Baby's Christening Advice Please

[SEPkent]

Never done this before!!!! Any advice would be greatfully recieved. Many thanks.

 

[mmcp42]

ask the vicar/priest if he/she has any restrictions

if permitted - off-camera flash, with another guest holding a reflector

?polariser for shots of water in the font?

 

[Scotty B]

Doubt you'll be allowed flash or anything like reflectors.

Fast glass is the key, 50mm 1.8 would be ideal.

 

[david1701]

following htis my sis is 8 months pregnant and i'm waiting for it

 

[wingnut]

I have done a few christenings now and everyone has been stricter than a wedding due to the more religious aspect of the event. I was only allowed to shoot a few shots during the actual christening with no flash allowed or af beep. Typically the shurch was badly lite and requires my Canon 50mm prime wide open at f/1.8 with iso ramped up to 1600 just to get a few shots in the church during. Most of the shots were after at the party.

My advice would be get some fast glass, and speak to the person who is in charge of the service, see what their wishes are, one other thing you will have to remember that unlike a wedding where 95% of the people in the church are their for that service only and expecting to see a wedding tog, at a christening it is performed as part of a normal Sunday communion so it will be filled with members of the general public and you will have to respect their wishes too.

 

[david1701]

cheers wingnut, I think she's getting a seperate service (maybe) but I was planning on low light luckily I can get above iso 2000 without too much noise

 

[V8burble]

It depends how lucky you are with window positions and the weather too. But as said, the fastest glass you have f/1.4 or f/1.8 and watch your shutter speed to keep the ISO under what your camera body is happy with. Some Vicars allow cameras throughout, some before and after, some allow flash... best bet is to talk to him first. Also secure a few shots outside or near a window just in case.

 

[Merovingian]

at a christening it is performed as part of a normal Sunday communion so it will be filled with members of the general public.

The aspect of this, at least in my experience, is that often christenings are shared. So the whole thing is time pressured, leaving you having to consider the other child/family being christened.