Beginner Advice for wedding photography

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Ali
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Hi, need some advice please for wedding photography.

Currently I have a Sony A6000 with a 15-50mm OSS lens.

For prime shots, I’m thinking about purchasing either a 35mm or 50mm F1.8 OSS lens.

Due to low lighting, was thinking either a Nissin i40 or Godox v860ii (may be a bit overkill / too big for camera).

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

 
Never had the nerve myself, been asked a few times.

Advice given by others:
Plenty of spare batteries for everything.
Backup camera/body.

As well as the 'staged' photo's try a few candid shots when people are not posing.

Sorry it's a bit brief but no personal experience, although the last wedding I did attend I got more print request than the official photographer, mainly candid shots.
 
Who are you shooting the wedding for? What are there expectations?

You are going to struggle using a kit lens if it’s the usual dimly lit room normally used for wedding ceremonies.

The 50mm has slow a.f not really ideal for a fast paced wedding, might be okay for some staged portraits.

Flash will likely not be allowed during the ceremony even if it is you shouldn’t it’s very disruptive.

In an ideal world you would want equipment that can cope well with difficult lighting situations as well as having the ability to use it correctly.

In an ideal world you would also want back up equipment so that would mean at least one spare body, spare lenses that cover the same focal length as your main lenses. The usual multiple batteries and spare cards.

Personally these days I wouldn’t like to shoot a wedding on a camera body that only allows for one memory card but have done in the past.

Forgetting the equipment end of things are you ready to shoot a wedding?

How good are you at directing people when needed?

How much portraits experience do you have?

Are you used to working under pressure? Some parts of the day are quite fast paced, have you any similar previous experience that will help you deal with that?

Have you got the couple to sign a contract?

Do you have public liability insurance?
 
All good advice from f2.8.

Use of flash needs care not to kill the atmosphere in a picture - it's often preferable to have fast lenses and a camera with a sensor that produces little noise at high ISO. What sort of image quality would you get shooting indoors at 6400/12800 with your existing kit?
 
Hate to come over all negative, but if youre shooting this as ;the’ photographer, you didn’t ought to be asking ‘beginner’ questions.

If youre a guest - don’t get hung up on the gear and enjoy your day, weddings should be a celebration, not an opportunity to fret about a few photo’s.
 
What Phil said. Add to the above that trying to shoot a wedding with a single camera (+kit lens) is lunacy - unless they are very, very good mates who don't care about photography.
 
I would say take Advice from @f/2.8 and @Phil V
I myself keep seeing similar Threads and try to avoid them as I need to do it myself next August.
My Step daughter is getting married I know they have no chance of affording a Photographer and they Have asked me to do it.
I actually did a similar style thread a while back but was for a 40th birthday party. fortunately I ended up with pneumonia which got me out of it.
I say fortunate due to the fact I would not know most people there and do not interact well with people i don't know i just feel uncomfortable.
For me I think the wedding will be easy as I know nearly everyone there and will find it easy to boss them all about.
I would say from the threads I have seen If you don't know what your doing it is probably best not to do it.
I have friends who are wedding photographers and portrait photographers and they all say you really need to be comfortable controlling and directing people etc.
 
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Just a small sanity check - how can your daughter-in-law be getting married?

Surely that would make her either your future or former daughter-in-law?
 
It is such a small part of the day anyway (the ‘being the boss’), as I try to be invisible most of te time.
For me I think the wedding will be easy as I know nearly everyone there and will find it easy to boss them all about.
But I’m much more comfortable doing it with a group of strangers than people who know me. People who know us see us as ‘shy nephew’ or kid who we teased or colleague who leaves his dirty cup on his desk; strangers accept us as ‘professional photographer’, the correct professional relationship is built automatically, all we need is the self belief to get us there.
 
Hi, need some advice please for wedding photography.

Currently I have a Sony A6000 with a 15-50mm OSS lens.

For prime shots, I’m thinking about purchasing either a 35mm or 50mm F1.8 OSS lens.

Due to low lighting, was thinking either a Nissin i40 or Godox v860ii (may be a bit overkill / too big for camera).

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.


I asked nearly the same question a while ago and got some great advice here LINKY I have never shot a wedding in my life, but what I do think will help is you will have to be confident in taking images of people. As far as I know you as the wedding photographer HAVE to be in charge and tell folk where to stand and NOT let them tell you. The wedding I have been asked to shoot is for a friend and she knows I`m not a pro at all, but she does know I`m very confident in taking people photos.
 
I have never shot a wedding in my life, but what I do think will help is you will have to be confident in taking images of people. As far as I know you as the wedding photographer HAVE to be in charge and tell folk where to stand and NOT let them tell you.

I'm not loud or assertive, so I would hijack the best man to help get the larger groups of people together for the needed sets of photos.
 
Also another thing to remember is, yes take photos of the wedding BUT also remember to take photos of other things too. Like close up shots of the rings and get shots of the flowers, and if you can then use two cameras. OH and shoot in Raw too, as you will have to edit photos.
 
Wedding photography is a large part organiser and crowd control. You have to get the people where YOU want them, not the bar ;). The actuall photography bit is more about you needing to be totally familar with your gear and switch setting without having to think about. Dont forget spare gear. And working in low light.
You have the brides house first. Usually total chaos with 23 people jammed into a room that appears to have had a few dustbins emptied into it. Here you have to get nice shots of the dress (take a proper coathanger not the plastic rubbish) and shots of the bride getting hair, makeup and dressed.
The Church/wedding venue. Here you'll be dealing with often no lighting (think black hole of Calcutta and your close) akwardly placed flowers and a vicar/official who doesn't want you taking photos or if your lucky just not using flash (dont photograph the register signing, set up a fake after, they'll have a tilt if you shoot the actually signing)
Then theres setting up the groups, who goes where, making them look good, checking ties are done up and pocket flaps out... and no pint glasses. Plus of course getting them out of the bar. Have a plan for where and how you'll shoot if it's chucking it down with rain.
Couple shots. This is the point you take the couple off on your own. Take a bridesmaid or best man to help carrythe flowers etc. Here your posing them and getting the serious shots that'll hang on the wall, depending on the venue this can be easy or a nightmate, tell the couple it's time for them to chill out a bit too, try to have a bit of fun with them at this point too.
The wedding "breakfast" or bunfight as I like to call it comes next. Here the speeches will be done in the semi dark with a mirror behind the top table. This seems to be the trend. Things happen fast here, brides crying, best men getting kissed or punched, anything goes, but it's quick.
The last part is the first dance. Again, darkess seems the in thing, if theres DJ lighting it'll be multi coloured and quite possible laser (so dont get it in the lens, some can burn a sensor) and all over the place.

There! how easy was that... now a few days editing and job done.... :exit:
 
And don't forget rolling up to a wedding and finding out the groom and best man got into a punch up the night before with both sporting cut lips and black eyes - the wedding where the mother of the bride was screaming at the groom "I hope you're proud of yourself you bas***d"! - the wedding where both families hated each other and the bride was almost in tears - etc etc.
I always found it very handy to introduce myself to the priest/vicar presiding and ask first of all if he permitted pictures in the church - I found most were helpful but would spcify when - don't ever try to go against them - one priest I knew was renowned for never allowing photographs in the church, but once he knew he could trust me he allowed 3 altogether - one at the alter, one pretending to sign the register and one walking down the aisle.
On one occasion when it was pouring with rain outside, after the ceremony was over, he announced from the front of the church that since the weather was so bad, if the photographer (me) wished to take photos in the church that was fine.
So politeness to those in charge really does work.
 
Are you a guest??? If so, REFUSE!

If you're a beginner. REFUSE!

Too many expectations so easily unfulfilled. If you are only there just to take additional photos then you are ok, But if you are the prime photographer, the pressure will be too great....
 
You need two cameras, loads of batteries and loads of memory cards. My first weddings was for a friend and was going to do it for nothing, but they bunged me £150. I had one camera, Nikon D3000, just the flash on the camera, and out of my depth. But got through, they liked the images and I went from there, and learnt so much from that first wedding. I now shoot mainly in black and white, four cameras and I am a pure documentary photographer, so no orchestration at all, but minimal formals, they take 5 mins! People book me for my images and it's taken me a while to get here, but it's worth it, but you have to start somewhere.
 
Due to low lighting, was thinking either a Nissin i40 or Godox v860ii (may be a bit overkill / too big for camera).

I've not used the Nissin, but can certainly recommend Godox, I had the 850, and it'll last me all day! Recharges really quick too. It's finally failed after years of abuse, so I'm looking to upgrade to the 860II. Hope this helps, good luck with the wedding.

EDIT - Hmm... looks like I'm about a year late for this haha. Hope it all went well.
 
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