Wedding setup?

[tirediron]

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!

Sorry, that was intended for rateeg, not you.

 

[scorpion_tyr]

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! =)​

I wouldn't pay 2 cents for that advise if it's coming from someone who has not seen where the wedding is going to take place. I've used a speedlight many times wishing I had my strobes. Take the strobes, set them up in the corners somewhere pointed up and in. Play around with them until you get a wonderful fill lighting of the whole place and then use your speedlite to get some great catch lights in the eyes.

 

[casegrl]

I wouldn't pay 2 cents for that advise if it's coming from someone who has not seen where the wedding is going to take place. I've used a speedlight many times wishing I had my strobes. Take the strobes, set them up in the corners somewhere pointed up and in. Play around with them until you get a wonderful fill lighting of the whole place and then use your speedlite to get some great catch lights in the eyes.

That was my plan.........I just needed someone else to say it. I'm use to shooting babies in manual....but for this should I go with AV for all the formals??...Lost

 

[casegrl]

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.

Small town freezing North Dakota......pretty sure I can flash it up! As for the picture location....lol gotta be in the church or we will freeze and there is nothing pretty about the reception hall.


So I got my 2 250 strobes.....my on camera 580. Should I use AV or Manual.......I'm use to just doing baby pics in m

 

[Ryan L]

Manual if you're using strobes

 

[casegrl]

I wouldn't pay 2 cents for that advise if it's coming from someone who has not seen where the wedding is going to take place. I've used a speedlight many times wishing I had my strobes. Take the strobes, set them up in the corners somewhere pointed up and in. Play around with them until you get a wonderful fill lighting of the whole place and then use your speedlite to get some great catch lights in the eyes.

Soft boxes ok to use?

 

[Ryan L]

If you're bouncing them you don't need softboxes.

 

[MLeeK]

I wouldn't pay 2 cents for that advise if it's coming from someone who has not seen where the wedding is going to take place. I've used a speedlight many times wishing I had my strobes. Take the strobes, set them up in the corners somewhere pointed up and in. Play around with them until you get a wonderful fill lighting of the whole place and then use your speedlite to get some great catch lights in the eyes.

Soft boxes ok to use?

If you are using your strobes, yes, the softboxes are great.

 

[MLeeK]

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.

Small town freezing North Dakota......pretty sure I can flash it up! As for the picture location....lol gotta be in the church or we will freeze and there is nothing pretty about the reception hall.


So I got my 2 250 strobes.....my on camera 580. Should I use AV or Manual.......I'm use to just doing baby pics in m

If you are not 100% confident in manual, then absolutely use aperture priority. Make sure you are watching your shutter speed.
As for the small town in ND, that has no bearing on whether you can use flash in the church or not. If it is any of the traditional churches the chances are you cannot use flash during the ceremony. Some of the new ones haven't gotten smart to the flash distraction issues yet and will allow it, but if they've been around more than a couple of years? They're probably on to the whole flash thing by now.
You NEED to go to the church and see what you are going to be working in, take some test shots and know what your problems are going to be. EVERY wedding photographer needs to do it. Failure to do so will result in you having major problems that you can't fix the day of the wedding. Failure to do it is probably the worst thing any wedding photographer could ever do.

Honestly, you're not really ready for this... When is the wedding? How much time do we have to get you ready?

 

[Ryan L]

I wouldn't pay 2 cents for that advise if it's coming from someone who has not seen where the wedding is going to take place. I've used a speedlight many times wishing I had my strobes. Take the strobes, set them up in the corners somewhere pointed up and in. Play around with them until you get a wonderful fill lighting of the whole place and then use your speedlite to get some great catch lights in the eyes.

Soft boxes ok to use?

If you are using your strobes, yes, the softboxes are great.

What's the point of using the soft boxes? 250w strobes aren't very powerful as it is,a softbox is just going to eat light. Most churches are fairly open. The ceiling and walls act as a soft box already.

 

[casegrl]

If you are not 100% confident in manual, then absolutely use aperture priority. Make sure you are watching your shutter speed.
As for the small town in ND, that has no bearing on whether you can use flash in the church or not. If it is any of the traditional churches the chances are you cannot use flash during the ceremony. Some of the new ones haven't gotten smart to the flash distraction issues yet and will allow it, but if they've been around more than a couple of years? They're probably on to the whole flash thing by now.
You NEED to go to the church and see what you are going to be working in, take some test shots and know what your problems are going to be. EVERY wedding photographer needs to do it. Failure to do so will result in you having major problems that you can't fix the day of the wedding. Failure to do it is probably the worst thing any wedding photographer could ever do.

Honestly, you're not really ready for this... When is the wedding? How much time do we have to get you ready?

Lol I know I'm so not ready.........Feb 11th is the day. I do very well with my strobes and in M .....in my home doing baby photography. I warned them up and down that I haven't a flippen clue and everything I do is all trial and error. All they want is a couple good snap shots ....they said. So here I go......I guess I can easily get that! I wanna do way more than that!

 

[casegrl]

Whats the point of using the softboxes. 250w strobes arent very powerful as it is,a softbox is just going to eat light. Most churches are fairly open. The ceiling and walls act as a softbox already.

Good point I'll try that....I kinda thought my lights were a bit small

 

[MLeeK]

The problem is you're going to have to be bouncing the lights off of all of the church walls. Are they white or dark wood? The coloring is often a HUGE issue in a church as well as if it's wood you are going to suck yourself out of light. I'd go with the softboxes straight on. You don't want to use the strobes straight on. You'd have to move them back a bit which makes for a harder light and if you place them close that bald light is going to be pretty harsh...
A softbox makes your light a larger, softer source.

Go to the church tomorrow and take a look. Take some shots. Post what you have to work with in the sanctuary. It's hard to make the call on what to use without having a clue what you are working with.
What size are your softboxes?

 

[Robin Usagani]

Unless you are a seasoned wedding photographer, keep it simple!!!

 

[Ryan L]

thats understandable, I was referring to the comment that suggested that she was already bouncing the strobes.