Wedding Gear?

[travismanley]

I know I must be losing my mind, but I am thinking about shooting a wedding for a friend. Does anyone have any tips on some "must have" gear? Lights, camera, flash, storage, etc? Thanks!

[Forgiss]

Hey Travis,

Wife and I did weddings for a long long time. Here are a few tips:

1. Always wear sunscreen...

seriously though:

2. Back-up... have backups of everything (cameras, lenses, batteries, storage, and an extra photographer if you can)

3. Flash - More is better, to get a more natural look, bounce your flash against ceilings and walls, instead of straight from the front. That requires a bit more oomph

4. Good shoes - you are going to be on your feet for 8-12 hours

5. Water - keep hydrated, if you are hydrated, your brain is hydrated, which means you work better under presure, and your responses are generally faster, and you don't get so tired, and you are generally less iritated. (no alcohol on the day... trust me)

6. Travel light, but don't leave anything at home that you might need. You have to be mobile, and you have to be able to move fast.

7. Don't interfere, it's somebody's wedding, not a photo shoot. Shoot fast, don't take up their time. shoot with long lenses during ceremonies (hide behind flower arangements and potted plants)

8. If you want to buy something, buy a reflector, great for bouncing flash, and adding natural light to a scene

addition to point 2: If you can, take a second photographer. So many things happen in so many places, and even if you run from spot to spot, you will only end up tired, and still miss half of everything.

Hope that makes sense?
 

[travismanley]

Thanks for the great tips Forgiss! I dont think sunscreen will be an issue because the wedding is in March and mostly indoors, but a good tip nonetheless.

What would be a good lighting setup for group shots? I was thinking of using my flash plus one good light if that would be sufficient.

[Forgiss]

What would be a good lighting setup for group shots? I was thinking of using my flash plus one good light if that would be sufficient.

Well... that depends on your set-up mostly.

I tried to remain mobile for  most of the time, and an extra light means set-up and takedown which keeps you away from the action. If you have an assistant, no probs, but even then I'd rather go for two speedlites or 580 Canons (whatever is your flavour) that you slave

Depending on your gear and location, you can bounce from the ceiling at about ISO400 (if indoors) and get a very nice natural feel to the shots.

[Forgiss]

hi Forgiss,
so good to see you here, my friend! 
welcome!

Hahaha... thank you!

[travismanley]

Speedlites would be great but im using an Olympus E-500 and I dont think they are compatible. I have been reading up on some flashes for my camera and the F-50 has some good reviews, but from what I hear the recycle time is still much slower than a speedlight. I can see slow recycle times really being a big pain and could lead to lots of lost shots, but I just cant afford to switch over to Canon or Nikon just yet.

Hopefully I can get away with bouncing my flash off the wall or ceiling, using reflector and boosting my ISO.
Thanks again for the tips!

[Syates]

My 2cents: Visit the location beforehand, if there is a wedding rehearsal take part, try to get the minister/ registrar on your site and allowing you a good position during the ceremony, SY

[travismanley]

I am defiantly going to the rehearsal if I can. It will be a great opportunity to scout the location and take some test shots as well as get a game plan for how the wedding is going to happen.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and I think I am going to take the plunge and get a Canon. I started pricing out all the gear I would need for my Olympus and not only was it way more expensive, the quality just didnt seem as good. I am really concerned about flash performance considering the majority of the wedding will be indoors. Even with the best flash for my Oly the reviews weren't that great and they are like $350, I figure I can get two decent speedlights for a little more.

I just cant get over how much cheaper (less expensive) accessories are available for Canon, I was looking at a 50mm lens for my Oly and it was going to be around $500 and I found a good one for Canon for like $70, thats insane! I have been looking at the Digital Rebel xti, it isnt much better than what I have now but its a start and I then I will have my Oly as a backup.

[Syates]

As you will need a back-up body at all cases for a wedding that seems to me the best approach! But try to get the new camera well before the wedding so that you have time to learn to use it blindfolded, SY

[travismanley]

the wedding is in March and I am meeting with the bride in a few days and hopefully I can confirm that I will be doing the wedding. I figure even if I dont get the new gear 'till after Christmas that still gives me two full months at least to familiarize myself with the new gear. Its not as long as I would like, but it is a good chunk of time.

[GeorgeD]

Couple of days ago I was shooting my first wedding
Well, the main lesson for me was NO ALCOHOL The thing was that I was treated like a GUEST and like a PHOTOGRPAHER, as it was my friend's wedding. Though even in such conditions you should put an accent on being a PHOTOGRAPHER
Also I found it very helpful to have gloves with open fingers for cold weather outdoor shooting - frozen hands won't do any good

[travismanley]

Well, the main lesson for me was NO ALCOHOL

I will have to remember that! An open bar can be a dangerous thing indeed! The last thing I need to do is get tipsy and fall off a step ladder while trying to take a group shot and break my neck, or worse all my cool new gear!

[AKV]

I`m going to shoot my first wedding in December (OMG, it is December already!)
Hope it will be great experience for me. Also I promise to right down some tips about this theme, right when the work will be done!

[travismanley]

I`m going to shoot my first wedding in December (OMG, it is December already!)
Hope it will be great experience for me. Also I promise to right down some tips about this theme, right when the work will be done!

Please take some good notes for me! 

Also, if you dont mind me asking. What kind of gear will you be using? Camera, lenses, flashes, etc.?