weddings

  • Thread starter Thread starter stupar
  • Start date Start date

Take camera kit to friends evening reception

  • Yes - It will be good practice

    Votes: 36 53.7%

  • No - It's not worth the bulk and the looks people will give you

    Votes: 31 46.3%
  • Total voters
    67
S

stupar

Guest
The wife and I have been invited to a wedding reception on Saturday night. The mrs asked me if I was going to take my camera.
Initially I said yes, but then thought hmmm I would need my flash gun as it will be dark inside which means bulky camera and people wondering if I am a guest or evening tog.
Anyway, my question to you kind people is how many of you take your kit to the evening reception of a friends wedding?
 
Hello

Firstly, have you been asked to be an evening tog? If the answer is no then no need to take your gear.

Secondly, ask yourself what kind of shots you might get if you were to take you gear. The food will be been consumed, speeches done, cake cut and ties loosened; there might even have been some drinks consumed! Guests are not necessarily going to be looking their best, on the other hand they may feel a bit more liberated!

Thirdly, if you take your gear, will you be worrying all night that you have got to get a 'shot' rather than enjoying yourself.

And finally, you might consider taking a compact instead.

Cheers

Spooks
 
But on the other hand, if you wanted to practice taking wedding evening shots but without the pressure, then why not take it. Or even for fun - the love of taking pics is what it is all about after all. I don't think other guests/people are that fussed about what folks are snapping with.
Only someone who is into cameras tends to notice I find.
I'd take it. :)
 
take it! Weddings are a fantastic opportunity to take pics of people all dressed up, having a great time & very relaxed. I always take mine, & occassionally get candid shots which the official tog hasn't got. I rarely take my flashgun though
 
Take it, it's good practice for low light situations, gives you something to do should you get particularly bored and you end up with some pics of the night.

People are used to SLR's now that they're in abundance and I'd bet you won't be the only one with theirs. Besides, if you do get confused as the evening tog it may be easier to get a shot you want - use it to your advantage :)
 
I'd never take anything other than a point and shoot, as a guest.

Mainly because, I'd be intending to get pretty drunk :gag: and have enough hassle looking after myself, nevermind any camera equipment :lol:
 
I always take mine, don't take the whole rucksack but I do put my camera in a shoulder bag with a couple of fast lenses and flash. Weddings are a fantastic opportunity to take pics of people all dressed up and enjoying themselves. They are also occasions when large amounts of friends and family are together so is one of the rare opportunities to get pics of people together who live a distance apart or who you haven't seen in a while.

I also find it stops me drinking too much as I have something in my hand most of the time, and keeps me occupied.
 
I went as a guest last week and thought the same.

I ended up taking the camera and 2 lenses, but no flash.

I would have been really annoyed if I didn't have it with me.

Got some great experience and also some free pictures for the bride and groom!
 
Go, enjoy yourself, leave the camera at home, and get ****faced instead!

(You're asking the wrong person here - If i'd have wanted to shoot people i'd have joined the Army!)
 
I usually end up putting the 50mm f1.8 on the D90 and bumping up the ISO... (although I've got the bag in the car incase I need a flashgun).
But usually works out to be much better as I end up practising composition and ambient light photography without having a zoom lens :)
 
Leave it at home - or if you must take it one lens. Enjoy the evening
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and views.
Still undecided but if I do take it it wouldn't be the whole bag of tricks.

Just one lens (either 50mm F1.8 or kit lens)

I've not been asked to be a tog, just thought about taking it for personal practice and to give the bride (wife's friend) any extra shots that they fancy.
I know the pro tog they have only stays until the first dance.
So after that I wouldn't be getting in his way.

I will decide tomorrow night.

Thanks again:)
 
well i didnt take my camera to my brothers wedding, he was actually dumbstruck by this and a i said i wanted to enjoy the day for him and not be thinking about anythnig else.

with that he said - Tuff - handed me a compact and said i want some pics for the honeymoon as he will probably not remember much!
 
It depends.....is the bride a bridezilla? If she is....leave it at home. Why? Cause she'll think that cause you took a DSLR you'll have 100000s of shots that the wedding tog didn't get and since you were a guest, she'll want the files, with copyright free...... or maybe that just happens to me?
 
I take mine, with flash. At most I'd take two primes for low light, compact and light weight shooting.
 
IMHO take it with the fast prime and no flash. keep it simple and have some fun.
 
MagicMynx said:
It depends.....is the bride a bridezilla? If she is....leave it at home. Why? Cause she'll think that cause you took a DSLR you'll have 100000s of shots that the wedding tog didn't get and since you were a guest, she'll want the files, with copyright free...... or maybe that just happens to me?
Click to expand...

She doesn't even need to be a bridezilla. It has become common practice for people to EXPECT their friends to send a disc after a wedding or party, and refusal often offends.

So I agree with MagicMynx' if you are happy to hand over all your images on disc when requested, take your camera....... if you are not, then don't.
 
Hi folks,
I would just like to say thanks for all your advice.

In the end I took the camera with just a 50mm prime. I am glad I did as it was a good chance to get some practice with no flash shooting and utilising just ambient light.
Sometimes it was hard as at 1600 ISO on the 1000D things start to get very grainy but I enjoyed the experience.
 
I am wifeys second shooter at weddings.
if we get invited to weddings as guests, we dont take a camera to the wedding itself.
buti ALWAYS take a camera to the night time do.
a dsic of images always makes a nice extra wedding prezzy.
i bet your glad you did now.
 
I always take mine to weddings now for a couple of reasons.

often the official tog doesnt shoot the evening do, so the bride and groom dont get many pictures of the night do - always nice to give them some of guests in full swing i find

great practice without taking it seriously

its no hassle to bang a small bag in with a flexible lens and stash it under a table out of thw way somewhere. Suppose it could get nicked, but weddings arent hotbeds for criminals i dont think - just dont take the really expensive lens.

the ones ive been to recently, the bride and groom have all been really grateful to get some decent enough quality shots back immediatley afterwards
 
I'm in the same quandary, going to a good friends wedding this coming Saturday at St Lukes Church, Chelsea and then over to the reception at Middle Temple Hall. Now I've not been round that area before and I know its going to be a cracking place for photos and I'm really umming and erring as to whether to take my 500D+50f1.8 (or even my other lenses!!!)
 
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