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T1i + some wedding pics. (c&c appreciated)

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xdmg

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I was NOT the paid photographer.

I'm still new and learning... Very dark and bad lighting, i do not currently own a flash. 500D + 50 f/1.4 mainly... I have a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 but it was nearly unusable inside.











my significant other



these were just sitting on the table.





haha, heavily cropped.. not entirely in focus.. i didnt even notice the expression on his face until after.



oh a random butter fly i saw today :P

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerho/
 
Lol.

Guess I should put in my 2c. Looks like there was no light at all. Camera shake, subject movement and focus accuracy are big issues in low light. Wind it up to 3200, shoot raw, focus and reframe with two half pushes for the focus part, and be as gentle as you can with the final squeeze. Put your elbows on your ribs and plaster the cam to your face, practice in your house.

:)
 
  1. 3! phwooooah! :P lol anyway, i actually love the grain in that photo and the overall reportage feel of the set. a 430 exII would suffice. doesnt have to be a 580. awesome photos
 
Focus and blur are big issues in these. Blown highlights in the first shot as well. A flash would have made all of these better. The grain look works well in photojournalism but not in wedding photos - even if you're going for the same style. I much prefer sharp images.
 
The biggest problems with the 430 are:
1) lack of power - reduces bouncing capability
2) slow recycle time

3) cant use external battery pack. If you shoot a lot of events you'll realize how very beneficial a battery pack is. It speeds up recycle time and you're not changing batteries as often (since you're working off 12 batteries instead of just 4). the 430 is great for home / family use and will work for event use but the 580 is a much better investment for that type of heavy use.
 
Thanks for the comments so far.

I definitely want a flash now... I had no idea what the environment was going to be like. I also did learn its hard to balance drinking + dancing and trying to shoot photos :P

Anyway, it was a good learning experience and had a lot of fun.

I'm still deciding between the 580EX-II or 430EX-II. Gonna get more practice because another friends wedding next month!

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerho/
 
Flash will surely help, but I like to shoot a lot to try to catch various angles and expressions, and I hate to disturb people, so I just never use a flash. I think you can improve by focusing better (are you using just one focus point?). With a 1.4 lens, you can have a great bokeh, but it means you have to focus very accurately. Typically for a portrait, on the eye(s). I always use the center point (more accurate), focus on the eye, and recompose. You can push the ISO to make sure it's sharp, and shoot in RAW to have a bigger post processing margin. I get very decent photos with my Rebel XT + 50mm 1.8, so no doubt you can do better with your combo. The first photo is really nice for instance. I guess in RAW you can fix the highlight problem. Then there are mainly motion blur/focus problems on some others. Unless the room is very very dark, you can more or less fix that without a flash. I don't say that you should not buy it, I just think it's possible. That may be good to know how to do it if you don't want to thrown flashes in the eyes of people during the whole evening :)
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Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88943939@N00/
 
risbac said:
Then there are mainly motion blur/focus problems on some others. Unless the > room is very very dark, you can more or less fix that without a flash. > --
Click to expand...
I'm going to strongly disagree here. I love available light photography. But the reality is in most reception halls and such that even at high ISOs you'd be looking at slow shutter speeds (

And, as mentioned, you want to avoid shooting at ISO 3200 and such for event photos. Why incur so much noise?

Again - I like available light photography - and it's great in certain circumstances, but not this type of thing.

I would strongly recommend you, yourself, get a flash and learn to use it properly. You'll be amazed at the results you can obtain. Shallow DOF and flash are NOT mutually exclusive. After all, if high ISO / no flash was a better alternative, don't you think all the pros would be doing it that way?
 
John_A_G said:
I would strongly recommend you, yourself, get a flash and learn to use it properly. You'll be amazed at the results you can obtain. Shallow DOF and flash are NOT mutually exclusive. After all, if high ISO / no flash was a better alternative, don't you think all the pros would be doing it that way?
Click to expand...
As I mentioned in my comment, I never said my way was the only way or the best way. I know flash is surely better, all your points are absolutely correct. it's just that I constrain myself with this rule, always use available light, don't disturb people. I know it's probably not the best way to have perfect photos, I don't say that my photos are great, but it's just my choice.

Now for him, it's the same of course, he will get better results with a flash. but i still think it's good to be able to shoot without it when you don't have the choice. Some places do not allow flash. Some other events are also better without flash (even if I agree that it does not necessarily bother people that much, but it really depends on the event...). and sometimes, you just cannot carry it. A Rebel with a 50mm is very lightweight. I used to carry it with me all the time (now replaced by a 30mm 1.4), because it's quite small for a DSLR. I prefer to take shots with no flash rather than no shots.

So of course I didn't mean to say "without flash is better", sorry if I was not clear. I just meant that he can probably improve his shots without flash, and that the advise to buy one is surely a very good idea.
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Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88943939@N00/
 
Is the OP the official Photographer or not ?.

If he is well he has a lot to learn about his camera how to take wedding photos and what gear he really he needs. His images are soft blurry and just do not meet a standard that he could present to a Bride and Groom.

If he is just freelancing with no responsibility well then explore the low light field and he will probably get some images that the B&G might like .

If you are doing a wedding seriously its the 580 Ex II the 430 does not have the grunt its that simple !. A battery pack ? nice but only if you are doing it on a regular basis .

Weddings are one off events and you have to get it right the first time its not the event to practice low light photography on. I use a flash for 99% of my shots either in direct or fill mode.
 
No I was not the official photographer. I did this for practice and fun.

My next wedding (a lot of my friends seem to be getting married this year) I should have a 17-55 f/2.8 and 580 EX II.

What a expensive hobby, I did not plan on spending this much money.
Steve Dudley said:
Is the OP the official Photographer or not ?.

If he is well he has a lot to learn about his camera how to take wedding photos and what gear he really he needs. His images are soft blurry and just do not meet a standard that he could present to a Bride and Groom.

If he is just freelancing with no responsibility well then explore the low light field and he will probably get some images that the B&G might like .

If you are doing a wedding seriously its the 580 Ex II the 430 does not have the grunt its that simple !. A battery pack ? nice but only if you are doing it on a regular basis .

Weddings are one off events and you have to get it right the first time its not the event to practice low light photography on. I use a flash for 99% of my shots either in direct or fill mode.
Click to expand...
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerho/
 
xdmg said:
My next wedding (a lot of my friends seem to be getting married this year) I should have a 17-55 f/2.8 and 580 EX II.
Click to expand...
I don't think you need to buy the 17-55 to have nice photos. The Tamron would be nice for instance, and a new version is about to come.

And don't forget that the hardware won't give you great shots. You will take great shots. Give a P&S to a gifted photographer and he will make wonders. Give me a 5D2 + L Lenses, and I'm sure I can blow most of the shots :)

Hardware matters, I don't say we should all buy 150$ P&S. But don't focus only on hardware, it must be a balance.
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Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88943939@N00/
 
But the good thing about the 430EX-II is that once you decide to upgrade to its bigger brother (the 580EXII) you can use the 430 as a slave device. I think the 580 is a bit much for an initial investment but the 430 will help you get used to shooting with flash, then you can decide to upgrade later on.

It seems that you had fun at the party in addition to practicing with your camera -- I don't think anything more can be said.
 
off topic: maybe i think the best way to get a beautiful shots from the wedding is throw out a whole bunch of disposal cameras, and let's them kids run around and take pictures, i'll bet you a lot of them will come out beautiful.
 
tom sugnet said:
With the on-board flash, photos would have been better.

For no flash wedding photography you need at least
24 1.4 L with full frame (usable ISO3200, 6400).
--
Feel free to visit my photo sites:
http://tom.st , http://www.foto.tom.st ,
http://pixel-peeping-tom.deviantart.com

Click to expand...
And no flash would take care of shadows in daylight shots ? . We are talking about a wedding and you simply have to have the correct lighting and the right gear and the experience . While I understand what you are saying paying thousands on a FF and L to negate the the purchase of a good flash seems a very expensive option
 
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