My first wedding...

S

Spyderman

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Well, not actually my wedding, but the first wedding I'm going to photograph. I decided to take OM-4Ti + 100/2.8 + T20 flash, M6 + CV 40/1.4 + flash Canon 277T (automatic non-TTL). Film: Ilford XP2. OM 50/1.4 and Leica T-E 90/2.8 lenses as backup, CV 28/1.9 and maybe Canon 50/1.4 just in case...

The ambient light in the room where the ceremony is taking place is 1/60, f/2 at ASA400. I'll probably be shooting at 1/60 or 1/50 (flash sync) and f/4 or f/5.6.

Wish me good luck 😱 I'll let you know tomorrow evening how it went...


PS: Fortunately my brother will be there too with his DSLR, so the responsibility for delivering good pictures will be split between us and I can be more relaxed.
 
Shooting weddings gives me sweaty palms from the pressure. My only advice is to shoot it in your own style with equipment you know intimately. An open bar usually helps, too.

XP2 is a great choice of film for weddings - fine grained, gentle, good latitude.

Good luck!
 
I've only done one wedding informally and other smaller occasions, but doing anything 'proper' always makes me sweat. Before, during (especially during) and then after until all the negs are drying nicely or the images show as not corrupted on my HDD.

It's good that your brother is there as well, I would perhaps divide responsibility with him doing the more traditional shots and you concentrating on the 'reportage' thing - not saying stick to one thing but perhaps not so good to be shooting the same thing when the other camera type could do it better.

The best of luck, don't drink until you are finished! 🙂

You might want to ping 'telenous' here, he did my wedding informally alongside the great wedding DSLR photographer with a M6 and Rolleiflex.

EDIT: One thing I've found - guests are more accepting of the informal shots once people have had a few drinks 😉
 
Enjoy. Then you won't have to stress. You've probably already asked if they have any special shots they want. After that, just enjoy and take what seems best. You and they will be happy.
 
Have a great time.

You already have complied with Rule 1 of wedding photography: have a back up for everything (2 cameras, 2 strobes in your case).
 
Good luck, many years ago I used to shoot weddings. 🙄 How well I remember those jitters prior to starting work. The key is to have a plan and stick to it. In those days I was using my Mamiya 330f. The guy I used to work with is still in business, but he's strictly digital now, using two 5D's. Good luck to you. 😱
 
I did my first wedding a few months ago. It was rather informal, but it was outside and sunny, so not condusive to great exposures. I used a lot of fill flash. I was the only hired photographer, so I was under some pressure. But honestly, I have to say that it was fun. My wife was my assistant, and even though it was also her first wedding job , she had a great time and was a natural. Toether, we had a great time and worked well as a team. Last week, she told me that someone else has asked me to shoot their wedding, but I'm starting to get the jitters just thinking about it. If I could do it any way I wanted, I would just love to shoot reportage style, and let someone else do the traditional shots.
 
I've stopped shooting weddings but I got talked into one 2 weeks ago for one of my wife's best friend's daughter. I used a Konica Hexar RF with CV40mm lens for colour negs (13 rolls of 24shots) and a Fujica GS645W for 7 rolls of B+W HP5+. I had the M6 with 50mm lens as backup for colour, and a Fuji GS670 as backup for the B+W.

I used no flash, just exposed for the shadows. It was held at a cottage in the afternoon, so it had a more informal mood than your average wedding.

Both they and I were very pleased with the results. Guests asked them why they didn't have an official photographer. A RF camera with no flash is much less intrusive than the typical wedding photo gear used.
 
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My dad used to do weddings. I think he had a lot of fun, was able to write off a lot of equipment, and learned a lot along the way... But he didn't really regret folding that business one bit.

Good luck! Only suggestion would be to beg/borrow/steal a stroboframe or similar flash bracket if possible.
 
Better you than me...although I have done a few myself...I don't like shooting them...
Good luck with it, have fun, enjoy the wedding...shoot with your heart...
 
Hi all,

I'm back.

The groom was my high-school schoolmate, so that's why he asked me to do it.

My original plan was to shoot 1 roll preparations, 2 rolls formals, 2 rolls ceremony and 1 roll dinner.

I ended up shooting 2 rolls preparations (the bride at the hair-dresser / stylist, no second photographer), 1/2 roll formals (I was an assistant to my brother with the DSLR), 1 roll ceremony and the rest (~1/2 roll) at the party. Together only 5 rolls.

I have best feelings about the preparations at the hair dresser. I really enjoyed that. There was only me, the bride, her mother and the hair-stylist. They did their girl-talk and completely ignored me, so I could concentrate on photography.

Then came the stressful part, because the bride and groom were late and we only had about 1/2 hour for the formals. In a park - garden. My brother was shooting most of this, and I was only the assistant holding the reflector. If there was more time, I'd enjoy doing the formals, but since there was so much stress, we simply did what we had to and went on to the ceremony.

There came a problem - I have not been introduced to the parents, so nobody except the bride and groom knew I was one of the 2 official photographers. If I ever do it next time, I'll make sure everyone knows I am the photographer. There were couple of "uncle Bill's" who kept stepping in my picture wanting to record the couple on video or their little digi p&s :bang:

The ceremony was not in church, but in town hall. It all went so fast... I just kept shooting what I could. We'll see what I actually got when the films are developed.

Then the dinner. I put my film cameras away and kept shooting with my brother's DSLR. Lots of shots...


So. It's over and I've learned a lot. I'm so tired now...
 
Dear Ondrej,

Five rolls? Wow!

Frances and I do a wedding every few years, formerly for friends, now for friends' children (if they're REALLY good friends and we like the children A LOT -- God willing, only one or two to go).

The last one, we shot around 30 rolls between us, all RF (Leicas and Voigtländers). My old chum's grand-daughter is now pushing a year old, and they were married for two or three years before that, so it's been a while. Thank God!

Cheers,

R.
 
Five rolls? Wow!
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Now I don't understand if it's good or bad...

Well, it was a small wedding, and many pictures are on the memory cards of the DSLRs...

BTW: they are a nice couple, and they alread have 1-year old son. I plan to ask them to return me the favour - to pose for me for some family shoot... Without stress of course. Just for the fun of it.
 
Roger, you probably didn't recall that Ondrej was not the only person with a camera. His brother was around with a dSLR, so he really didn't need to shoot and shoot...

OTOH, I don't think I would have shot only five rolls, but then, if it was his first, and he was the alternate photographer, why not? Makes life easier. 🙂

BTW, Ondrej, that's the spirit! Glad you liked it. Will you do it again? I mean, do it for money? Just wondering...
 
And if Ondrej ends up not liking wedding photography, he can take up BASE jumping. Kind of a similar experience, but BASE jumping is a lot less stressful. 😉
 
And if Ondrej ends up not liking wedding photography, he can take up BASE jumping. Kind of a similar experience, but BASE jumping is a lot less stressful.
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Yeah - that's how I feel about it. 😀

BTW, Ondrej, that's the spirit! Glad you liked it. Will you do it again? I mean, do it for money? Just wondering...
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Nope. Not for money. Only if a friend of mine asks me I might consider it.


PS: I kind of regret shooting it on XP2. If I had shot it on classic B&W I would be scanning the developped rolls at the moment... Now I have to wait until monday to get it developed. I can't wait to see my frames...
 
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