Weddings.

Kevin said:
Hi Dennis, the direct flash from the SF20 will make your images look flat. This is probably not what you want at all.

You really need another flash that can swivel and tilt so that you can position the head to fire towards the top of the walls beside or behind you, where these reflective surfaces meet a low light-colored ceiling. Bouncing the flash off a large light surface will allow you to better blend it with the ambient light already inside, resulting in images which look more like they were taken with natural light only.

In addition to taking the SF20 as a backup, I strongly suggest you quickly find a better, more powerful flash with swivel/tilt. Bring lots and lots of fresh AA batteries as well, at least 30 of them.

Good Luck!
Kevin
Click to expand...

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your advice. I have a Metz 32CT3 which I used when I had my R6. Not sure if it works.
Cheers,
D
 
Kevin said:
Dennis, you will be on your feet working all day long. You also have to eat like everybody else.

During the banquet there are certainly things going on but you cannot capture every interesting moment of a wedding anyways.

So I suggest you take a meal. Just make it shorter than everyone else's.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have to admit I'm getting nervous. Worrying about the back light, shooting medium and whether I can capture the right moment. I need a beer now. Thx for the meal reminder, Kevin.
Cheers,
Dennis
 
Kevin said:
Dennis, you will be on your feet working all day long. You also have to eat like everybody else.

During the banquet there are certainly things going on but you cannot capture every interesting moment of a wedding anyways.

So I suggest you take a meal. Just make it shorter than everyone else's.
Click to expand...

Thx for your reminder. I guess a few beers afterwards will work.
Cheers,
Dennis
 
Thanks again for the heads up, Kevin. I don't need a fried eight.
It's 72 hours away from the wedding, maybe I should stick on to what I got.
Cheers,
Dennis
 
Bearing in mind I've shot weddings with dslr's, but I tend to use a canon 580 or 430 on the bodies and bounce wherever possible during the early part of the day. If I stay for the inevitable disco I set up a couple of lightstands and and use remotes to blast everyone with nice hard light, to blend with the disco lights. You could of course do this subtly as a fill, but...

Mike
 
The gift is great idea. I've shot a modest number of weddings for friends and children of friends. A wedding shot like this is a £1000+ gift. And it'll cost you at least £200 in film and processing.
Don't carry too much gear. Two, at most three bodies. I no longer shoot any MF. Just two M-series film Leicas, one colour, one mono. XP2 Super is your friend in mono.
On the bodies I have 35 and 75. I change to 21 or 50 only if I HAVE to. All fast primes: 21/2.8, 35/1.4, 50/1.5 or faster, 75/2.
Don't shoot slide. The light is too variable. Use neg, and err on the side of overexposure. Fewer screwed up pics.
Make a shot list and agree it with the couple. They say they want reportage but they'll also expect a few 'standard' shots, including the big wedding group. Start with the bride and groom and add in bunches from there until it's an 'all in' shot.
Shoot insane amounts of film. Reckon on 20-30 rolls of 36-exposure for full coverage. Get it commercially processed and proofed to 10x15cm/4x6 inch. Weed out the complete failures; give 'em the rest, and tell 'em that reprints are their responsibility.
 
roger15 said:
The gift is great idea. I've shot a modest number of weddings for friends and children of friends. ---
Don't carry too much gear. Two, at most three bodies. I no longer shoot any MF. Just two M-series film Leicas, one colour, one mono. XP2 Super is your friend in mono.
On the bodies I have 35 and 75. I change to 21 or 50 only if I HAVE to.---
Make a shot list and agree it with the couple. They say they want reportage but they'll also expect a few 'standard' shots, including the big wedding group. Start with the bride and groom and add in bunches from there until it's an 'all in' shot.
---- Get it commercially processed and proofed to 10x15cm/4x6 inch. Weed out the complete failures; give 'em the rest, and tell 'em that reprints are their responsibility.
Click to expand...

We used to routinely overexpose color negative one stop, and with the processing, have double prints made, buy proof albums, which become potential parent albums when the order sheets are torn out -- having an order sheet by each print is very convenient. I used to combine a couple of albums which I bought by the dozen.

I would often sell a basic package, and if I did a job they liked, they would quite often bump up several levels, and the "previews" -- never call them proofs, if they wanted -- would be sold to become parents' albums.

I have done the formals both ways, I prefer to spend 20-30 minutes in the church for some traditional and non traditional portraits-- candles, but don't set the bride on fire, some veils will burn. I have not carried a candelabra in years, but it is around somewhere, keep a lighter to relight the candles which the altar boy may have put out.

After you nail down the must have shots, you might get creative with the B&G in a park, or I have shot some with sunsets and the lake. I once slapped on a blue filter for a silhouette with the lake in the background-- one way to make the water and sky blue-- don't forget to take it off. ;-)

There are a lot of tricks-- I use them sparingly, but the home made spot filter-- I make the opening oval and open the diaphragm a bit larger than the opening, plus double the exposure. I use clear finger nail polish on an old UV filter, mark the right f stop on the filter box to remind you, scratch a notch to tell you the top-- and don't forget to take the filter off.

A friend had a much larger front filter size, and he used Scotch tape, leaving the center open. Commercial center spot filters make a circular opening and it is almost always too large.

I used to carry a handkerchief, you may need one, and folded up and put under the front of my Rollei or lens to tilt it up on the floor, was good for one shot from the aisle during the service.

I have a list of photos I have evolved that I use to go over with the B&G, but let them know I will do my best to get everything, but as in the case where they requested a balcony shot at a church --without a balcony-- I cannot guarantee everything, besides I keep the list. You develop a sequence of working, and of course you look for a signature shot unique to your setting.

I have not done double exposures for a long time, used to do a portrait of the B&G and expose some stained glass over it.

Sorry-- real old school stuff, some dated ideas. If you get a couple of extra creative shots and the rest look good, you are doing well.

I sometimes grab a shot of the Groom and Best man waiting in the wings, or even outside, and once the altar boy rode up on his bike, so I shot the Groom riding up to the church on a bike, top hat and all, saw it in the window of the studio a few weeks later.

Bit of a long post, sorry about that.

Regards, John
 
It's 18 hours away from the wedding and I have decided to bring my M8+21SA+35Summicron+50Lux for digital and M5+40Summicron as backup. SF-20 will be the flash unit. Hope it works out.
Thanks everybody for sharing your valuable experience.
 
I'm glad it's over and turned out shooting all digital. A lot of processing to be done. Glad that I went there before and have my flash with me. Shot back light numerous times and hope Photoshop and Viveza help.
BTW, having a meal with them is a good idea as I was getting shaky at one point.
Thanks again for advising me.
Cheers
Dennis
 
Last edited:
DennisPT said:
I'm glad it's over and turned out shooting all digital. A lot of processing to be done. Glad that I went there before and have my flash with me. Shot back light numerous times and hope Photoshop and Viveza help.
BTW, having a meal with them is a good idea as I was getting shaky at one point.
Thanks again for advising me.
Cheers
Dennis
Click to expand...

Only times I have been treated like "poor help" in regards to dining was when weddings were held at Country Clubs, OTOH, I trained with a guy who would snap a shot of the B&G at the buffet and get in line behind them, one time cutting off the parents-- bit much. ;-)

Sometimes I would eat before I go, so I would have more time for photos if needed.

I also had friends for whom I would stand in and vice versa, in case of illness.

Glad to hear you survived. ;-)

Regards, John
 
Got some images processed and would like to share. John, thanks again for sharing and supporting all along.
Cheers,
Dennis
 

Attachments

  • bw1.jpg
    bw1.jpg
    32.1 KB · Views: 0
  • bw2.jpg
    bw2.jpg
    28.3 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom