Okay, hear me out here. "I have my first wedding tomorrow" (I can hear the sighs now). This is for a friend (more sighs) but believe me when I say for at least the last 10 months I have advised the bride to get a professional, it is my honest opinion they are worth their weight in gold however, the budget just will not cover it. Put simply if I had not relented under immense pressure to do my best tomorrow then they would be relying on friends and family.
Accordingly I want to do my best for them and am reasonably confident with my equipment, D3s & 2 D90 bodies plus Nikon 70-200 f2.8 and 85 F1.4 plus other non prime lenses. sb600 speedlights.
I have insurance, (no contracts, this is a favour) I have itinerary and photo line ups lists. I have multiple memory cards batteries etc etc. I am okay at organising people and line ups and have two best men primed to help.
I had a minor wobble at the wedding rehersal yesterday evening when the vicar informed me I could only take one shot from the balcony at the back of the church, no flash and only during the first hymn, thus getting the backs and heads of the congregation. So basically no shots inside the church, that said I am confident I on the lighting of said photo.
However tonight I have just gone to do a recy on the marquee and practise with the lighting and flash and I just cant get it right. The marquee has black ceiling over the dance floor with 100's of tiny lights, a few uplighters and there will the DJ's lights too. There is also a black and white glossy dance floor.
Every shot I took tonight was just blown and I am beginning to wonder if for some shots of the dancing I would be better forgetting the flash (this limits me to shutter speed 200) and perhaps relying on the prime lenses and a high iso which the d3s handles well.
I'm more an equestrian photographer (we never use flash) but my comfort zone is catching moving items usually in poorly lit arenas.
I appreciate that each wedding, marquee and level of lighting requires a different approach, I am not looking for a one setting suits all, but I wondered if any experienced photographers had found the same difficulties and what approach they had taken.
Any help would be gratefully received. I hope to avoid most "first wedding negativity" because I have not taken this on lightly, I am more nervous than the bride!
Thanks in advance.
Accordingly I want to do my best for them and am reasonably confident with my equipment, D3s & 2 D90 bodies plus Nikon 70-200 f2.8 and 85 F1.4 plus other non prime lenses. sb600 speedlights.
I have insurance, (no contracts, this is a favour) I have itinerary and photo line ups lists. I have multiple memory cards batteries etc etc. I am okay at organising people and line ups and have two best men primed to help.
I had a minor wobble at the wedding rehersal yesterday evening when the vicar informed me I could only take one shot from the balcony at the back of the church, no flash and only during the first hymn, thus getting the backs and heads of the congregation. So basically no shots inside the church, that said I am confident I on the lighting of said photo.
However tonight I have just gone to do a recy on the marquee and practise with the lighting and flash and I just cant get it right. The marquee has black ceiling over the dance floor with 100's of tiny lights, a few uplighters and there will the DJ's lights too. There is also a black and white glossy dance floor.
Every shot I took tonight was just blown and I am beginning to wonder if for some shots of the dancing I would be better forgetting the flash (this limits me to shutter speed 200) and perhaps relying on the prime lenses and a high iso which the d3s handles well.
I'm more an equestrian photographer (we never use flash) but my comfort zone is catching moving items usually in poorly lit arenas.
I appreciate that each wedding, marquee and level of lighting requires a different approach, I am not looking for a one setting suits all, but I wondered if any experienced photographers had found the same difficulties and what approach they had taken.
Any help would be gratefully received. I hope to avoid most "first wedding negativity" because I have not taken this on lightly, I am more nervous than the bride!
Thanks in advance.
)
