2 weddings in 2 days arrrrrghh

cowasaki

cowasaki

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Darren
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Mr "I'll never do a wedding it's too much responsibility" Cowasaki is going to 2 in 2 days!!!

On Friday I am just a guest at a wedding in Scotland and following a 500 miles round trip to that one I have another wedding (my brothers) the very next day where I will also be a guest PLUS THE MAIN/ONLY TOG !! (He can't afford a tog and it is me or no pictures!)

I think I need some tablets :gag:

I am doing all the things that everyone gets told to do. List of all the guests, list of all the pictures that the bride and groom want, 2 cameras (3 if you include Helen's), 3 flashes plus one in a softbox which is hand held, 6 batteries, 2 AA battery holders for the D700 grip complete with sets of batteries, 4 memory cards (8,4,4,4 Gb), 24-70, 80-20, 50 f1.4, 20mm, 2 x radio remotes, tripod, monopod, filters.............................

I have also been to each location and done a recy, I have alternative locations if it rains...................

But my head is now spinning so much that I have managed to mix up the four settings banks on my D700 (studio, remote flash, TTL on camera, change) so I am madly going through them to make sure.

Now I can't work out how to collapse the softbox either (its ok I know where the video is!)

How do the pros stay calm :eek::eek::eek:

Anyway thats enough of a rant, I feel better now......

Is the normal flash sync speed 1/250 and 1/125 in the studio? or the other way round.......What is the flash shutter speed? ....... Breath.......


Breath.....


Breath.....
 
:lol: You will be fine matey. Hacksaw for the softbox and Valium for you :thumbs:
 
Thought you had a wife and daughter that were togs too can't they "back you up" :)
 
The professionals stay calm by doing this for a very long time,and for a living and being able to do it without thinking about it.
 
I did a full wedding the other weekend and planned to do so many different things but most of them seem to go out of the window because the day seems to go at breakneck speed .I have a rapidstrap duo harness to hold two cameras at once which is invaluable on the day ,you can borrow it if you want ;)
 
chivers67 said:
Thought you had a wife and daughter that were togs too can't they "back you up" :)
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Helen will have her D300 doing a few candids. I am sure I will manage its sort of a step into the unknown :)
 
Nikon Dave said:
I did a full wedding the other weekend and planned to do so many different things but most of them seem to go out of the window because the day seems to go at breakneck speed .I have a rapidstrap duo harness to hold two cameras at once which is invaluable on the day ,you can borrow it if you want ;)
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I actually took two cameras round Blackpool zoo on the NW meet just to see how easy it would be and it wasn't !! I'm intrigued as to what this strap is, will have to look it up.
 
Check out the Alfreton Hall threads for inspiration on some inventive poses.

Good luck, would suggest maybe some more memory?

And surely you have to shoot a roll or two for prosperity!!
 
I should be fine, it is all organised :lol:
 
I've got my second wedding as a guest on Sat, although they really want me to take lots of photos.

They've even told the official tog they have asked me to be there and take them.

Hired a 70-200 f/2.8 for the weekend, shame it's only going on a D60 and not a D300s or D700 :( No flashes either, can't see my massive studio lights being welcome :p

Just take you time OP, having seen your photos I don't think you have anything to worry about. Deep breathes, and don't forget to be loud and jokey with people, makes them easier to work with :)
 
Be afraid be very afraid......


You might have to show someone one of your shots... lol


you will be fine just make sure your exposures are ok and blag the rest.....


MD
 
Thanks everyone, I have just packed up 3/4 of my Saturday kit for tomorrow. 2 bodies should be enough as a guest ! I have just wrapped up the present and printed the route in case the sat nav explodes :)

Anyway IF I get ANY pictures at all from either day I will let you all have a laugh :bonk:
 
This is why I didn't want to do a wedding shoot......

Woke up yesterday feeling like I had flu. The kids had all had some bug during the week that had wiped them out for about 3 days each so I knew what it was. It took 30 minutes to get out of bed and I felt constantly sick. Decided that if I go I am not going to be able to concentrate on more than one camera so stuck the 24-70 on it and stuffed it and a flash into a camera bag.

Set off to Scotland and had to stop 5 times as I felt too ill to drive but eventually got there. The lighting was VERY challenging. VERY bright sunlight from behind as the photos were shot into a park. If I were chief tog I would have moved everything but not sure what options there were. Just turning them round had a horrible building in the background. I had to go inside 3 times during the photos and only got about 16 SNAPS throughout the whole day.

Had our food and felt a little better so managed to get a shot of the bride wearing the tiara that Mrs_C made.

Then had another 250 mile drive home.

The tiara shot unfortunately is cluttered in the background but trying to get the bride to one side isn't easy!

I would have got the reflector out for the first shot, not sure how the pro managed it, she did have a reflector but I didn't see her using it because I was sat down inside most of the time.

Anyway I feel a little better today so hopefully should be a good day......

megan100.jpg


megan101.jpg
 
Best of luck Darren mate.
I hope you are on the mend and able to enjoy today even more.
 
Well I felt much better today and went to the wedding as planned so thanks for everyone's support.

My other brother and his family were also over from Holland with their kids including the newest member of the family Ben who is 4 weeks old :) Lots of pictures of Ben, Luke (cheeky two and a half year old) and Josh too.

I think very sunny days need a health warning! The sun was trying to get me! There is a sequence where I took 5 pictures in 6 seconds standing in the same location and pointing at the same group with the same aperture and the shutter speed changed from 1/1000 - 1/640 - 1/500 - 1/640 - 1/500 - 1/320.... How do you keep up !! I have had to spend the left 4 hours PPing all the images and rescuing a few. Ow for cloudy days and natures own soft box :)

Had fun with the group shot though. "Everyone look at the camera".... Ran round and got in the shot then fired the shutter then proceeded to make daft signs behind the bride and groom which will come as a bit of a surprise when they see those pictures.

wedding100.jpg



wedding101.jpg



wedding102.jpg



wedding103.jpg



wedding104.jpg



wedding105.jpg
 
Sorry to hear you were really ill at the first one.

Looking at your images of yesterdays wedding, looks like it all turned out fine in the end. Very attractive bridenand I like the colour scheme. It was harsh sunshine here too.

Glad you're feeling better.

Lisa
 
Thanks Lisa,

Seriously I have NEVER had the same problems with light as I had yesterday. I was taking multiple shots for every picture that I wanted from underexposed with a very underpower flash for fill, no flash, into the light, across the light etc etc. Luckily it was a small wedding and I took the required group shots at 2 difference locations. It is a shame I didn't get them inside too.

I had all the spare stuff in the boot but luckily didn't need it BUT today I have just been playing with a few equipment options to see how it could be easier when I got the message "ERR" on my D700. It is now knackered!!! Good job it didn't go yesterday ! Oh well it is under warranty and being in this Nikon Pro thing I should get priority service. I do have a D200 as well so at least I am not without a camera.
 
RichHobson said:
ERR usually means you just need to take off your lens and put it back on.
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We got to the bottom of the ERR problem thanks. It was a stuck mirror assembly and fixed by switching to M.UP and firing the shutter then switching back to "S".
 
Rang Nikon.

They said that that should not happen and that I should get the camera back to them. At 11000 actuations it should be like new. They said it needed to come in for a week of testing so 10 days turnaround plus 3 weeks for a repair if found faulty. I discussed that this was a little unhelpful time wise and was told that I should qualify for the NPS scheme which would dramatically speed up the process (and from memory they also supply a loan camera on that scheme) so waiting for that to be sorted first.
 
Glad you managed to get some nice photos :)

had mine on sat, got some really nice ones too although had serious problems at the night do using my D60. Camera just isnt made for low light like that :( Lots of PP to do now.

Also annoyed at myself that a few of the shots were a little OOF/blurry throughout the day, yet others were amazingly crisp. I think I just need more practice :)

Plus point is I think I have found myself a photographer who may want a second to help him out :)
 
Harvey_nikon said:
Glad you managed to get some nice photos :)

had mine on sat, got some really nice ones too although had serious problems at the night do using my D60. Camera just isnt made for low light like that :( Lots of PP to do now.

Also annoyed at myself that a few of the shots were a little OOF/blurry throughout the day, yet others were amazingly crisp. I think I just need more practice :)

Plus point is I think I have found myself a photographer who may want a second to help him out :)
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Excellent, what you need is an AFS 50mm f1.4G for doing night dos :)

I had the equipment for a night do but they didn't have one!
 
I had a 35mm 1.8 and the 70-200mm 2.8.

It was more to do with the D60 and lack of experience on my part. D60 does not like lowlight situations :(

Noise Ninja has been great so far but still kicking myself for messing up a couple of shots that would of been excellent, but, that's why I don't do this professionally :)
 
so cowasaki, how do you actually feel after that ordeal? Think you would be able to manage the jitters and nerves on a daily basis with practice? Glad it went well for you btw.
 
It was more to do with the D60 and lack of experience on my part. D60 does not like lowlight situations
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yep very true D90 makes you realise how poor the 60 is in low light and inability to focus!

Good pics Cowasaki, similar to some i did on a wedding a couple of years back with a fuji bridge. I am sure you would agree that a full time pro might have done a better job (certainly would in my case!!) BUT and I keep coming back to this if the B&G are happy with the pics then you have done your job and very well too!!

Incidentally I found the Fuji 9600 ideal for weddings, very quick to use, no changing lens etc, and IQ OK for the up to A4 that were printed.
 
Can I point you to the different coloured cake in the last two shots.

I think you need to adjust the wb so they loo the same.

Good steady shots but I would crop shot #1 in post 20 to just above the couple's heads.
 
tiler65 said:
Can I point you to the different coloured cake in the last two shots.

I think you need to adjust the wb so they loo the same.

Good steady shots but I would crop shot #1 in post 20 to just above the couple's heads.
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{blatant excuse mode}
I fixed the WB in one but not the other, these were a small selection I pulled out to post on facebook and here :) I was leaving the crop of #1 until I knew which size print it is being done as :)
{/blatant excuse mode}

I will fix the WB and the crop :)
 
bellyman said:
so cowasaki, how do you actually feel after that ordeal? Think you would be able to manage the jitters and nerves on a daily basis with practice? Glad it went well for you btw.
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I think I can so long as it is a joint effort with Mrs_C, she had the clip board with the photo list and was shouting people to be in the next picture etc. Works well that way.
 
Dave Pickett said:
yep very true D90 makes you realise how poor the 60 is in low light and inability to focus!

Good pics Cowasaki, similar to some i did on a wedding a couple of years back with a fuji bridge. I am sure you would agree that a full time pro might have done a better job (certainly would in my case!!) BUT and I keep coming back to this if the B&G are happy with the pics then you have done your job and very well too!!

Incidentally I found the Fuji 9600 ideal for weddings, very quick to use, no changing lens etc, and IQ OK for the up to A4 that were printed.
Click to expand...

I think that once I have done a few I should be ok. I think that the organisation we did was up to pro standard but more experience is the key and you only get that doing it. I have the kit with 3 bodies, 3 flashes, 24-70, 80-200, 20f1.8, 50f1.4, 105f2.8, 18-200 plus decent tripods soft boxes etc etc.
 
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