Reading mode: Light Dark

Unexpected first wedding please help ...

Go to last post
D

Douglas Carr

Well-known member
Messages
112
Reaction score
0
Location
NO
Yes I have never done a wedding outside before and are still getting use to the S2 outside. I got the offer today and wedding is tomorrow .
If it is in the studio I'll be fine, but they want it taken outside.

It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it of the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
 
Douglas Carr said:
I got the offer today and wedding is tomorrow .
they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
off the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
Douglas,

Unless this is an evening wedding and you're in deep shade, there's little hope that you will be able to to shoot at f/2.8 to f/4, and anyway, those apertures are both going to be inadvisable. I'd think about f/8 ,f/9.5, or very possibly f/11 or f/13 for various reasons. Who knows what the weather will actually be like...it might turn out to be very sunny!

I don't know where you're located,so perhaps it really will be dark and very cloudy, but f/8 to f/13 is probably going to be more like the aperture range you'll be confronted with on a daytime wedding. Keep in mind the "Sunny 16 Rule" of exposure if the sun is out. I am going to guess that you're in the USA or UK somewhere, and in June, you're going to probably want to be at ISO 100, S2 set firmly in Manual Mode shooting, with shutter at 1/125th second, lens set to f/11, and the Flash Compensation Button on the camera set to -1 to -1.5 stops with the flash set straight-ahead. If it were me, I would dearly love to have a small,on-flash mini-softbox on a flash bracket,connected with the SC-17 cord, and the flash comp set to minus 1.5.

This forum isn't big enough to go into the myriad ways you could shoot this event, and how various light modifiers,bounce cards, TTL or Auto-flash,etc could ALL play virtual havoc with the results these people are ocunting on you to deliver.

I don't want to come off rudely or as impolite, but your questions about this wedding shoot and flash and some other aspects of this scenario are a bit alarming to me. Perhaps I'm overstepping my boundaries here....forgive me if I am mis-reading the situation.

If you're not 100 percent tsure you can pull this shoot off with this fairly-new camera, get up early and check your setup and settings and run some tests until you are 100 percent confident you can get the kind of fill-flash you'd like to have. AND, if at all practical in your situation,shoot as much in RAW mode as you possibly can,check your histograms very frequently, and have an assistant there downloading your images and burning CD's,since each 1 gig of CF will allow only 80 images or less.

Keep in mind that with a flash mounted in the shoe you'll be stuck at 1/125th second top flash synch speed, so watch for overexposed backgrounds at all times if it turns out sunny and brilliant. Also, carry a Neutral Density filter set, or even a polarizing filter if there is any doubt at all about terriblke background over-exposures. If you have a favorite leaf-shutter camera and flash system you feel confident in, I'd definitely make that my #1 camera.

If it's flash settings you're worried about primarily,and it is overcast pretty evenly, perhaps you should shoot as much as possible with no flash, and at ISO 200,and enjoy the world's largest softbox--an overcast sky!

If you have another camera+flash setup you are more-familiar with and more-confident in using,I would definitely think about shooting this affair with that setup, using color neg. film, and protecting yourself.
--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel
 
Douglas Carr said:
Yes I have never done a wedding outside before and are still
getting use to the S2 outside. I got the offer today and wedding
is tomorrow .
If it is in the studio I'll be fine, but they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
of the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
--
Sorry about this answer but it is just trying to help you.

Call a pro and see if he/she can go to the wedding with you.

Call a pro and see if any of their assistants can go with you?

Play sick so you will not loose a friend?

All else fails put them in the shadows, spot meter the brides gown, shoot one stop over, Measure the light with your spot meter, no one can tel you what the f stop is going to be tomorrow in a particular lighting situation. It can be from f2 to f32 who knows. Watch the brides dress. always, always, always use a flash and if at all possible always off camera, and face them away from the sun. Never shoot a female straight on turn them 3/4. Watch the hands on the men do not let them be sasugaes against their tux. Watch the boquet don't let the stem stick out below hand. Watch bra straps, dress, shoes, jewlery, and take lots and lots of pictures. Watch the sun spots coming in thru the trees on the bridal party / family. Above all try and find out what they want. Photojournalistic, formal, etc. Don't let other people shoot while you do it can ruin your pictures. Ask the parents what they want. Get relatives they have not seen for a while. Check your histograms, check your histograms, and then check them again. Bring lots of batteries, lots of cards back up body even if it is film, back up flash even if you have to borrow them. If there is a reception make firiends with the dj/band leader and the owner/manager first thing, make sure they are your best buddies and clue you in early on all activities so you can be ready. grand entry, Cake, Toast, garter, first dance, parents dance. Durning the ceremony be invisible, and get as close as possible. enterance, ring, kiss, father kiss.

This is one of the most important days of their lives and you are asking how to shoot outside on a camera you are learning. like me going to a mechanic to have my oil changed and the guy is looking in the trunk. it takes years to learn how to photograph weddings, even then it is very intense. If you can get any wedding photographer/assistant to go with you it will really help. No matter what they say their expectations are extremely high they are imangining the pro shots in their sisters album even if they do not say so. Seen too many people hurt by these situations. Folks coming into my wedding/portrait studio with tears in their eyes saying my friend shot my wedding for nothing can you fix these pictures. My answer was you got what you paid for. But as a photographer work of mouth is hard to loose!!!! Sorry for the rant hope you can use something in this post. Don't mean to be mean harted just worried about them an you.

Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
 
Hmmm.. It is June and they are looking for a photographer the day before the wedding?????

Do they realize that a trained Monkey and a Etch-a-Sketch would be a good find this time of the year?

I understand your dilemna and wanting to take good pictures as a mater of pride, but what options do they have? the mall photo booth?

Sorry, that is all I have got to add. I blame reading to many Mr. Stacy posts.
 
I agree a little with the first response, but if they could not find anyone just make the best of it.

pure by accident I made a picture of a bride yesterday, with the wrong lens, no flash with me so.. bad circumstances. what I learnt: don't place the bride with that white dress directly in the sun.

with flash it will be better, but faces are terrible with sun directly on their faces. this group with all guests and bride was being photographed in the bright sunshine. slthough I am new to photography I could see what was happening, so watch for too much sun

secondly, IF you take them under a tree with diffuse light, watch out for strange wihte spots, they will always come out on the wrong place.

jewellery can give strange reflections.

remember to look at the white of the bride as well as the pants of the groom, since the groom can come out too dark.

look good at the faces, it is a shame if the pic could come out ok and the expressions are horrible. they should look happy on the pic.

and: please share your pics with us. I am going to post my pic with a couple of questions, because a lot about it is wrong. maybe it is also helpful for you

--
Mariette
++++++++++++++
Please visit my album at http://www.mydigishots.com

Fuji S2 Pro with Nikon 28-105, Nikon 80-400 VR, Nikon 80DX
Olympus C-730 with B-300, WCON 0.8x
 
Derrel said:
Douglas Carr said:
I got the offer today and wedding is tomorrow .
they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
off the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
Douglas,
Unless this is an evening wedding and you're in deep shade, there's
little hope that you will be able to to shoot at f/2.8 to f/4, and
anyway, those apertures are both going to be inadvisable. I'd think
about f/8 ,f/9.5, or very possibly f/11 or f/13 for various
reasons. Who knows what the weather will actually be like...it
might turn out to be very sunny!
I don't know where you're located,so perhaps it really will be dark
and very cloudy, but f/8 to f/13 is probably going to be more like
the aperture range you'll be confronted with on a daytime wedding.
Keep in mind the "Sunny 16 Rule" of exposure if the sun is out. I
am going to guess that you're in the USA or UK somewhere, and in
June, you're going to probably want to be at ISO 100, S2 set firmly
in Manual Mode shooting, with shutter at 1/125th second, lens set
to f/11, and the Flash Compensation Button on the camera set to -1
to -1.5 stops with the flash set straight-ahead. If it were me, I
would dearly love to have a small,on-flash mini-softbox on a flash
bracket,connected with the SC-17 cord, and the flash comp set to
minus 1.5.
This forum isn't big enough to go into the myriad ways you could
shoot this event, and how various light modifiers,bounce cards, TTL
or Auto-flash,etc could ALL play virtual havoc with the results
these people are ocunting on you to deliver.
I don't want to come off rudely or as impolite, but your questions
about this wedding shoot and flash and some other aspects of this
scenario are a bit alarming to me. Perhaps I'm overstepping my
boundaries here....forgive me if I am mis-reading the situation.
If you're not 100 percent tsure you can pull this shoot off with
this fairly-new camera, get up early and check your setup and
settings and run some tests until you are 100 percent confident you
can get the kind of fill-flash you'd like to have. AND, if at all
practical in your situation,shoot as much in RAW mode as you
possibly can,check your histograms very frequently, and have an
assistant there downloading your images and burning CD's,since each
1 gig of CF will allow only 80 images or less.
Keep in mind that with a flash mounted in the shoe you'll be stuck
at 1/125th second top flash synch speed, so watch for overexposed
backgrounds at all times if it turns out sunny and brilliant. Also,
carry a Neutral Density filter set, or even a polarizing filter if
there is any doubt at all about terriblke background
over-exposures. If you have a favorite leaf-shutter camera and
flash system you feel confident in, I'd definitely make that my #1
camera.
If it's flash settings you're worried about primarily,and it is
overcast pretty evenly, perhaps you should shoot as much as
possible with no flash, and at ISO 200,and enjoy the world's
largest softbox--an overcast sky!
If you have another camera+flash setup you are more-familiar with
and more-confident in using,I would definitely think about shooting
this affair with that setup, using color neg. film, and
protecting yourself.
--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel
Click to expand...
To Derrel Thants for your advice. I have opend my first studio a month ago and are doing very well and have a practice wedding with some friends lind, but this one just came in before that. Since i am the only studio in town I kind off have to take all the work I can get.

I will go and do some tests now set on P -auto ISO 100, Flash -1 on TTL
and ISO 200 no flash F4-5.6 125s Since it is quit evenly overcasted.
 
Hi Douglas,

This may seem to be a very basic reply--- but as a rule of thumb in wedding photography, NEVER EVER shoot a wedding with a camera you are not yet very familiar in terms of how to use it and thereby, not producing the images your clients would expect. If you have another digital camera that you're very familiar with-- by all means use that-- believe me, it'll save you in the long-term.
Happy Shooting. :)
Dennis
Douglas Carr said:
Yes I have never done a wedding outside before and are still
getting use to the S2 outside. I got the offer today and wedding
is tomorrow .
If it is in the studio I'll be fine, but they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
of the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
 
I've volunteered to shoot at a friend's wedding, sort of like my wedding gift to them. It's a month from now and I am already practicing.

BTW which is better? A mini-softbox or a white card reflector for my flash (SB26)? Or should I just settle for the flash built-in "diffuser"?

As I will be moving around quite a bit, don't think I will have time for reflector/umbrella.

Thanks in advance.

Pete Wong
Dennis Pilapil said:
Douglas Carr said:
Yes I have never done a wedding outside before and are still
getting use to the S2 outside. I got the offer today and wedding
is tomorrow .
If it is in the studio I'll be fine, but they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
of the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Pete Wong said:
I've volunteered to shoot at a friend's wedding, sort of like my
wedding gift to them. It's a month from now and I am already
practicing.

BTW which is better? A mini-softbox or a white card reflector for
my flash (SB26)? Or should I just settle for the flash built-in
"diffuser"?

As I will be moving around quite a bit, don't think I will have
time for reflector/umbrella.

Thanks in advance.

Pete Wong
Click to expand...
Hi Pete, I have seen your work on this forum and how much you help people so I know this will probably be old stuff to you.

To answer your question from my point of view if you are using a nikon flash or any hot shoe mount, I always used Lumiquest Promax Softbox. It really spreads the light, softens in middle, one thing bring some elastic bands with you the velcor does not always hold up to the action. It is a great setup for table pictures. Always kept the flash off the camera with a cable extension I think it is sc17. Put flash on bracket that alows you to move the flash from horizontal to vertical. Just my setup everyones different.

One difference is I used quantum flash system but I am sure you dont want to pay 1400+ usd for one wedding. Four White Lightnings on stands with rf slaves to light reception hall bring light in hall expecially dance floor to 5.6 I hate dark caves and I know most couples do also. Quantums on stands to do wedding party outside. Just the basics for professional lighting of weddings IMHO, I have worked with great photographers like Clay Blackmore and this would be half his setup, he even brings backdrops and studio lighting. Church lit if allowed but always behind couple for after ceremony alter shots. Usually had one or two assistants to do lighting / posing. That is the minimum of what I do for the couples once in a lifetime occasion and most of the working photographers who I know that make their living off of wedding phtography usually just do a minor variation of these setups.

As I stated before in this post, IMHO, what they are looking for is the beautifull pictures in their sisters professionaly produced wedding album no matter what they say or how FREE it is. Wedding photography is all about proper posing, formal group portraits, photojournalism, timing, managing the day, the family, etc.. Sorry for the long response hope some of it helps.
--
Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
 
This was an answer from Thom Hogan from a few days ago. It seems to speak to your situation. Particularly, when using flash, to "use -.5 flash compensation and -.5 exposure compensation.
Quote from Thom:

A wedding is often a high contrast situation in low light (e.g., the ceremony) that moves into bright light (e.g., outdoor receptions). The bride is wearing white (usually) and the groom black (if the bride had anything to say about it, otherwise blue ; ). Right there you have a problem. The usual "fix" is to use fill flash to bring up the low values, but then you have the issue of not blowing out the dress.

When you shoot a wedding with film, you actually go ahead and overexpose the dress (many wedding photographers actually rate their film to intentionally overexpose). This brings up shadow detail in the negative and the huge exposure of print film covers the overexposure just fine. With slide film and digital, you must NOT let the dress get beyond the dynamic range of the film or CCD. In general, I wouldn't let the dress go beyond 2 stops, perhaps 2.5 stops above middle gray (what the meter sees). (This may mean I have to post-apply Curves to the images to bring up shadow detail. But I'd rather have a bit of noise in the shadows than blown out highlights.) Thus, if you spot metered on the dress, you'd ADD + exposure compensation of perhaps 2 stops (not - compensation as you asked, and which is probably what revealed your ability to those that could and decided not to answer your question). How much is going to depend upon a lot of things, and that's where experience starts to play a part (most good wedding photographers served as asssistants to someone before going out on their own; learning the tricks of exposure is one reason why, posing another).

Beyond that, it gets tricky. When you start throwing in flash to bring up the shadows (and hopefully pull some detail out of the groom's tux), you may find you have to pull down the ambient exposure a bit due to the cumulative nature of the lighting. That's something I teach students in about two hours, but it also requires that they practice to nail it. When I shoot events like weddings, I usually have my flash exposure compensation at -1 EV and my exposure compensation at -0.5 EV, but what those are adjusted from will vary a bit depending upon how I've evaluated the situation (some dresses aren't white white, some have lots of detail I want to capture, etc.).

And we haven't even gotten to dealing with shadows yet (one reason why many wedding photographers use multiple off camera flashes).
Douglas Carr said:
Yes I have never done a wedding outside before and are still
getting use to the S2 outside. I got the offer today and wedding
is tomorrow .
If it is in the studio I'll be fine, but they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
of the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
 
William Carson said:
Sorry! correction: -1 flash compensation......
Will
Click to expand...
--

Sorry I am confused. If you take a picture of a brides gown the program, (which I never never use} tries to make it grey by taking away light???

Question not an answer???? Therefore according to what I understand that would be trying to get to 18% grey question not an answer. After shooting hundreds of weddings, Sorrry Tom genuflect, scowl, hide my eyes, what are you all talking about.
Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
 
wgc said:
William Carson said:
Sorry! correction: -1 flash compensation......
Will
Click to expand...
--
Sorry I am confused. If you take a picture of a brides gown the
program, (which I never never use} tries to make it grey by taking
away light???
Question not an answer???? Therefore according to what I
understand that would be trying to get to 18% grey question not an
answer. After shooting hundreds of weddings, Sorrry Tom genuflect,
scowl, hide my eyes, what are you all talking about.
Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
Click to expand...
--

sorry missed adding this one s2 manual etc.
http://www.pbase.com/image/17572078

Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
 
Thanks for the compliments, wgc. Personally, I have never liked to be under stress while shooting ie weddings.

I prefer the studio or shooting nature and landscape where I have full control of the situation. This time round, I am only doing it as a favour for a friend (keeping my fingers crossed).

That's why I admire wedding photographers a lot.

Cheers
Pete Wong
wgc said:
Pete Wong said:
I've volunteered to shoot at a friend's wedding, sort of like my
wedding gift to them. It's a month from now and I am already
practicing.

BTW which is better? A mini-softbox or a white card reflector for
my flash (SB26)? Or should I just settle for the flash built-in
"diffuser"?

As I will be moving around quite a bit, don't think I will have
time for reflector/umbrella.

Thanks in advance.

Pete Wong
Click to expand...
Hi Pete, I have seen your work on this forum and how much you help
people so I know this will probably be old stuff to you.

To answer your question from my point of view if you are using a
nikon flash or any hot shoe mount, I always used Lumiquest Promax
Softbox. It really spreads the light, softens in middle, one thing
bring some elastic bands with you the velcor does not always hold
up to the action. It is a great setup for table pictures. Always
kept the flash off the camera with a cable extension I think it is
sc17. Put flash on bracket that alows you to move the flash from
horizontal to vertical. Just my setup everyones different.

One difference is I used quantum flash system but I am sure you
dont want to pay 1400+ usd for one wedding. Four White Lightnings
on stands with rf slaves to light reception hall bring light in
hall expecially dance floor to 5.6 I hate dark caves and I know
most couples do also. Quantums on stands to do wedding party
outside. Just the basics for professional lighting of weddings
IMHO, I have worked with great photographers like Clay Blackmore
and this would be half his setup, he even brings backdrops and
studio lighting. Church lit if allowed but always behind couple
for after ceremony alter shots. Usually had one or two assistants
to do lighting / posing. That is the minimum of what I do for the
couples once in a lifetime occasion and most of the working
photographers who I know that make their living off of wedding
phtography usually just do a minor variation of these setups.

As I stated before in this post, IMHO, what they are looking for is
the beautifull pictures in their sisters professionaly produced
wedding album no matter what they say or how FREE it is. Wedding
photography is all about proper posing, formal group portraits,
photojournalism, timing, managing the day, the family, etc..
Sorry for the long response hope some of it helps.
--
Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
Click to expand...
 
Hi Pete,

I've got an SB-26 flash myself and I use the built in diffuser. But if you can get a mini-softbox , that is definitely diffuse the light much softer. Have a good time!
Dennis
Pete Wong said:
BTW which is better? A mini-softbox or a white card reflector for
my flash (SB26)? Or should I just settle for the flash built-in
"diffuser"?

As I will be moving around quite a bit, don't think I will have
time for reflector/umbrella.

Thanks in advance.

Pete Wong
Dennis Pilapil said:
Douglas Carr said:
Yes I have never done a wedding outside before and are still
getting use to the S2 outside. I got the offer today and wedding
is tomorrow .
If it is in the studio I'll be fine, but they want it taken outside.
It will be overcasted so do I set the white balance to overcast or
auto. Should I use my flash (SB-80DX) If so is it best to bounce it
of the white card. I would like to use Aperture-priority at about
F2.8-4.
Thanks for any advice!!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That is an excellent photo of the graduation. Do you think that using the flash compensation at a -.1 value would have been better? How were the prints? My printer prints darker that what I see on my monitor. I don't quite understand the details Thom was talking about as I don't have the experience shooting wedding. However, shooting outdoors with fill flash, I would compensate in the -.1 range.
Will
wgc said:
wgc said:
William Carson said:
Sorry! correction: -1 flash compensation......
Will
Click to expand...
--
Sorry I am confused. If you take a picture of a brides gown the
program, (which I never never use} tries to make it grey by taking
away light???
Question not an answer???? Therefore according to what I
understand that would be trying to get to 18% grey question not an
answer. After shooting hundreds of weddings, Sorrry Tom genuflect,
scowl, hide my eyes, what are you all talking about.
Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
Click to expand...
--

sorry missed adding this one s2 manual etc.



Let the light in! Walt
[email protected]
Click to expand...
 
Mariette G said:
how did it go? can you share pics with us?

--
Mariette
++++++++++++++
Please visit my album at http://www.mydigishots.com

Fuji S2 Pro with Nikon 28-105, Nikon 80-400 VR, Nikon 80DX
Olympus C-730 with B-300, WCON 0.8x
Click to expand...
Yes thanks to every bodys advice especially Derrel with the getting up early.

I used auto white balance with fill in flash from my SB-80 DX on P. I took quit a few outside untill it began to rain when we went to my studio and I got to use 3 different backgrounds so now I have loads to choose from. Here is one photo I'll put on some more next week once I have given them their album.

My advice to anybody is to believe in yourself your camera and go with you gut instinkt. ps and read as much as you can at this great site.
http://www.dcfoto.tk
its the original.
 
hahaha brian already said something but I also had a laugh ;-) a red dress.... that made things easier ;-))

but I really hope you will post some more when you are ready choosing
--
Mariette
++++++++++++++
Please visit my album at http://www.mydigishots.com

Fuji S2 Pro with Nikon 28-105, Nikon 80-400 VR, Tamron 90, Nikon 80DX
Olympus C-730 with B-300, WCON 0.8x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top