Help! Meed a crash-course in Wedding Photography!
Discussion
Am off to Spain at the weekend for a 'Wedding' (more of a Blessing really) the following Saturday. Bride was round the other day and happened to spot my camera (Nikon D70) and said 'Oooh, can you take some proper pictures of the day?'
Me: 'Erm, I'm not very proficient as I've only used it a handful of times and the results were pretty mixed.'
Her: 'Don't worry, you'll be fine'
So, it looks like I'm taking some pics for her
As I alluded to earlier, I'm *really* not very good and most of the shots that come out OK are more by luck than judgement, so I'm after some advice - what setting should I use etc etc?
We'll be on the beach at around 4pm, so the sun will still be pretty strong. We'll also be inside a building that juts out onto the water (no idea what it's like inside though).
I know it's pretty vague but some suggestions such as 'use Aperture Priority on F3.5, ISO 400 and you'll be fine' would be appreciated greatly.
I only have one lens - am AFS Nikkor 18-70mm, so I doubt I'll be shooting anything too far away! Won't have a tripod either, as I can't be bothered to pack one.
Me: 'Erm, I'm not very proficient as I've only used it a handful of times and the results were pretty mixed.'
Her: 'Don't worry, you'll be fine'
So, it looks like I'm taking some pics for her
As I alluded to earlier, I'm *really* not very good and most of the shots that come out OK are more by luck than judgement, so I'm after some advice - what setting should I use etc etc?
We'll be on the beach at around 4pm, so the sun will still be pretty strong. We'll also be inside a building that juts out onto the water (no idea what it's like inside though).
I know it's pretty vague but some suggestions such as 'use Aperture Priority on F3.5, ISO 400 and you'll be fine' would be appreciated greatly.
I only have one lens - am AFS Nikkor 18-70mm, so I doubt I'll be shooting anything too far away! Won't have a tripod either, as I can't be bothered to pack one.
pincher said:
I know it's pretty vague but some suggestions such as 'use Aperture Priority on F3.5, ISO 400 and you'll be fine' would be appreciated greatly.
Actually that's a pretty good start! Don't go over ISO400 unless you really have to, because the D70 is noisy by current standards; in fact keep it as low as you can concomitant with getting an acceptable shutter speed.Shoot RAW if you know about it; shoot JPG if you don't. Check exposure after every shot using the histogram NOT the monitor and use +/-EV to adjust as required. You really don't want to underexpose because lightening shadows on a D70 really brings out noise. Similarly you don't want to lose highlight detail, so you're aiming for 'as right as possible in camera'. Again, see Histogram.
If you have a flashgun, take it. Even in full sun it can help fill in shadows. Try not to take groups in full sunlight; if possible find some shade.
Any help?
Simpo Two said:
Any help?
Yes!I think it's in RAW mode now but if I change it to JPEG, can I still play with the pics in Photochop?
Don't really understand the stuff about the histogram to be honest with you, so I think I'll just have to take loads of pics and hope some come out OK.
What are the optimum seting for getting the happy couple in focus and an out of focus background. What I call the arty shots
No flashgun, just the inbuilt flash.
pincher said:
Don't really understand the stuff about the histogram to be honest with you, so I think I'll just have to take loads of pics and hope some come out OK.
What are the optimum seting for getting the happy couple in focus and an out of focus background. What I call the arty shots
No flashgun, just the inbuilt flash.
Read up on histograms. It's easy enough and is a good indication you have something you can work with (exposure wise).What are the optimum seting for getting the happy couple in focus and an out of focus background. What I call the arty shots
No flashgun, just the inbuilt flash.
For the "arty shots", use a large aperture. The larger the aperture you can get away with, the more "arty" the shot. BUT you'll need to make sure your focus is spot on the subject you want.
pincher said:
I think it's in RAW mode now but if I change it to JPEG, can I still play with the pics in Photochop?
Of course, but it's different. With RAW you can make certain changes *as if they were done at the time of shooting* - because you have all the data. The main benefit IMHO is white balance, but you can also, to a certain extent, recover highlights and generally work other magic. Once it's a JPG, your options are fewer - but you can still pull it about and play with colour balance.pincher said:
Don't really understand the stuff about the histogram to be honest with you, so I think I'll just have to take loads of pics and hope some come out OK.
They won't, they'll all come out 1-2 stops underexposed. Trust me, I did my first wedding on a D70 and JPG and used the monitor to judge exposure!pincher said:
What are the optimum seting for getting the happy couple in focus and an out of focus background. What I call the arty shots
Blurry b/gs come from big apertures and long lenses. Hence with an 18-70mm in full sunlight and a minimum ISO of 200, forget it 
pincher said:
No flashgun, just the inbuilt flash.
It can still be useful for filling in shadows, but obviously limited in bright sun. For fairly close shots, try it with an without. Although it's close to the lens, you'll probably avoid redeye because the subject's pupils will be small in the bright light.The main thing is - don't fire and hope, and then be disappointed afterwards. With digital imaging there's no excuse not to check and improve as you go along. It could also save you hours poking crap JPGs the week afterwards!
Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 25th August 21:59
Sorry not a photography tip, but an idea stolen from a friend that is very into his photography.
At a mutual friends wedding, he took the brides ring, and placed it (upright) in the crease of a dictionary open at the definition of love, a table lamp placed behind the ring cast a shadow in the shape of a heart! a really stunning picture!
Good luck with it.
At a mutual friends wedding, he took the brides ring, and placed it (upright) in the crease of a dictionary open at the definition of love, a table lamp placed behind the ring cast a shadow in the shape of a heart! a really stunning picture!
Good luck with it.
Shoot both RAW and JPG... then when you get some "keepers" that she wants enhancing further, you can always pass them to a pro.
Buy extra memory cards. Memory is cheap. Backup at the earliest opportunity at the event. Multiple times.
If you can't be bothered with a tripod, borrow/buy a monopod?
Don't be afraid to take control of a few key shots and get people to move about and look at you - not other cameras being fired off. Ask the otehrs attending for 5 mins of your shots and then they can take theirs...
Buy extra memory cards. Memory is cheap. Backup at the earliest opportunity at the event. Multiple times.
If you can't be bothered with a tripod, borrow/buy a monopod?
Don't be afraid to take control of a few key shots and get people to move about and look at you - not other cameras being fired off. Ask the otehrs attending for 5 mins of your shots and then they can take theirs...
son of a vette said:
Sorry not a photography tip, but an idea stolen from a friend that is very into his photography.
At a mutual friends wedding, he took the brides ring, and placed it (upright) in the crease of a dictionary open at the definition of love, a table lamp placed behind the ring cast a shadow in the shape of a heart! a really stunning picture!
Good luck with it.
Barf.At a mutual friends wedding, he took the brides ring, and placed it (upright) in the crease of a dictionary open at the definition of love, a table lamp placed behind the ring cast a shadow in the shape of a heart! a really stunning picture!
Good luck with it.
Did they have those "forever bears" on their cake as well?
Thanks for all the suggestions/hints/tips - much appreciated.
I've just ordered a Nikon 50mm F1.8D lens from Amazon and it will be here tomorrow, so hopefully will be able to get something half-decent with it.
I'm not planning on becoming the 'official' person at the blessing - I'm on holiday! The plan is to just mingle and do my best to get something the looks OK.
I suspect there may be a considerable amount of post-processing to be undertaken upon my return :lol:
I've just ordered a Nikon 50mm F1.8D lens from Amazon and it will be here tomorrow, so hopefully will be able to get something half-decent with it.
I'm not planning on becoming the 'official' person at the blessing - I'm on holiday!
The plan is to just mingle and do my best to get something the looks OK.I suspect there may be a considerable amount of post-processing to be undertaken upon my return :lol:
Essex - you could have borrowed my Sigma 70-200 f2.8 (on the understanding that if you prang it you buy me a new one), but I need it this weekend.
BTW the idea to shoot RAW + JPG is a good one. Each shot will take up about 8.5Mb, but memory is so cheap it's not a problem.
One proviso - the tendency when you have a fast lens is to whack it straight to max aperture - you will be surprised how little DOF you get at f1.8 so be very careful with your focus points. No good having a bride with sharp ears and blurry eyes!
BTW the idea to shoot RAW + JPG is a good one. Each shot will take up about 8.5Mb, but memory is so cheap it's not a problem.
One proviso - the tendency when you have a fast lens is to whack it straight to max aperture - you will be surprised how little DOF you get at f1.8 so be very careful with your focus points. No good having a bride with sharp ears and blurry eyes!
Soovy said:
son of a vette said:
Sorry not a photography tip, but an idea stolen from a friend that is very into his photography.
At a mutual friends wedding, he took the brides ring, and placed it (upright) in the crease of a dictionary open at the definition of love, a table lamp placed behind the ring cast a shadow in the shape of a heart! a really stunning picture!
Good luck with it.
Barf.At a mutual friends wedding, he took the brides ring, and placed it (upright) in the crease of a dictionary open at the definition of love, a table lamp placed behind the ring cast a shadow in the shape of a heart! a really stunning picture!
Good luck with it.
Did they have those "forever bears" on their cake as well?
Marc W said:
It would be a good idea to buy a flash gun too, they make a huge difference and if you are planning to use your camera more often anyway you won't regret it.
+ a white plastic diffuser AND / OR get it off the body of the camera. no-one likes the deer in the headlights look...Edited by plg101 on Wednesday 26th August 15:52
if the bride is wearing a white dress then meter off her dress. Normally birde/groom shots oftern blow the highlights due to the combo of white dress and dark suit. No one really cares about the fine detail of he blokes outfit, but will be a bit miffed if they can't see the detail of the dress.
Also check exposure if shooting in dappled shade for the same reason.
the 18-70 will be ok for groups if they are smaller, the 50 is great for portrait and for candids later in the day.
If you're a main photog then make a list of the standard shots eg bride/groom, bride family, groom family, etc and get one of the close friends/relatives to organise the groups. Take a few memory cards and shoot more than you think you need.
Also check exposure if shooting in dappled shade for the same reason.
the 18-70 will be ok for groups if they are smaller, the 50 is great for portrait and for candids later in the day.
If you're a main photog then make a list of the standard shots eg bride/groom, bride family, groom family, etc and get one of the close friends/relatives to organise the groups. Take a few memory cards and shoot more than you think you need.
I work as a wedding photographer, so hopefully can offer you a few helpful tips.
It's impossible to give you any settings to work with because I have no idea what the strength of light will be. All I can say is if the sun is strong try not to have them facing the sun as they will have panda eyes, and be squinting! Yes you can try a bit of fill in flash but to be honest, avoid flash. It can kill the situation. Yes it does have its uses but you’ll get better results if you look for an area where the light is kind and flattering. Use flash as a last resort. Always look for somewhere with nice light. The easiest get out of jail (especially if you have little experience) is to just look for some shade! Not patchy shade like under a tree (where patches of sunlight are getting through), but good solid shade. At least in the shade the lighting should be much softer and allow a consistent exposure level.
If you don’t have any shade and the sun isn’t too direct over head you can always backlight them. When backlighting, remember your in camera meter will think you are wildly overexposing, but you want to expose for their skin, which is effectively in shade when backlit. In the UK a good starting point is 250th at F8 on 400ISO when backlit, but can vary depending on conditions (time, location, etc). In Spain I’d imagine it to be a bit brighter so without being there I can’t tell. If your outside when the sun is starting to set and gets low in the sky, then doing some backlit shots gives a stunning effect for couple shots, it should be quite dark by then and you will need to be stopped down to expose for their skin.
The best way to learn what exposure settings to shoot is to buy a light meter. This is how it used to be done! Just remember to hold the light meter against the subjects face with the meter facing away from them and towards the camera. You are exposing for the light which is falling onto them, not being given off by them, and this is why in-camera meters are so inaccurate.
I have no experience of the D70, but I would imagine shooting in aperture priority will be fine in the shade. In the UK we mostly use ISO 400 when outside but in Spain 200 would probably be ok depending on the brightness. It really doesn't matter, as long as there is enough light to expose properly. Don’t be afraid to bump up the ISO if in dark indoors, noise levels are always exaggerated if you under expose, so if your on a high ISO sometimes slightly over-exposing (only slightly mind) can remedy some of the noise. Don’t forget though some noise can look lovely on a black and white shot.
I don't really see the need to be getting into histograms at this stage and to be honest at a wedding I doubt you'll have time. The best solution is to take a few shots on your camera and compare how they fair out with your monitor before you go. Then keep this in mind when shooting. If on you monitor the shots are a bit darker than they look on the back of the camera, then just bare this in mind and shot so they are a touch brighter on your camera. It doesn’t really matter, unless your camera is wildly off, it should only be a small difference that can be adjusted in Photoshop etc anyway.
Finally, look over a number of images, from photographer’s websites, to magazines, and get some ideas. Note how the subjects have been posed, and try them out!
Sorry it’s been a bit long winded, but there is so much info to delve into! Hope it helps!
Good luck!
It's impossible to give you any settings to work with because I have no idea what the strength of light will be. All I can say is if the sun is strong try not to have them facing the sun as they will have panda eyes, and be squinting! Yes you can try a bit of fill in flash but to be honest, avoid flash. It can kill the situation. Yes it does have its uses but you’ll get better results if you look for an area where the light is kind and flattering. Use flash as a last resort. Always look for somewhere with nice light. The easiest get out of jail (especially if you have little experience) is to just look for some shade! Not patchy shade like under a tree (where patches of sunlight are getting through), but good solid shade. At least in the shade the lighting should be much softer and allow a consistent exposure level.
If you don’t have any shade and the sun isn’t too direct over head you can always backlight them. When backlighting, remember your in camera meter will think you are wildly overexposing, but you want to expose for their skin, which is effectively in shade when backlit. In the UK a good starting point is 250th at F8 on 400ISO when backlit, but can vary depending on conditions (time, location, etc). In Spain I’d imagine it to be a bit brighter so without being there I can’t tell. If your outside when the sun is starting to set and gets low in the sky, then doing some backlit shots gives a stunning effect for couple shots, it should be quite dark by then and you will need to be stopped down to expose for their skin.
The best way to learn what exposure settings to shoot is to buy a light meter. This is how it used to be done! Just remember to hold the light meter against the subjects face with the meter facing away from them and towards the camera. You are exposing for the light which is falling onto them, not being given off by them, and this is why in-camera meters are so inaccurate.
I have no experience of the D70, but I would imagine shooting in aperture priority will be fine in the shade. In the UK we mostly use ISO 400 when outside but in Spain 200 would probably be ok depending on the brightness. It really doesn't matter, as long as there is enough light to expose properly. Don’t be afraid to bump up the ISO if in dark indoors, noise levels are always exaggerated if you under expose, so if your on a high ISO sometimes slightly over-exposing (only slightly mind) can remedy some of the noise. Don’t forget though some noise can look lovely on a black and white shot.
I don't really see the need to be getting into histograms at this stage and to be honest at a wedding I doubt you'll have time. The best solution is to take a few shots on your camera and compare how they fair out with your monitor before you go. Then keep this in mind when shooting. If on you monitor the shots are a bit darker than they look on the back of the camera, then just bare this in mind and shot so they are a touch brighter on your camera. It doesn’t really matter, unless your camera is wildly off, it should only be a small difference that can be adjusted in Photoshop etc anyway.
Finally, look over a number of images, from photographer’s websites, to magazines, and get some ideas. Note how the subjects have been posed, and try them out!
Sorry it’s been a bit long winded, but there is so much info to delve into! Hope it helps!
Good luck!
This may give you a few pointers: http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/masterclass/sh...
More specifically: http://cpn.canon-europe.com/files/masterclass/shoo...
Good luck
More specifically: http://cpn.canon-europe.com/files/masterclass/shoo...
Good luck
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