Wedding setup?

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

I'm going to try doing a wedding with my studio strobes ......I have 2 savage 250 studio strobes with soft boxes.....are these lights going to be big enough for group shots? And an on camera 580 flash

MLeeK · Jan 17, 2012

Yes, for the most part if you combine with the 580 you can light a pretty fair sized group well.

tirediron · Jan 17, 2012

By 'doing a wedding' are you referring to the formals and group shots only?

rateeg · Jan 17, 2012

why do you need strobes on a wedding? unless it's on a studio.
speedlight will do, just adjust the settings and sometimes diffuse it.

wedding photos should come out as natural as they are.

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

tirediron said:
By 'doing a wedding' are you referring to the formals and group shots only?

Yes all the formals

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

rateeg said:
why do you need strobes on a wedding? unless it's on a studio.
speedlight will do, just adjust the settings and sometimes diffuse it.

wedding photos should come out as natural as they are.

Should I say to he'll with lugging my studio lights and just buy a diffuser for my 580? Or just hope I can bounce it?

rateeg · Jan 17, 2012

if i were you, i'll scratch the strobes.

yeah, just bring a diffuser and play along with the flash like bouncing it off a wall or ceiling.

your ability and imagination will do it for you.
goodluck! =)

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

rateeg said:
if i were you, i'll scratch the strobes.

yeah, just bring a diffuser and play along with the flash like bouncing it off a wall or ceiling.

your ability and imagination will do it for you.
goodluck! =)

Can I leave it set to ettl and just mess around with the fec?

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

casegrl said:
Can I leave it set to ettl and just mess around with the fec?

What brand diffuser should I purchase?

MLeeK · Jan 17, 2012

I generally have my strobes with me. I RARELY if ever get them out. I do carry about 4 speedlites with me and some gorilla pods and justin clamps. I can stick one of those suckers anywhere and I can light up a ballroom with them.
Diffuser: Omni Bounce. I also really like the LumiQuest 80/20 for when you cannot bounce.

tirediron · Jan 17, 2012

rateeg said:
why do you need strobes on a wedding? unless it's on a studio.
speedlight will do, just adjust the settings and sometimes diffuse it.

wedding photos should come out as natural as they are.

You don't shoot many weddings, do you?

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

tirediron said:
You don't shoot many weddings, do you?

Lol Nope......I've crashed a couple ....but this one I'll be the main photographer.......glad they were both already married once......at least they will know what to do!

casegrl · Jan 17, 2012

MLeeK said:
I generally have my strobes with me. I RARELY if ever get them out. I do carry about 4 speedlites with me and some gorilla pods and justin clamps. I can stick one of those suckers anywhere and I can light up a ballroom with them.
Diffuser: Omni Bounce. I also really like the LumiQuest 80/20 for when you cannot bounce.

Well I will be in a church with high ceilings so should I purchase the 80/20.......could I Also get a little help on settings? ugh....what did I get myself into?

Ryan L · Jan 17, 2012

I shoot with a wedding photographer that almost always uses one B1600 with a large umbrella mounted fairly high for his formals. I have never even seen him use any others.

MLeeK · Jan 17, 2012

casegrl said:
MLeeK said:

I generally have my strobes with me. I RARELY if ever get them out. I do carry about 4 speedlites with me and some gorilla pods and justin clamps. I can stick one of those suckers anywhere and I can light up a ballroom with them.
Diffuser: Omni Bounce. I also really like the LumiQuest 80/20 for when you cannot bounce.

Click to expand...

Well I will be in a church with high ceilings so should I purchase the 80/20.......could I Also get a little help on settings? ugh....what did I get myself into?

Settings on the flash or on the camera?
Are you shooting in manual or in one of the priority modes? And do you know how to use the flash exposure compensation at all if you are in a priority mode?

Most churches will not allow any flash from the time the processional ends through the end of the ceremony. You can use it for the groups if you are doing them at the church. Honestly? I do very little if any of the group at the front of the church crap. It doesn't sell, no one wants it and it's rarely a great backdrop for a family group shot. I try to do it elsewhere-the reception venue, whatever locations they have chosen... If you MUST do the formals there (at all) then Yes, you'll want more light in the form of maybe your strobes and/or your speedlight. Have you gone to the church to see what the lighting is like yet and taken any shots of it? Have you gotten the churches regulations for the photographer? Because it is RARE that there aren't stipulations and some of them are very strict.