out, I was missing all the right shots, but I still managed to somewhat capture the life of the party.
Point in case, take the time to look at your scene. Find key figures like the parents and close friends of the bride and groom.

On my second wedding, one that thing that really helped a lot, was I had the bride and groom take me to be photographed with each table at the reception! Which really gave me a lot to work with!

I was able to see who and was important. Who didn't like to be photographed and which people were the life of the party.
This wedding was much more successful for me because of that.

I'm just an amateur, but we all have to start somewhere!

Oh, and definitely capture the details! Table decor, presents, snack bar or place cards. Anything that you would want to see and look back on your wedding day and go, "Oh, I remember that!"

My 2 cents.

Good advice here. Thanks! Yeah, I will have to consciously tell myself that it's not JUST about the bride and groom. Candids are important, and I'll do everything in my power to get those.

Jake

Again, amateur advice here, but you just have to wait for candid moments to happen.

What I like to do, is when someone is presenting their speech, and you can tell they're about to make a joke or they do, is look back at the crowd listening and hopefully you get some good reactions from it! Kind of have to predict when someone will laugh or give you the reaction you're looking for.

Good luck! Can't wait to see the photos!

 

[vintagesnaps]

Shooting events takes practice which I would have recommended rather than going into this cold. I probably would have suggested finding events where attendees are allowed to bring cameras and get some experience framing shots, taking backgrounds into consideration, learning to watch for people to move in and out of the frame, etc.

When you say you're taking lots of media cards that makes me wonder if you expect to pray 'n spray which if you do is less than good technique but I suppose will get you something usable. You talked about feeling like you could get pictures the b&g would like but may not be what you're pleased with doesn't seem professional to give anyone (particularly paying clients) anything you consider to be only adequate and not necessarily your best.

It would have been better I think having practiced and knowing exactly what to do and would probably be beneficial to find a photographer you can assist or that will let you shadow them to get some experience.