every amateur's worst nightmare.... shooting a wedding

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing with the camera in different situations (playing with iso, exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.

1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in this type of environment?

2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Steve, you might want to check out the 10D forum. Although you don't shoot with a 10D, I've seen a lot of excellent general advice there on wedding photography that would apply to any camera.

Do you have a laptop or portable hard drive (X-drive etc) to download the photos onto as you go? I think some kind of portable storage would be essential, because you won't be worried about running out of room on the CF cards.

Gayle

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

--
http://members.iinet.net.au/~gayle_knowles/

Gayle,

Thanks, I will check out the 10d forum. I am having them get me 2 512 cf cards which gives me about 500 pics at highest quality. I also have a 128 and the measly 32 that came with it in a pinch

Gayle said:

Do you have a laptop or portable hard drive (X-drive etc) to
download the photos onto as you go? I think some kind of portable
storage would be essential, because you won't be worried about
running out of room on the CF cards.

Gayle

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

--
http://members.iinet.net.au/~gayle_knowles/

Click to expand...

why not consider a wideangle? make sure you have a monopod or a tripod too, but get a tripod coz i think youll wanna be in the picture too.

I have considered the wideangle. I got the telephoto since I though there would be times that i wouldnt be able to get close enough in the church etc. I am not worried about being in the pictures myself, since I am not really that close to them, but may pick one up anyway

graph (g3) said:

why not consider a wideangle? make sure you have a monopod or a
tripod too, but get a tripod coz i think youll wanna be in the
picture too.

Click to expand...

Go to the place where you intend to shoot and try out your camera etc to see what problems there might be. Low-light shots might be an issue for you. Get a book(s) on wedding photography - eg The Art of Wedding Photography by Bambi Cantrell - and get an idea of what to expect and do.

Good luck

Dave
http://www.pbase.com/shootist
http://www.pbase.com/blokey/root

I have shot a few weddings (with film) and I can offer this small amount (if humble) advice for you.

If the wedding is indoors with little light you might you might want to consider using the on-board flash with the G2, using the Pan mode (or hyperfocal setting) and get relatively close to the subjects for action shots (the shots during the ceremony and candids). If flash is not allowed then use your tripod (set up in an inconspicuous spot) and set the White Balance for the particular lighting, but try to stay on the ISO 50 or 100 while allowing for wide open aperture and a relatively slow shutter speed.

For all other set up shots, like portraits of the B & G and family I would recommend getting a Stroboframe flash bracket that will allow you to flip the flash from horizontal (landscape) to vertical (portrait) orientation. This will also require the Canon off-camera flash cord 2 (about $60) to attach the flash to the camera. Take a lot of shots and review with the histogram. Beg for forgiveness in your attempts to get exposure right; they will understand.

In my experience the photos that will be most treasured from the wedding will be the candid/non-posed shots. Get a picture of the Bride dressing and hugging her dad or mom before the ceremony. Get pictures of children in their unabashed joy. Catch the groom and groomsmen goofing around. Snap the various family members in hugs and laughing during the reception.

Weddings are more about the moment and the "behind the scenes" shots than the formal poses (although you shouldn't underestimate the importance of these frames).

In general, get CLOSE to people. The more you can demonstrate in photos the expression of the moment the better your pics will be.

Hope this helps.

G

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

--

After receiving a bad review from Munich critic Rudolf Louis, German composer and organist Max Reger wrote to him: 'I am sitting in the smallest room in my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it will be behind me.'

Steven a couple of things:

I'm no pro so take all this the grain of salt it deserved. I'm going to assume you have the skills you need so here are the other problems I'd be concerned with:

1. Gear backup - If your camera breaks or stops working they will ahve no pictures.

2. Make sure your clients expectaions are very low. I know you will do your best and I'm sure you will get some great shots...but they will not be pro quality. Partly because of your camera and partly because of your lighting. As long as they are expecting so-so pictures they should be happy with the results.

3. The 4MP G2 ( I have one) is a great camera but you have real limits in final print size. This is even more of a problem if you do much cropping.

4. I think lighting (even with the 420ex) is going to be a real problem for you. This will be most visable in the posed shots. I would look into renting some continuous lighting (maybe some soft boxes) for the week and experiment using them and read read read everything you can about lighting prior to the wedding day. You can also try posting in the lighting fourm for more advice.

5. Read through wedding threads in the pro fourm. Lots and lots has been written about shotting weddings by both pro and non-pros. Post there if you like but brace yourself for some serious flames.

6. I just got married in July and our photographer shot everything digital. With 2 pro photographers (3 camera plus lots of extra stuff including an assistant) we ended up with about 750 shots. Of those, about 180 were selected as good canidates for our album. My point is getting good shots is very hard even for pros.

Best of luck,
Paul

--
Citizenpaul

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

bite the bullet and get the omnibouncer for the 420ex... will help a lot

Also, consider shooting in RAW.. that way.. if some photos that look almost good.. can be edit easier with RAW than JPEG.. especially the Indoor AWB.. .it's quite terrible..

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

I agree 100%. You'll need to do your best, and the clients have to be willing to take some risks. No reflection on you whatsoever, I know this would apply to me even more.

Also, if you are going to shoot in RAW mode, you'll need lots of CF memory. Considering borrowing some CF cards from all your friends just for the duration of the wedding.

And here's my main piece of advice. Think about the shots that the clients will want to frame and put on their wall. Example, a nice photo of the two together with a nice background, with a nice and normal pose. Sounds simple, but it's easy to wind up with 400 pictures and not one they'll be happy with for their main keepsake. Take a BUNCH of shots of the couple together properly composed to make sure you get a good one.

Another piece of advice. If you're the main photographer, you can't be shy about directing people around. During the rush of things, it may be tempting to not make waves or to make some requests on people. That doesn't mean be obnoxious, but it will be your job to make sure people pose properly. Candid shots are nice, but they're a dime-a-dozen compared to a properly composed shots that will stand the test of time. My 2c.

Paul said:

I'm no pro so take all this the grain of salt it deserved. I'm
going to assume you have the skills you need so here are the other
problems I'd be concerned with:

1. Gear backup - If your camera breaks or stops working they will
ahve no pictures.
2. Make sure your clients expectaions are very low. I know you
will do your best and I'm sure you will get some great shots...but
they will not be pro quality. Partly because of your camera and
partly because of your lighting. As long as they are expecting
so-so pictures they should be happy with the results.
3. The 4MP G2 ( I have one) is a great camera but you have real
limits in final print size. This is even more of a problem if you
do much cropping.
4. I think lighting (even with the 420ex) is going to be a real
problem for you. This will be most visable in the posed shots. I
would look into renting some continuous lighting (maybe some soft
boxes) for the week and experiment using them and read read read
everything you can about lighting prior to the wedding day. You
can also try posting in the lighting fourm for more advice.
5. Read through wedding threads in the pro fourm. Lots and lots
has been written about shotting weddings by both pro and non-pros.
Post there if you like but brace yourself for some serious flames.
6. I just got married in July and our photographer shot everything
digital. With 2 pro photographers (3 camera plus lots of extra
stuff including an assistant) we ended up with about 750 shots. Of
those, about 180 were selected as good canidates for our album. My
point is getting good shots is very hard even for pros.

Best of luck,
Paul

--
Citizenpaul

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I never had the opportunity -- not sure I really want it either -- but I would think a wideangle is a good idea if you expect to take sizeable group pictures.

The tele might be nice for shooting candids, if that's part of your intention, especially since your G2 only reaches 100mm at full tele.

You might want to get a flash diffuser of some sort (and do a lot of playing w/ it beforehand) to getting better results. When you can bounce, you might not need the diffuser, but I'm sure you will have plenty of cases where you can't really bounce effectively.

You might also want to post to the Lighting Technique forum for help on the all lighting problems you will encounter. I've only visited there a few times, but seems like worth a try. BUT you'll probably need to scout your locations to get a better sense of the problems you will encounter to get the most out of these forums. There is probably only so much people can help, especially w/out good details about the actual environments you will be shooting in.

Hope this helps...

Man

Steven LeBlanc said:

graph (g3) said:

why not consider a wideangle? make sure you have a monopod or a
tripod too, but get a tripod coz i think youll wanna be in the
picture too.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Baseball as a metaphor for life?
Disappointment sure do abound; there's always next year (maybe)...
email: [email protected]
gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong

astroman said:

Hope this helps.

G

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

--
After receiving a bad review from Munich critic Rudolf Louis,
German composer and organist Max Reger wrote to him: 'I am sitting
in the smallest room in my house. I have your review before me. In
a moment it will be behind me.'

Click to expand...

--
Baseball as a metaphor for life?
Disappointment sure do abound; there's always next year (maybe)...
email: [email protected]
gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong

saypizza said:

Also, if you are going to shoot in RAW mode, you'll need lots of CF
memory. Considering borrowing some CF cards from all your friends
just for the duration of the wedding.

Click to expand...

I would shoot Superfine and make sure I'm comfortable w/ saving in RAW when needed. Well, maybe shooting RAW for the posed shots would be a good idea. Shooting strictly RAW all the time will eat up too much memory, if you intend to do lots of candids.

saypizza said:

And here's my main piece of advice. Think about the shots that the
clients will want to frame and put on their wall. Example, a nice
photo of the two together with a nice background, with a nice and
normal pose. Sounds simple, but it's easy to wind up with 400
pictures and not one they'll be happy with for their main keepsake.
Take a BUNCH of shots of the couple together properly composed to
make sure you get a good one.

Another piece of advice. If you're the main photographer, you
can't be shy about directing people around. During the rush of
things, it may be tempting to not make waves or to make some
requests on people. That doesn't mean be obnoxious, but it will be
your job to make sure people pose properly.

Click to expand...

Along this line, it might help to find someone, who is personable yet good at directing traffic, etc., to help you out, especially for the group shots. In some weddings, you might be able get the wedding coordinator to help you. Don't know if that's the case here.

saypizza said:

Candid shots are
nice, but they're a dime-a-dozen compared to a properly composed
shots that will stand the test of time. My 2c.

Click to expand...

Don't know about dime-a-dozen, but well, for myself, I do find good "candids" to be important and can often stand the test of time. For example, I actually like many more candids from my wedding than the posed shots (both right after the wedding and now 8 years later). A good candid would certainly involve good composition, not just something sloppily done w/ a quick snap. Posed shots will always look posed as far as I'm concerned unless you are some particularly good pro and have particularly photogenic subjects. Still, you will rarely ever get the kind of emotions, etc. from posed shots that you would from candids.

Now, I don't just mean candids taken out of nowhere, but candids say during the ceremony for instance when the real thing is actually taking place or even "candids" taken in between the actual posed shots.

OTOH, I don't really like hanging a huge wedding enlargement in my livingroom or bedroom like many people do, so maybe I'm just in the minority on this. Lots of nice 8x10's (and smaller) work better for me.

Man

--
Baseball as a metaphor for life?
Disappointment sure do abound; there's always next year (maybe)...
email: [email protected]
gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong

A few things I would think about:

Renting equipment. I know people talk about renting lenses, perhaps a whole camera might be available. (Maybe even buy and return something.)

Checking focus. I recently got married and I noticed the photographer checked the focus on many of his shots (w/a 10d)

Have the couple provide a list of "must have" shots, and people they definitely want shots of.

Make a check lists of the shots you need to get.

Realize you are going to work harder that day than anybody else there.

take extra batteries and then bring 2 extra sets for each devise that uses batteries.

Also if the weding will be in a church, check to see if a flash can be used. If not try to scout the church and test some shots under the actual lighting condition before hand.

Joe Lind said:

A few things I would think about:

Renting equipment. I know people talk about renting lenses,
perhaps a whole camera might be available. (Maybe even buy and
return something.)

Checking focus. I recently got married and I noticed the
photographer checked the focus on many of his shots (w/a 10d)

Have the couple provide a list of "must have" shots, and people
they definitely want shots of.

Make a check lists of the shots you need to get.

Realize you are going to work harder that day than anybody else there.

Click to expand...

I second the checking of focus. Zoom in when reviewing your shots to check for focus. Also check for closed or partially closed eyes due to blinking while you're zoomed in. I have found that in about a 1/4 of my posed shots someone is blinking.

Joe Lind said:

A few things I would think about:

Renting equipment. I know people talk about renting lenses,
perhaps a whole camera might be available. (Maybe even buy and
return something.)

Checking focus. I recently got married and I noticed the
photographer checked the focus on many of his shots (w/a 10d)

Have the couple provide a list of "must have" shots, and people
they definitely want shots of.

Make a check lists of the shots you need to get.

Realize you are going to work harder that day than anybody else there.

Click to expand...

Steve, I had done quite a few weddings with a G2. The 420EX is essential, when used in bounce mode it soften the light and give you natural looking photos. I am not sure you will need the 1.5X teleconverter. The other advices are very good and goto the library and bookstore and read some wedding photography book. I second the recommendation on the Art of Wedding Photography by Bambi Cantell. As mention by others, wedding can be very stressful. Sometime you will just to take charge and people working skill is important too.

Here are some wedding photos done with a G2 amd 420EX, http://www.pbase.com/steveyau/wedding_photos

Steve

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

--
Steve
http://www.pbase.com/steveyau/

Very nice work, Steve.

Not sure how to ask this, but I'm wondering if you were the main photog in any of those shots. Quite a few look like you could be the main photog. Were you usually some "official" 2ndary photog?

My apologies if I didn't word my question well.

Thanks.

Man

Steven Yau said:

Here are some wedding photos done with a G2 amd 420EX,
http://www.pbase.com/steveyau/wedding_photos

Steve

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

Click to expand...

--
Steve
http://www.pbase.com/steveyau/

Click to expand...

--
Baseball as a metaphor for life?
Disappointment sure do abound; there's always next year (maybe)...
email: [email protected]
gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mandnwong

Change the little button cell in your G2's remote. WIth the camera on a tripod, this is very handy for when you are trying to pose models such as brides and grooms. WIth the camera on a tripod and the LCD facing sideways, you have a very convenient portrait setup.

Andrew

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

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I thought getting close to people with a wide-angle lens would produce slightly distorted faces, isn't it better to stand away from your subject and rely on your telephoto lens? (I'm just a poor amateur, so please seek expert advise before you follow my suggestion).

astroman said:

Hope this helps.

G

Steven LeBlanc said:

Ok so I am sure that most of you guys out there with a known
interest in photography have been here, so I need your help. My
Fiance's stepfather has asked me to take the pictures at his
niece's wedding. He is going into the military and they are really
short on cash/time. He told me that they know I am not a
professional and that they don't have a problem with it, they just
want someone to take the pics. Now of course, as a camera
enthusiast taking good pictures is a matter of pride! I told them
that I would do it if they bought me some equipment that I would
need (2 512cf cards and a spare battery). I also used this as an
excuse to buy the canon 1.5 telephoto lens and the 420ex flash (for
my g2 sorry forgot to mention that). I really want to do a good
job, so I went back and re-read the manual and have been practicing
with the camera in different situations (playing with iso,
exposure, etc.) I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any advice anyone can give me on taking pictures in
this type of environment?
2. Is there any other hardware I may need besides what i have
outlined (and please don't say a new camera, for as much as I would
love a 10d, it isn't gonna happen)

Thanks guys and gals,

Steve

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--
After receiving a bad review from Munich critic Rudolf Louis,
German composer and organist Max Reger wrote to him: 'I am sitting
in the smallest room in my house. I have your review before me. In
a moment it will be behind me.'

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