Best Portrait lens advice please

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meme

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I have been asked by a friend to photograph her wedding for her and as I want to do the best job possible, I need to hire or purchase a lens.

I only have the kit lens for my D90 at the moment so can I have some advice on the best lens to get for the job please?
 
Unless it's dark your kit lens will cover most situations, IMO a more valuable addition to your kit would be a flash you can bounce.
 
I'm assuming this question is a problem Wobbler?

Nawty thank you for your advice.
 
EdinburghGary I haven't got a specific budget but obviously don't want to go overboard. That's why I might have to hire one.
 
meme said:
I'm assuming this question is a problem Wobbler?

Nawty thank you for your advice.
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Wedding threads always end up in pages and pages of advice, info, pro vs. amateur debates etc etc.

If I were in your shoes (well, actually I have been so my advice may or may not be more relevant - it worked for me) and wanted to spend limited cash then I would get a cheap 50mm prime (nifty fifty) and an SB400 or SB600 (that's still £250ish or so!).

If you've never tried bounce flash, I suggest you try!

If you have a little more money then something like a 24-70 F2.8 zoom would work well (Sigma do a relatively cheap and good one) as you would probably get away without changing lenses.

Finally, I like a little length to get shots where the target doesn't know you're shooting them (I forget the technical term for this as I'm sitting in the garden after an afternoon of beer :lol:). In bright conditions I've used a cheap Nikon 55-200 VR which worked great.


If, on the other hand, you've got stacks of cash there are manyother options.
 
Nawty, you're a star. Thank you.

No I haven't used bounce flash and know nothing about it. I am quite new to this and i'm doing this because my friend has limited funds.

Stacks of cash isn't here unfortunately :lol:
 
Have a search of the forum, there's TONS of advice there which will probably include things you've not even considered.

I would say though, managing the expectations of the 'customers' (ok, they're friends but you know...) is important. Many people see someone has a DSLR and assume they're the worlds best photographer without understanding that actually, to shoot in a lot of situations (despite a good eye) you need a lot of some seriously expensive kit. Add to that nerves, inexperience etc and it soon can become a headache for you and then the bride is disappointed because your photos don't look and aren't presented like like they would if they'd hired an expensive pro.

That said, I played Tog no. 2 at a recent mates wedding with nothing more than a D90, kit lens and SB400 and the 'customers' were more than happy - it's just about managing their expectations, knowing the limitations of your kit and shooting within them.

:)
 
Nawty said:
Have a search of the forum, there's TONS of advice there which will probably include things you've not even considered.

I would say though, managing the expectations of the 'customers' (ok, they're friends but you know...) is important. Many people see someone has a DSLR and assume they're the worlds best photographer without understanding that actually, to shoot in a lot of situations (despite a good eye) you need a lot of some seriously expensive kit. Add to that nerves, inexperience etc and it soon can become a headache for you and then the bride is disappointed because your photos don't look and aren't presented like like they would if they'd hired an expensive pro.

That said, I played Tog no. 2 at a recent mates wedding with nothing more than a D90, kit lens and SB400 and the 'customers' were more than happy - it's just about managing their expectations, knowing the limitations of your kit and shooting within them.

:)
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All good advice :thumbs:

Meme, if you can rustle up some funds I really would look at getting a flash which you can bounce. Learn how to use it and the results will be miles better than relying on the pop up flash.
 
To be honest, I'd strongly advise you request this thread be temporarily locked until you can read about what you're getting yourself into!

Hopefully it won't descend into a warzone, but I have a feeling it probably will!

There's some good advice on here so far, something like a 50mm f/1.8 or a 85mm f/1.8 as a bare minimum, and a flash you can bounce (although you probably won't be able to use it in the church). The equipment you can probably get in a day, but the experience you'll need is another matter.

How long do you have before the wedding?

Chris


Edit: Actually, does your friend want you to be the main photographer, or just take some photos when at the wedding? There's a HUGE difference between the two!
 
Thanks Nawty

paul_g thanks for the advice. I'll look in to that now.

chris321 thanks for your advice. I have 2 months, eek. She wasn't having a photographer at all but then asked me the other day if I would take some for her. I obviously want to do the best job so I hope she'll be grateful for anything as she wasn't going to have any :lol:.
 
Beware! :lol:

I went from "could you take some pictures of us with the Lemurs" (they got married at a zoo) to, a week beforehand "oh by the way, you're the only photographer, if you don't mind..?"

All went well (primarily as I borrowed an SB800) and they were very happy but it is surprising how quickly your "take some photos" turns into "coordinate the whole wedding shoot" :lol:
 
meme said:
chris321 thanks for your advice. I have 2 months, eek. She wasn't having a photographer at all but then asked me the other day if I would take some for her. I obviously want to do the best job so I hope she'll be grateful for anything as she wasn't going to have any :lol:.
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O.K, well you've got 2 months, and are doing it as a favour to someone who otherwise wouldn't have a photographer (this is good news, and further reduces chances of WWIII breaking out :D).

It's said that you can be a guest at a wedding, or the photographer. If you try to be both, you might end up doing neither well. As long as you know which you'll be if suddenly it's required that you're both!

I suppose the advice is to get the kit you'll need, and get practising ASAP! All night, all day, every spare waking moment. Browse the wedding threads on here to see what kind of shots people get, and talk to your friend and see what she's after. Make sure she's not expecting the full professional job, there's a reason the pro's spend tens of thousands on equipment!

You may want to look at getting a cheapo second body as well, just in case your D90 decides not to play on the day. For someone earning money, it's essential, for someone doing it for a friend, well I guess it depends on whether you want to be friends with them afterwards if they get no shots at all :p

So, get your kit. Learn how to use it. Post your efforts on the forums and we'll help you improve anything you're not happy with. :)

Chris


Edit: Ooh, and practice a 'commanding voice' if you're going to be doing group shots, drunk guests will be problematic otherwise :D

Edit again: Also, are you getting paid for the photography?
 
Ignore any negative comments regarding you shooting the wedding, if it's a case of your pictures or nothing at all, I'm sure they'll be more than grateful for anything you come up with. It might be an idea to tell us what lenses you have at the moment, if you're hiring though it will all depend on whether you shoot with Nikon, Canon etc.

A 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8 and 50mm 1.4 will all be a good start.
 
Dman said:
Ignore any negative comments regarding you shooting the wedding, if it's a case of your pictures or nothing at all, I'm sure they'll be more than grateful for anything you come up with. It might be an idea to tell us what lenses you have at the moment, if you're hiring though it will all depend on whether you shoot with Nikon, Canon etc.

A 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8 and 50mm 1.4 will all be a good start.
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According to the first post, D90 and kit lens!

Good suggestions on the lenses, should cover most eventualities :thumbs:
 
You could always ask anyone near you that might be willing to help with the photos.
Let people know where the wedding will be held & see if any other amateur tog might be interested in helping out,you never know.:):thumbs:
 
I'm sure that you will get no end of advice on what equipment to use, so I'll keep off that topic ...

However, as time in on your side this might be of interest.

http://www.photographymadesimple.co.uk/wedding-photography-made-simple/

I did a creative photography course earlier this year and the people who run the course as fantastic.

Also you need to look ahead and write down a list of "standard photos"... Last year I took photos at a friends wedding (no pro tog) and I was not at all prepared, now I think back, I could/should have done so much better had I reaserched and had advice on general photography from TP.

Pactice, read and understand everything about how a camera works and what you need to do to get a specfic effect ... most importantly learning what/how to control the Depth of Field (DOF).

All the best
 
Dman said:
A 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8 and 50mm 1.4 will all be a good start.
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This.
Go to www.lensesforhire.co.uk and rent yourself the 70-200 f2.8 and 24-70 f2.8. That'll cover most of the action shots.

In the meantime, get yourself a flashgun and learn how it works. If you can't afford a proper Nikon then one of FITP's TTL Yongnuo's will probably do the trick for you.

Good luck :thumbs:
 
The advice here is fantastic so thank you.

I'll have a look at those links tonight and the suggestion for the list is a great idea.

A liiiiiittle bit nervous now :lol:
 
First of all, very well done! It takes a lot to stand up and say "Ok, I will do it". Apart from the kit you need, and the advice here seems excellent, I would encourage you to relax as much as you can. Talk to the couple before and get a list of "must have" shots.

Then on the day SLOW DOWN! You will want to keep firing as you have digital it doesn't matter how many you take right? Well wrong. Just think about your shots and the poses you want the couple in. Then think about the the light and how you can best use it. You will take less images but those that you do will be far better than hundreds just fired off in the hope of getting a few good ones.

Just be yourself and and try and enjoy it as much as you can, if you appear relaxed then the guests will relax in front of you and that always makes for a better shot.

Try and look for some detail shots too, little things that are personal or that will invoke memories later on. It will help if you have a shot list too, just something to refer to on the day before it flies out of your head!

Last of all, I will reiterate, relax as much as you can and SLOW DOWN! I look forward to seeing some your shots!

Good luck!
 
Nigey thank you so much for that advice. It all makes sense!
 
meme said:
I have been asked by a friend to photograph her wedding for her and as I want to do the best job possible, I need to hire or purchase a lens.

I only have the kit lens for my D90 at the moment so can I have some advice on the best lens to get for the job please?
Click to expand...

lot depends on the space youhave to get the shot and wither you are going for head or full body shot.
 
Hi POAH, i was hoping for some head shots and distance group shots? Might need to get two :lol:
 
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