Wedding Photography - equipment

TheRightMoments

TheRightMoments

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Name
Helen
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Hi peeps

Im interested to know all the equipment you wedding photographers use?

So many people use different stuff id like to know what is best.......:shrug:
 
solid reliable bodies and fast lenses. And reputable CF cards and batteries. Reliability is the key. Equipment is a personal preference, so not really going to help you knowing what others use. Think what it is you want to achieve, then choose accordingly. That's all that matters.
 
Pretty much any of the pro or semi pro bodies will do the job, many wedding photographers prefer a full frame camera like the Nikon D700/D3 ot the Canon 5D/5D2 but many others shoot with all sorts of cameras, the gear is less important than knowing what your doing.
 
I never know wether to go for an external flash or not?
Sometimes i think yes when ive used it and sometimes i think no. My camera flash is sometimes just as good.

What would be the best wide angle lens to get good Group shots?

I use a Canon EOS 500D.
 
Hi Helen, I would also suggest, as well as all your camera equipment, you always take a roll of white cotton and a needle and plenty of pins.

There are sometimes accidents, when the Brides dress may get a tear in it, hence the needle and cotton.

The pins, are for windy days, when you don't want the dress blowing all over the place, you can pin it in the grass or anywhere suitable otherwise a few stones to hold it down. (y)
 
TheRightMoments said:
Wow thats a lot of equipment you use there.....hope you have someone to carry it around for you!! :LOL:

I have to say tho looking around on your site - your photos are pretty good :clap:(y)
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I wish that was my site :)
 
TheRightMoments said:
I never know wether to go for an external flash or not?
Sometimes i think yes when ive used it and sometimes i think no. My camera flash is sometimes just as good.
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I can't think of any possible situation where an on camera flash is as good as an external flash. On camera flash is generally awful and certainly not to be used at a wedding.

The only thing I have ever used my on camera flash for in an actual shoot is in commander mode to trigger external flashes and that was only because the batteries had gone in my radio triggers.

Get an external flash!!!!!!! No questions, just do it!!!!
 
swanseamale47 said:
Pretty much any of the pro or semi pro bodies will do the job, many wedding photographers prefer a full frame camera like the Nikon D700/D3 ot the Canon 5D/5D2 but many others shoot with all sorts of cameras, the gear is less important than knowing what your doing.
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Thanks god somebody else pointing out that the greatest kit in the world wont make up for a lack of talent
 
TheRightMoments said:
I never know wether to go for an external flash or not?
Sometimes i think yes when ive used it and sometimes i think no. My camera flash is sometimes just as good.

What would be the best wide angle lens to get good Group shots?

I use a Canon EOS 500D.
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If you really can't see the rubbish light that the inbuilt flash produces you should ask yourself if you're ready to be contemplating shooting a wedding.

I'm not generally one to chuck straight in with negative vibes, but ........

We use camera mounted speedlights bounced off anything handy, with the option of light stands radio triggers and studio flash if required.

My group shots are generally shot on the 17-55 but I keep a 10-20 in case things get tight. (that's on a Canon crop).
 
The speed of lenses is denoted by an ‘f’ number, which indicates its widest aperture. Fast professional zoom lenses are f/2.8 with f/4 being acceptable. Cheap consumer lenses will be slower and of lower quality – not what you want for your wedding photos!
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This is a good quote from the article (I'm reading these wedding threads with interest as I will be photographing my first soon, in case I hadn't mentioned it enough times already ;) )

I also have a 500D with the 18-55 IS (will have switched my non-IS lens by then), 75-300 f4 (but not really planning on using it if I don't have too, it's not the sharpest lens), 100 f2.8 and my nifty-fifty (f2.5) and a little speedlite (270ex) - I know it's not the best kit but I am hoping I can do justice to the couple by reading all the tips on TP and checking out the venues and reading up on all the pitfalls that may accompany those particular places
 
Not that it is really about the kit, however you asked.

Cameras: 5DmkII, 5D, 7D (backup), 1DmkIII (backup), 500D (if my wife is shooting 2nd).

Lenses: Canon 24-105 f4, Canon 70-200mm f2.8, Sigma 50mm f1.4, Canon 85mm f1.8, Sigma 24-70 f2.8 (backup), Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 (backup), Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 (backup I like a long f2.8 so if I lose the Canon this would come into play but kill me weight wise after while).

Lighting: Canon 580EXII, Canon 580EX, Canon 430EX. 2 light stands and umbrellas, remote triggers, selection of reflectors (for daylight use).

Now, I'm fortunate, I was a single man with a great job so just bought many toys over the years, and the listed is what goes to the wedding now everything I have..... and lots of that listed stays in the car to be grabbed if I need it. I always have 1 spare of everything needed near by though as I can't afford to lose time shooting. That is exactly what I would say to those of you shooting a wedding or any event as main photographer, have at least one backup of everything you must have to do the job you are contracted to do.

All the kit is nothing without skill, but also, skill without the right kit to allow you to shoot in the conditions presented to you (dark hole of a church for example) or the creative style you advertise (e.g. shallow depth of field) doesn't work.

I agree with the above that being able to see and understand light is massively key to shooting someones special day, our job as a photographer is to make someone look their best and to do that you need to create thinning shape (every bride I've ever worked with wants to look thinner).

I will leave it there as I've gone on a little but we shouldn't take lightly the importance of doing a good job and the damage that doing a bad job can do.
 
Oh i totally agree about getting the light right (not one of my strongest points i have to say tho), and like you say its not all about the kit but having the right kit does help!!

I have an external flash and have never used my on camera flash for weddings before but i have used it in other situations and it was good (for a change). My flash however is not very good as it is a hand-me down so i do need to get a new one but when i have looked for Canon, there are loads to choose from......can anyone tell me which of the Canon flashes is the best one to get?? At the moment i do not have a great deal of money as im still quite new to this business stuff, only started my business a little while ago!
 
You should go for the 580exII if you're looking for a new flash or if you want to gamble on 2nd hand a 550ex is a great buy.

They'll work as a master or slave with their own remote system
 
Although I'm still not sure how you can contemplate charging for wedding photography when:
TheRightMoments said:
Oh i totally agree about getting the light right (not one of my strongest points i have to say tho), snip

have never used my on camera flash for weddings before but i have used it in other situations and it was good (for a change). snip im still quite new to this business stuff, only started my business a little while ago!
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As I said in my first post; Quality rather than quantity of Light is of paramount importance in photography.

If you haven't yet learned how to capture, or create good lighting then you should possibly rethink your 'little business' until you've got that technique under your belt.

Reading between the lines you're struggling with exposure values with your flash, this is basic stuff and puts you so far away from where I think you ought to be.

Just a few other points for you to think about (bare minimum):
Backup camera
Backup std zoom
Backup flash
insurance (for when even the backup plans prove to be insufficient)
spare batteries for all of the above
a robust memory card routine
backup plan (inc off-site) for all your customers files.

The above being a bare minimum, I'd really recommend that you have a reasonable quality of backup for all your gear, not necessarily a complete redundant kit; for instance I can get away with either my 90mm Macro lens or an 85mm portrait lens if my 70-200 craps out, the 24-70 focusses pretty close so it'll fill in for the Macro, the 7d will fire Off Camera Flash without the pocket wizards or main flash needed etc. But more and better kit is always in the plans.

I apologise if I've assumed the worst and I'm way off the mark, but this is all the information I could glean from your posts.
 
Phil V said:
Although I'm still not sure how you can contemplate charging for wedding photography when:

As I said in my first post; Quality rather than quantity of Light is of paramount importance in photography.

If you haven't yet learned how to capture, or create good lighting then you should possibly rethink your 'little business' until you've got that technique under your belt.

Reading between the lines you're struggling with exposure values with your flash, this is basic stuff and puts you so far away from where I think you ought to be.

Just a few other points for you to think about (bare minimum):
Backup camera
Backup std zoom
Backup flash
insurance (for when even the backup plans prove to be insufficient)
spare batteries for all of the above
a robust memory card routine
backup plan (inc off-site) for all your customers files.

The above being a bare minimum, I'd really recommend that you have a reasonable quality of backup for all your gear, not necessarily a complete redundant kit; for instance I can get away with either my 90mm Macro lens or an 85mm portrait lens if my 70-200 craps out, the 24-70 focusses pretty close so it'll fill in for the Macro, the 7d will fire Off Camera Flash without the pocket wizards or main flash needed etc. But more and better kit is always in the plans.

I apologise if I've assumed the worst and I'm way off the mark, but this is all the information I could glean from your posts.
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Comments taken on board but i do have insurance and back up gear - just looking to upgrade my gear like everyone does at some point.

I have been doing photography for quite a while just never had a business name as such or a website.

Why dont you have a look on my website at some of my work and then on to my facebook page (link from website) and see for your self - all i said was that lighting isnt my strongest point - i didnt say i was crap!!! ;)
 
I've had a look at your wedding images and there are some glaring errors some of which are easy to fix and some that just need more work and awareness.

White balance, there is no excuse for having images on your website that have not been corrected for colour balance. i'm sure that cake was not yellow. Go through them and change them. You are telling your client that quite frankly you cannot be arsed to get the cake shot right. So why are they going to hire you with that message?

You have a lot of images with the couple not looking anywhere near you. This tells me it's not your wedding and you shot them either as a second or as a guest. That's not going to get you any business either. Were you shooting the wedding or not becuase this tells me you were not.

Lighting. Now you do say you struggle with this and yes it is difficult and there is a lot to learn about lighting well. But you need to do it as do we all. Get yourself some training on this specific subject, it will pay for itself ten time over because if you don't address it the ability to see light will not magically appear.

You don't need good kit to take good images. What is letting you down is a working knowledge of colour balance, composition (chopped off dress and couple looking the wrong way being examples) and lighting. The first two are easier to fix and you should be doing that right now and reloading those images the third will need work and time and practice.
 
TheRightMoments said:
Hi peeps

Im interested to know all the equipment you wedding photographers use?

So many people use different stuff id like to know what is best.......:shrug:
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It's not about the gear, its knowing what you want to shoot, and how you want to shoot it... Once you have figured that out, you will know what gear you want. It's also about your style. Do you shoot formal or candid? Do you add to the photo or not, do you always shoot the evening party, or leave after the speeches? Do you shoot everything with a blurred background, or do you mix it up? etc. etc. Example - I am a along distance sniper type, so I often use a lens longer than most wedding photographers. If you shoot a lot of formal and very little candid stuff, there will be no need for that lens to be in your bag

That's not a horrible answer, For some weddings I take 2 cameras with 2 lenses and a memory card in each. Others I take a car full of gear. I look at the day and weigh it up. If I am not sure, the gear for the bit I am not sure about goes in the car

Any half decent wedding photographer will shoot a cracking set of shots, using any gear you put in front of them. They can do that because they know what to do, and they figure the limits of the gear/themselves and adapt accordingly
 
TheRightMoments said:
Comments taken on board but i do have insurance and back up gear - just looking to upgrade my gear like everyone does at some point.

I have been doing photography for quite a while just never had a business name as such or a website.

Why dont you have a look on my website at some of my work and then on to my facebook page (link from website) and see for your self - all i said was that lighting isnt my strongest point - i didnt say i was crap!!! ;)
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I never offered critique of your work because you never asked for it, - it's you who was saying that you have no understanding of light (as a photographer, that's not a resounding recommendation).

Photography is about light and we can prove that with a short exercise - Find 10 fabulous wedding images on the internet - 10 absolute stunners - that really grab you.






When you examine those images, I'm going to bet that the light is awesome, or that they're truly emotional and the light is OK.


I'll bet next years takings that none of them are lit badly (or with a built in flash). If you're not aspiring to be that good, what is it that you are wanting to get out of your photography?

When I see a stunning image, I wish I'd taken it :crying:

When I look at other photographers work I study the composition, the light and the motivation. Some wedding photographers are brilliant fashion photographers - I admire them and might love their work, but I have no desire to be like them. Some are awesome photojournalists, I study them more closely because that's my favoured style. Some wedding photographers have no artistic merit whatsoever - this won't necessarily stop them being successful business people.;)

We all start somewhere, and the first step to wards getting better is realising that we need to learn.
 
Phil V said:
We all start somewhere, and the first step to wards getting better is realising that we need to learn.
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I never said im not needing to learn, thats why im here (y) There is no person in the world that knows it all and doesnt need to learn (not even the experts in the game)

I also never said that i had no understanding of light - i just said it wasnt my strongest point. Im sure everyone has weak points ;)

I never said i was an expert photographer either - because im very far from it, but like you have said we all start somewhere. I have never had any complaints about my photography and the jobs i have done (which isnt a huge number) have been really happy and i get lots of compliments on my photos (even from other photographers believe it or not :LOL:).

My website builder does not make any of my pictures look like they do in my profolio and the quality looks rubbish (some look scanned in to me - dont know what you all think) but i dont know how to over come this - i have told them that im not happy with the quality but they say its because they on the web. Im far from a computer expert so any ideas on that would be great? Im also not an expert on photoshop as i dont use it very offten - whats the point in trying to take good pictures only to change them?? only thing i like to do on there is a bit of B&W with splashes of colour, sometimes a bit of cropping and the occasional colour fix.

I look at other photographers work all the time and wish it was mine but i also look at other photographers work and think to myself thats nothing special .

I would also like to point out that i dont use my On Camera flash for weddings - i have an external flash, i have however used it in other situations and it has been fine for the job. I dont see that as being a problem :shrug:

Can i ask then, is it not good to put up pictures taken by a 2nd photographer??
 
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I have now had some pictures removed from my website that were 2nd photographer ones.

Also i have asked for a meeting with the website builder to find out about taking over myself - im sure i can do it - cant be that hard can???? :shrug:
 
TheRightMoments said:
-snip-
Can i ask then, is it not good to put up pictures taken by a 2nd photographer??
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I don't understand the question.
Either:
Is it not OK to put up pictures from shoots I was hired for but were taken by a 2nd shooter?
This is perfectly fine and should be covered in your agreement with the 2nd. These are jobs you were hired for and the shots would be a representation of what your company provided.
OR:
Is it not OK to put up pictures I shot whilst acting as a 2nd shooter?
Legally this is down to the agreement that you have with the contracted shooter - if it was me I'd allow it.:)
Artistically, it's not generally good to post shots where the subject isn't engaged with the viewer, it's OK if the subject is looking wistfully into the distance, but not when they're clearly engaged with another photographer just off to your left.;) We don't make photographs simply by pointing a camera at an object and getting the focus and exposure right, portraits are about the relationship between the subjects or the relationship between the subject and viewer.

Please don't see my previous post as a criticism, but as Ali has said, your appreciation of light needs some work. Spend some time studying some great work - it's OK for the ego to have a look at some mediocre work and to think we're doing OK, but really we only improve by aspiring to be as good as those whose work we admire. We don't make great photo's by spot colouring ordinary photo's or simply desaturating them. Great photo's are created at the concept stage, lighting, composition, story. Great photo's have all 3 of these ingredients, photographs with 2 of the ingredients will be good, with only 1 or none - the work will be ordinary at best.

Have a look on the wedding threads for work by Simon Revill or Guy Collier, they have totally different styles of photography, but the way that they use light is brilliant. Simon uses flash techniques to create dramatic light, and Guy finds beautiful natural light to tell his story. This proves that it's not gear, or a particular technique that's right or wrong, but you need to understand what it is you're aiming to do before you lift the camera to your eye.
 
im in a slightly different camp because i think solid kit is extremely important. I shoot mainly asian weddings that are hectic 120mph affairs, and sometimes I look at my images and they are taken within 1-2 seconds of each other (even sooner) and the B&G put both into albums. To that end and in relation to your original question, I have the following at my disposal:

2 x 5DMKII's
2 x 5D's
2 x 24-70 2.8 L
2 x 85mm 1.8
1 x 17-40L
1 x 50mm 1.4
1 x 70-200 2.8 IS
4 x 430EXII
about 60gigs worth of cards, 30 AA batteries, umbrellas, softboxes, stands and a tripod.

Having pro level equipment allows me to get the most out of the light, I can take shots in split seconds because my bodies and lens focus extremely quickly, I can shoot wide open and get a good degree of sharpness from all my lens. My 430EXII's will recycle almost instanteously, so I can shoot a burst if required.

Was all of this required 20 years ago? Probably not, but the clients expectations were different back then and you weren't expected to deliver 80-150 keepers per event.

Having taken a look at your website, I too concur with the views above that you've got some way to go. This stage is very important, its about letting your guard down and taking on board all the helpful critique and guidance you can get. You will find yourself as a photographer a lot better this way. I am still a long way off the mark myself, but taking it on the chin helped me get from a complete novice (my first thread on TP is framed on my wall at home, to keep me motivated) to comfortably getting booked week after week. It's a long road, but it does pay off eventually.
 
hsuffyan said:
im in a slightly different camp because i think solid kit is extremely important. I shoot mainly asian weddings that are hectic 120mph affairs, and sometimes I look at my images and they are taken within 1-2 seconds of each other (even sooner) and the B&G put both into albums. To that end and in relation to your original question, I have the following at my disposal:

2 x 5DMKII's
2 x 5D's
2 x 24-70 2.8 L
2 x 85mm 1.8
1 x 17-40L
1 x 50mm 1.4
1 x 70-200 2.8 IS
4 x 430EXII
about 60gigs worth of cards, 30 AA batteries, umbrellas, softboxes, stands and a tripod.

Having pro level equipment allows me to get the most out of the light, I can take shots in split seconds because my bodies and lens focus extremely quickly, I can shoot wide open and get a good degree of sharpness from all my lens. My 430EXII's will recycle almost instanteously, so I can shoot a burst if required.

Was all of this required 20 years ago? Probably not, but the clients expectations were different back then and you weren't expected to deliver 80-150 keepers per event.

Having taken a look at your website, I too concur with the views above that you've got some way to go. This stage is very important, its about letting your guard down and taking on board all the helpful critique and guidance you can get. You will find yourself as a photographer a lot better this way. I am still a long way off the mark myself, but taking it on the chin helped me get from a complete novice (my first thread on TP is framed on my wall at home, to keep me motivated) to comfortably getting booked week after week. It's a long road, but it does pay off eventually.
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I know i have a very long way to go, im no where near where i would like to be.....unfortunatly i like to run before i can walk!!!!! :bonk::bonk:

I would really like to tag along with someone better for a couple days and watch but finding someone to do that with is impossible down here in Cornwall (unless anyone here can help me!) Ive not had any help from anyone on this so i have just done it all myself - i have asked but no-one is willing. I thought if i dont do something about it then it will never happen.
 
TheRightMoments said:
I know i have a very long way to go, im no where near where i would like to be.....unfortunatly i like to run before i can walk!!!!! :bonk::bonk:

I would really like to tag along with someone better for a couple days and watch but finding someone to do that with is impossible down here in Cornwall (unless anyone here can help me!) Ive not had any help from anyone on this so i have just done it all myself - i have asked but no-one is willing. I thought if i dont do something about it then it will never happen.
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You are clearly very passionate about photography and have a desire to learn, which are excellent traits to have and will get you there.

Unfortunately, many newcomers to wedding photography fall into the mindset that they need to tag along or see another photographer in action in order to learn. In my opinion that is completely the wrong approach as you can easily observe the photographer but you won't understand their thought process and that is what gets a shot and everything you see will be a consequence of that thought process. This is why many photographers don't take up peoples offers to assist them or tag along as it's not a workshop, but a live paid event that carries its own demands and risks.

Whilst I wouldn't consider myself as one of the best wedding photographers on the forum, I feel I am at a stage where I can stand up and show my work quite proudly. To this day I've never assisted anyone at a wedding, I've just taken it upon myself to learn about exposure, composition and lighting. The resources are all out there, don't let the lack of assisting opportunities get in your way (y)
 
hsuffyan said:
You are clearly very passionate about photography and have a desire to learn, which are excellent traits to have and will get you there.

Unfortunately, many newcomers to wedding photography fall into the mindset that they need to tag along or see another photographer in action in order to learn. In my opinion that is completely the wrong approach as you can easily observe the photographer but you won't understand their thought process and that is what gets a shot and everything you see will be a consequence of that thought process. This is why many photographers don't take up peoples offers to assist them or tag along as it's not a workshop, but a live paid event that carries its own demands and risks.

Whilst I wouldn't consider myself as one of the best wedding photographers on the forum, I feel I am at a stage where I can stand up and show my work quite proudly. To this day I've never assisted anyone at a wedding, I've just taken it upon myself to learn about exposure, composition and lighting. The resources are all out there, don't let the lack of assisting opportunities get in your way (y)
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Thank you very much (y)

This is part of the reason why i started doing weddings - i have my ideas in my head of what i want from the photos and also what the B&G want from the photos (following a couple of meetings with them).

I read a lot of books and look on the internet (and get some great ideas from here) and then go out and do it. Im a very hands on learner and find i learn best by just getting on and doing it. I always have my camera with me and try to photograph as much as possible playing around with all different settings.

But when i hear people saying you should never do that, how can you call yourself a photographer etc, it puts me down and i start to doubt myself :nono:
 
Look at other peoples stuff, see what you like and what you don`t, ingest that and develop your own style. Being different from the norm is unusual and could well pay dividends.

There are some rules that should not be broken, but plenty that need bending. Put your ideas into practice beforehand with some testing on models, if you like the results ,great, if not, nothing is lost.

Don`t let other people get you down, go for it and best of luck.
 
fracster said:
Look at other peoples stuff, see what you like and what you don`t, ingest that and develop your own style. Being different from the norm is unusual and could well pay dividends.

There are some rules that should not be broken, but plenty that need bending. Put your ideas into practice beforehand with some testing on models, if you like the results ,great, if not, nothing is lost.

Don`t let other people get you down, go for it and best of luck.
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Thats pretty much what i do and thankfully i have lots of willing friends that will be my crash test dummies!!!! :clap::clap:

Thank you (y)
 
Hi Helen,

as always with contentious issues on the forum (weddings being a classic example!) - there will always be people willing to give you advice and tips, sometimes in a friendly fashion and sometimes not so much. but posting things like
Oh i totally agree about getting the light right (not one of my strongest points i have to say tho)
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is like a red rag to a bull considering photography IS light; saying controlling light is not your strongest point is like saying you're a photographer but taking photos isn't your strongest point!


That said, you seem incredibly willing to learn and get things right and that above all else should give you the motivation to go out and be a great photographer. The biggest sticking point I see to people not fulfilling their potential is the fact they think they have already filled their potential and they don't need to improve. I have only shot a few weddings, but I have started to get many more bookings based on these (thankfully), but this is down to a mix of mostly hardwork and listening to people who give you advice - even if it's not what you want to hear at that moment. Of course you need the right equipment in the right situation, and you need to be able to look at a scene differently in terms of it's merits for composition and lighting, but these also come with time and practice.

This book is never far away from my camera bag, in fact it lives there - it not only teaches you about posing, which is incredibly important for weddings, but it also talks about lighting and how to find the best light, and what to do with it once you've found it. it's also very handily packaged and fits into your pocket

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wedding-Photography-Posing-David-Pearce/dp/0956546307

FWIW my equipment is:

2 x speedlights, 2 x umbrellas
nikon D700
24-70 2.8
70-200 2.8
50mm 1.4

d300 second camera which i hire for the time being.

top of the hitlist: 14-24mm 2.8 to complete the holy trinity ;)

good luck!
 
well i'm shooting one on monday with a 20D and a 450D - but i'm not getting paid for that.

If i was getting paid i'd probably hire a 5Dmk2 and use the 450 as back up

(my intention is to upgrade my kit to a 7D and a 5D2 when i can afford it)
 
big soft moose said:
well i'm shooting one on monday with a 20D and a 450D - but i'm not getting paid for that.

If i was getting paid i'd probably hire a 5Dmk2 and use the 450 as back up

(my intention is to upgrade my kit to a 7D and a 5D2 when i can afford it)
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Those cameras are plenty good enough to shoot a wedding. It's utter nonsense to suggest that old gear is useless. I'd rather have a 20d and a 17-55 2.8 than a 7d and an 18-55is.
If I could afford a couple of 5d ii's and a 24-70L, I'd go for it though.
 
The Reverend JT said:
but posting things like is like a red rag to a bull considering photography IS light; saying controlling light is not your strongest point is like saying you're a photographer but taking photos isn't your strongest point!
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this is a really good thread with very useful info however, thank you for this little gem you made my day...........
 
Prime all the way.

Nikon D3s
Fuji X100 (amazing for the ceremony shots as it is quiet as a mouse)
Nikon D300 (back-up camera)
Nikon 50mm f1.4
Nikon 85mm f1.4
Nikon 135mm f2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 (not prime I know but an excellent lens)
SB900
Lens Baby
Video light (lovely for add a bit of spot light to the first dance)
Monopod

I think I read you asking which wide lens is best for group shots. My answer would be none, if you use a wide lens for group shots then you run the risk of distorting faces and bodies, especially to people near the edge of the frame but people in the middle of the frame can also be distorted vertically (cone heads!).

My advice would be to use a 50mm or a 85mm lens and simply step back. The only time I goto 24mm (my widest) is for the shot of the entire wedding party, for this shot I make sure I am shooting from a high angle and that there is space at the edge of the frame (no people right at the edges).

I hope this helps and good luck.
 
Sorry not going to comment on the OP because I think it's been coverered.

mark1616 said:
I agree with the above that being able to see and understand light is massively key to shooting someones special day, our job as a photographer is to make someone look their best and to do that you need to create thinning shape (every bride I've ever worked with wants to look thinner).

I will leave it there as I've gone on a little but we shouldn't take lightly the importance of doing a good job and the damage that doing a bad job can do.
Click to expand...

But I just looked at your site - I'm sure you know your local market and your business model probably works for you but.....

IMHO your photos are good, and your prices seem cheap - I think you could probably charge significantly more. I am just starting out as a paid wedding photographer and this is just based on the market research I have been doing, so take it with a pinch of salt. (y)
 
grum said:
But I just looked at your site - I'm sure you know your local market and your business model probably works for you but.....

IMHO your photos are good, and your prices seem cheap - I think you could probably charge significantly more. I am just starting out as a paid wedding photographer and this is just based on the market research I have been doing, so take it with a pinch of salt. (y)
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Thanks Graham, my pricing is going up by at least £150 on all packages as of this Friday. I only returned to the UK after a year in Egypt at the end of last year so really wanted to get people booking, build up current work/samples, get the blog moving etc to encourage people to then start booking me at the higher rates. I'm still working full time in another job so the money wasn't as key as the customers. I've now got a good number for next year so will run another year at slightly higher pricing and then move up again to a position where I can make a go of it full time.
 
Phil V said:
Those cameras are plenty good enough to shoot a wedding. It's utter nonsense to suggest that old gear is useless. I'd rather have a 20d and a 17-55 2.8 than a 7d and an 18-55is.
If I could afford a couple of 5d ii's and a 24-70L, I'd go for it though.
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Morning, sorry to intrude Helen

This post has helped me Phil - I tried renting a 24-70 L for a wedding but the store are all out and I was worried about what else to go for as all threads seem to recommend this lens. Have gone for the 17-55is after reviewing it following this thread :) Tne church is pretty small so opted for the faster 2.8 over the reach of the 24-105 f4L (I have a 100mm 2.8 and legs for further reach when I need it)
 
Happy to be of use. The 17-55 is much more useful than the 24-70 on a crop body. The major recommendations are generally a full frame and a 24-70, but crop cameras output miles better than our film cameras did.
I've printed a file from a 400iso 7d and the 17-55 at 30x20 and it was as good as my old medium format at 160 iso.
 
I'm not a wedding photographer... usually I shoot corporate events and concerts in available light. I love to do this with fast primes. Recently I went to my niece's wedding... I was not the main photographer but I took some equipment with me to take my own pictures. After debating in my head what to take and what not I decided for this:

1. D700 + 24/1.4

2. D300 + 24-70/2.8 + SB700

It was the perfect combination. I know that 24-70 is not considered a good range for crop camera but for me worked as a charm, considering the beast of 24/1.4 mounted full time on D700. In fact I used D700 + 24/1.4 at least for 50% of the situations.

The wedding involved indoor and outdoor parts, day, evening and night. It was no situation where my kit to not be responsive... I had in my bag three more primes... Sigma 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 and Nikkor 180/2.8. The two Sigma get used for 2...3% of the total and I had no chance to mount 180/2.8. I also had a SB900 as a backup... (believe me or not I prefer SB700 on camera because is lightweight and deals better with temperature... )

As a note... I mention that before to own the expensive 24/1.4 I used for years with great success Sigma 24/1.8. It is an underrated lens that deserves justice. It is not a lens for landscapes, maybe is not for architecture, but is the poor man perfect lens for events.

I do not understand the philosophy behind having a "backup" camera. IMHO a wedding or an event photog needs two working cameras equipped that way to solve almost all situations during an event. Against the mainstream FX + 24 paired with DX + 24-70 + flash did a great job for me in a wedding involving a lot of changes in light (power, color, direction, etc).
 
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