wedding photography

howell80

howell80

howell80

Associate
Joined
16 Aug 2004
Posts
113
Location
Nottinghamshire
Hi,
My brother is getting married in july and im going to be taking photos for him. I allready a sigma 18-200mm andthe 18-55mm kit lenses that came with my 350d. I allready know that there is a thread for "what lanscape lense" but i need more advise.
Im wanting some information on a wide angle lense that would be appropreate for photos. ive been told that the sigma i have is fine for a walk about but close up shots my require a different lense.
A friend advises a tokina 19-35mm. ive also looked at the sigma 17-35mm.
Is there going to be much difference between these lenses and the kit lense?
Would i be wasting my money? I have on order another memory card and a flash and have a manfrotto tripod in my collection.

this will be the fist time ive done wedding photos comments and advice welcome.
please help :)
 
You will need to spend quite a bit more money to better the Kit lens. Lenses worth looking at.

Canon 17-40L F4 : £500
Tamron 17-35 F2.8-4 : £340
Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 : £330

As for wedding photography - You'll be under quite a bit of pressure on the day so make sure you know the camera inside out. The guests won't want to be standing around whilst you're messing around with settings on your camera.
 
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a friend on here has the 17-85USM IS canon for wedding stuff
which would be cheaper than the Canon L glass, and give you lower light capability perhaps? be as wide as the tamron...the sigma I'm not so sure about
to be honest I would hire the lenses.
if you're doing it at cost for him, then get a 2nd body for the day. a couple of memory CF cards, and a low light lens

---z--- on here has a20D and the 17-85USM IS
if he was doing I shoot I would lend him my 350D and whack the f1.8 50mm on there for instanct use
 
My expenses for a wide angle would be anything up to £200. I have been on the well known web site and seen the sigma for £170 and the toknia for £110. I will not be the main photographer for my brothers wedding but i will be there to gain as much experience as i can on the day (never know my brother may want some pics if they turn out ok) :) i also have a friend at work who has the tokina 19-35 and recommends it but ive also read good reviews for the sigma.
Does anyone have either of the lenses?
 
I wouldn't bother with a sub £200 zoom - you have to pay £300+ to get much of an improvement from the kit imo. If you're really on a tight budget , get the 50 prime or a decent flash with the kit lens and see what you can get.
 
One of my best friend asked me to be his offical photographer for his wedding in November, I graciously declined even thou the bride REALLY REALLY wanted me to do it. In the end their parents convinced them to hire someone official to do all the offical photos, so I get to do all the candid shots in the wedding. Being a friend means he also asked me to do all the background wedding preperation to the wedding, mostly with the Bride getting ready duing the day. I plan to do a kind of photo journal to capture moments during the course of the day. Hopefully being a friend will means people are more relax around me than the offical photographer meaning i should get some more natural shots.

Equipment wise, I am going to take

Canon 20D (getting one in the Summer, or its replacement)
Canon EOS30 with various films - Back up
Canon Powershot S70 - Back up of the Backup
50mm Prime
28-105 MKII
Might get a wide angle lens (we'll see)
550EX Speedlite with diffuser
Monfrotto 055pro Black
My Laptop - to back up photos at breaks
 
We do weddings part-time and we don't find them stressfull at all. We try and have fun with the bride & groom and the guests. Know exactly what shots the bride & groom want, get it down on paper and take it with you. Make sure you have plenty of time for photos and also make sure the b&g are aware to leave minimum of an hour for photos before they leave for the reception. If you are taking piccies inside church, make sure you have permission first, also it is likely you can't use flash, take a tripod and set it up before the start and put it to one side.

If you are not the main tog at the wedding, don't take the same photos as the main tog by standing next to or behind, stand to one side and take alternative views of the groups, close ups of the b&g as they are posing for the other camera, close ups of the bridesmaids etc. Also if you see the b&g on their own away from the main tog, get in there and take piccies! If there are small children, make sure you take candids of these as well. The grand parents will love them!

Take as many piccies as you can in the time you have. We quite often take 300-400 shots on a wedding and show perhaps 120-130 to the b&g.

As well as a spare CF card (or two) get another battery for the 350d. We have had cards fail and batteries fail. If you are using flash, assuming a flash gun, get at least 2 sets of batteries.

Also, reformat the CF cards in camera before you start. Take a couple of test shots to make sure you have the settings ok. i.e white balance is auto or set manually, iso settings are ok, metering etc etc

Other than that, get in there and enjoy yourself!
 
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I may just be echoing what other people have said, but heres my advice.

1) Bring along a back up body. Make sure you have a film and a digital body in the least.

2) Make sure you know how to meter and use both bodies.

3) Bring along loads of spare batteries, films and memory cards.

4) Bracket your shots - the cameras light meter may get confused by the crisp whites of the wedding dress, or the dark black of the grooms suit. Take as many shots as you possibly can at different exposures.

5) Buy a flashgun or two.

6) Check both cameras are in good working order.

7) You won't want to get in the bride and grooms faces, so you'll want at least a 70-200. Your Sigma lens may just be good enough, you won't get much better, unless you spend £489 on a 70-200 Canon L say.

8) Be relaxed. To panic might totally mess up your composure!

9) Enjoy yourself!

That's all I have to say! I hope this all helps!
 
I know some wedding photographers and although most of them welcome amateurs working as back-up to them...they do have some pet hates, which generally include amateurs getting in their way.

So if you are working as an official back-up, especially if you are going to be doing like maintaining a photo-journal of the day, might be worth having a chat with the main guy or get the b+g to do so. Make sure he knows that you aren't intending to steal his businesss etc....
 
spell said:
I know some wedding photographers and although most of them welcome amateurs working as back-up to them...they do have some pet hates, which generally include amateurs getting in their way.

So if you are working as an official back-up, especially if you are going to be doing like maintaining a photo-journal of the day, might be worth having a chat with the main guy or get the b+g to do so. Make sure he knows that you aren't intending to steal his businesss etc....
Click to expand...

We occasionally get someone who asks us if we mind. We don't and just ask that they let us take the photo first before intruding in our space. Those that don't ask tend to be trodden on, pushed or failing that asked politely to move whilst we take the piccies :) . Unless the b&g intervene, we cannot stop the bank of photographers setting up behind us from taking pictures and if we try we feel it is bad for us.

We had to do one wedding inside the church cos it was raining outside and we used our studio lights. It was quite amusing when people were using flash to take piccies of the b&g, which set off our units - this would usually ruin their shots hehe. We did mention this several times but people at weddings do not listen! This wedding resulted in a marked increase in reprint revenue! :D
 
Thanks for replies dudes. Being the kind of background photographer sounds pretty cool but hard work at the same time. i will enjoy this role a lot and will gain loads of knowledge. I havent really got the money for the stuff some of you guys recommend but my collection is increasing all the time. i will have to post some pics on the forum when the big day has happened to see what you think.
 
DizMatt said:
a friend on here has the 17-85USM IS canon for wedding stuff
which would be cheaper than the Canon L glass, and give you lower light capability perhaps? be as wide as the tamron...the sigma I'm not so sure about
to be honest I would hire the lenses.
if you're doing it at cost for him, then get a 2nd body for the day. a couple of memory CF cards, and a low light lens

---z--- on here has a20D and the 17-85USM IS
if he was doing I shoot I would lend him my 350D and whack the f1.8 50mm on there for instanct use
Click to expand...

i have this lens as well - good choice for weddings IMO too for the price, and 17mm is a boon for indoor group shots, as would IS for non flash low ISO shots
 
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