Wedding. Lake District. Awesomeness.

You know, I'm about to purchase lots of Nikon kit and I've really been wondering if perhaps primes are the way to go? I suspect there could be a lot more skill required but in time that can be acquired, hopefully. What's your thoughts on going all primes vs zooms?
 
It very much depends on your style and intended use.

The speed (extra two stops from 2.8 to 1.4) of the primes is invaluable to me, and when you whack a prime on, you know it's strengths and weaknesses and automatically go into the shooting mode that suits, which I find creatively empowering.

I use two bodies, and depending on the available space, pair 24+50 or 35+85 (generally).

I could quite easily shoot an entire wedding at either 35 or 50. Exceedingly versatile.

Perhaps start off with a 24-70 and 50/1.8. The nifty fifty is an absolute gem/bargain. If you're getting a 1.6 crop factor body, grab a 35mm as it will translate to 50.
 
Richard King said:
It's a great set. However I feel the posed and the un-posed shots are working against each other, and in a way the un-posed work has a lighter touch and feels more natural in terms of flow. I guess that's your preferred shooting style.

Whilst you get a list from the couple of the formal shots, and like me of course you shoot them, you may want to consider leaving them out of the storyboards, or editing them out after a few weeks have passed. There seems to be a great concentration on the harpist, and the guy mowing the lawn. In saying that, I find it really hard to "edit out" too
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I reconsidered your post - and agree. I removed two photos from the storyboard (tilt group formal and standard framed B&G kiss). I don't usually include formals, and assumed you meant the B&G portraits. No idea why I included those two this time around. Thanks! :¬)

Clown - just checked out Ashley - very nice. Love her website! Cheers.
 
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theurbanclown said:
Not a problem.

I had a look through your website and the Lake District stuff is the best of your work today I'd say. It's a cut above anything else you've done - a compliment to the Lake District one rather than a dig at the other work.
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Thank you - and I agree, this wedding was the start of a creative push towards combining photojournalism and artistic style. Two more weddings to finish processing from that busy weekend using the same principles, and all others will follow the same route as it's the way I love to work.

Edit: actually, the Quendon Hall wedding was the start, the Lakes wedding followed that.
 
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Love the photos and your style of photography. Would love to start using primes more but need to get a lot better at shooting with such a small DOF. What technique do you use as when I focus and recompose they are very often just off, I don't trust using all of the auto focus points - do you shoot then crop in post?
 
These are very nice IMO. I would only echo the comments about maybe too much focus on incidental stuff. I know you are trying to set the scene and it works well but maybe the balance is a little off - too many landscapes etc at first for me.
 
Eighth Avenue said:
Love the photos and your style of photography. Would love to start using primes more but need to get a lot better at shooting with such a small DOF. What technique do you use as when I focus and recompose they are very often just off, I don't trust using all of the auto focus points - do you shoot then crop in post?
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Cheers. 90% of the time I pre-select the focus poing before the camera has made it to my eye (with Nikon you can reset to center focus point by pressing the D pad middle button, then from there you know where to move the point to), combined with AF-C (continual focus). Not sure how well that would work with Canon, or non-pro Nikon bodies.

Only ever use focus and recompose if the framing is more extreme - and in that case I select the focus point which is closest to the subject (to lessen the re-compose loss of focus).

grum said:
These are very nice IMO. I would only echo the comments about maybe too much focus on incidental stuff. I know you are trying to set the scene and it works well but maybe the balance is a little off - too many landscapes etc at first for me.
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Thanks dude. Opposite here though, I love the landscapes.

First one shows the venue, the second the view from the rooftop. In such a stunning location, not including those would be missing a trick (in my opinion of course)! :¬)
 
The first one is great IMO and nicely sets the scene, but the shot of the sign, the other landscape view and the shot of the gardener are a bit superfluous. A closer shot of the outside of the venue might have been better IMO.

All a matter of opinion of course and I'm only being picky.
 
grum said:
The first one is great IMO and nicely sets the scene, but the shot of the sign, the other landscape view and the shot of the gardener are a bit superfluous. A closer shot of the outside of the venue might have been better IMO.

All a matter of opinion of course and I'm only being picky.
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No worries dude, it's the way it works!

Two examples:

1. Someone here said its great as a storyboard, with no particular standout images. Others said they find each shot artistic.

2. You mention the moving shots being superfluous, while just yesterday at the wedding the brides mother said that was one of her favourites from the storyboard!

You can't please everyone, which is why you must always do your own thing :¬)
 
CaptainPenguin said:
Mostly not my cup of tea because I like shots that shout Wedding at me however no 3 with the brollies is a very clever set up and i like it a lot
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have to agree with captain penguin its just like marmite :thumbsdown:
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
it would be a bad thing if we all agreed about everything
 
rdh said:
Not at all - I was agreeing that we're all different; someone's rubbish is another's gold :¬)
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sorry mate i never done latin at school(y)
thats why i get paid from the neck down :clap:
 
I thought those movement shots were great. What technique do you use - flash with slow shutter speed? I'd like to give it a try.
 
Dragging the shutter (rear synch). There's no single formula, it depends entirely on ambient light. I use f4 to f5 and set shutter depending on the amount of light to let in (try 1/10th).

When using flash, remember that every time you increase the ISO (by one stop), you effectively half battery consumption (less power needed from flash to get same amont of light on sensor).

I shoot at ISO 800 to 1200 with D3s for dance floor shots.
 
rdh said:
Cheers. 90% of the time I pre-select the focus poing before the camera has made it to my eye (with Nikon you can reset to center focus point by pressing the D pad middle button, then from there you know where to move the point to), combined with AF-C (continual focus). Not sure how well that would work with Canon, or non-pro Nikon bodies.
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Just now realised you can do that with Canon cameras :) Thanks
 
Love the style; you've captured the story of the day brilliantly; will go back to view again! (y)
 
Loved the storyboard idea, loved the images, loved the style. Excellent!
 
On the whole I generally like the whole set.... couple of little "niggles" for me.... some very creative stuff and far better than I could do.

The ones where B&G are tiny against the whole background - would prefer to see all of B&G in shot rather than bisected at the waist. :shrug:

The shallow depth of field seems to be your style. I think if I was the G I'd prefer more of a mix of shallow and deeper depth of field, or was it a "byproduct" of having to shoot wide open in a dark location?

Lastly I noticed that the B&G have not seen these yet, as still on their honeymoon. Were they aware beforehand that would by a lot on your blog prior to them seeing them? I know a lot of wedding togs on here, put a couple of "sneek previews" but 160 pics seems a lot. :shrug:


Anyhow a good set, and I'll keep an eye out for more from you.
 
Thanks Jamo.

Lynton, the full delivered set (700 pics) has variations in which the full bodies are in. The storyboard are my personal choices. They've seen the storyboard now, and knew it would be online before they returned.

In fact, I've not ever encountered a B&G who were fussy about them being online before they got back, as most check while on holiday, and make a night out of it.

Shallow depth of field is how I roll 90% of the time (unless focus is needed for secondary subject) :¬)
 
rdh said:
Thanks Jamo.

Lynton, the full delivered set (700 pics) has variations in which the full bodies are in. The storyboard are my personal choices. They've seen the storyboard now, and knew it would be online before they returned.

In fact, I've not ever encountered a B&G who were fussy about them being online before they got back, as most check while on holiday, and make a night out of it.

Shallow depth of field is how I roll 90% of the time (unless focus is needed for secondary subject) :¬)
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Fair enough and thanks for the reply. Some real crackers there by the way.
 
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