My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

[rea4444]

Hi,

I'm doing my first wedding this weekend coming for my best friend.
Please could I get some help, with what lens I should use and if I should use a flash or filters.

This is what I have:

E-620

Lens: 40-150mm, 14-42mm, 35mm (Macro), 70-300mm.
Olympus Flash FL-36R

List of Filters I have:

Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Sepia.
Diffuser, N.D., Sand, Duto, Softone, Soft, Two Field lens, Veri-Cross, Rainbow.
Multi Image, L.PL.

She is having the wedding inside a room in a new county house and then going outside in the garden for more photos.
The garden has some open area's and some with some tall tree's.

Also she said she make like some in black & white, does e620 have this on it or would I have to do that later in photoshop?


Any help would be great.

Thanks

[snaarman]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Aaah. The dreaded wedding challenge:

14-42 and 40-150 could well fill the bill - if you bring out the 70-300 you might need to borrow a second camera with the shorter lens on it. You don't want to be swapping lenses all the time...

IMHO you need zooms rather than a prime 'cos people are not al all like landscapes and still life shots. They're always on the move. its like trying to photograph a flock of sheep

Next, yes I would use the flash, bounced indoors if the FL36 is strong enough* to bounce off the ceiling indoors. Outside you will need it to fill the shadows (ladies with posh hats in sunlight really do need fill flash...)

Lastly I would suggest my usual trick: Take a laptop and slideshow software so you can get the rough shots on display during the meal and speeches. I've done ths on several occasions and it always goes down well.


Edit: Filters.. Hmm. Not so certain about that. You can do a good job in Photoshop with filters and you still have the untouched original. Same applies to B+W in camera.. It might be worth trying a soft focus filter for selected shots, but you don't want to be held up swapping filters or mounts. People get bored very quickly and seconds count in my occasional experience. Cue someone else with more experience please :-)



Pete

*I took a SB28 to a barn wedding reception once. Its no slouch as a flash, quite powerful. When they cut the cake I did a shot with flash bounced off the high brown ceiling... oh: Dark picture - nothing came back

So - check your venue

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

The 620 is very good and will do the job. However you really do not want to be swapping lenses. Consider hiring the 12-60 as it will cover all the range you need and will give you faster focus, and sharper images.

TIP:

Turn the camera upside down and use fill in flash when shooting individual ladies in big hats, it throws the light up under the hat and reduces the shadows (if the weather is sunny)

A small reflector is also very handy to lighten such areas of shadow.

don't forget to show us the results

[snaarman]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Oh. A parting thought that may raise a smile.

Don't place large ladies at the edge of a group shot using your shiney new ultrawide lens. Not unless you can run fast.

[gregles]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Oh. A parting thought that may raise a smile.

Don't place large ladies at the edge of a group shot using your shiney new ultrawide lens. Not unless you can run fast.

Brill Pete

[theMusicMan]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

I echo what Graham suggests... at least try to get hold of one moderately fast lens. The 12-60 will cope admirably with the majority of shots you will need to take during the day.

Either that, or hire the 35-100

Plan your thoughts; what shots are needed, what shots are nice-to-have, what shots have the bride and groom specifically asked for. Get it sorted in your head before you head off.

I assume you have talked to the Bride and Groom about what shots they are after...?

Spare Batteries; for your E620 and FL36

Spare CF cards (Xd are too slow), and don't place all the images on the same card as there's too much risk involved.

Check weather; take a nice white brolly if there is rain forecast - for the bride, not necessarily you, check the position of the sun in the sky and where you will be best placed for the organised group shots.

Don't forget candid shots; they work well, and often provide the best shots of Great Aunty Mable and Great Uncle Ernest.

Get a shot of the cake before anyone goes into the reception.

Get a shot of a 'fake' cake cutting with the Bride and Groom before everyone else gets in there.

Try a shot of each of the groups at their reception tables... use your flash for this and make sure you get everyone in.

If you can, get to the rings before you go. Try the classic ring in the bible shot, try to get the lapel flowers of the Groom, best Man and Grooms Father.

There... how's that for a starter...?

[E-3]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

You should really stake out the venue before hand to plan where you will take group shots etc .... Good Luck with it all

[Who's_E]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Some reconnaisance and practice is definitely the order of the day.

I walked round the church with our photographer explaining what was going to happen, where we would be walking and where we would like the group shots. We then looked round the reception.

This chap was experienced (and quite good, for a price) so would probably know what his kit could do in terms of lighting etc. Therefore, I would recommend you do some test shots with a willing volunteer beforehand to see what the FL-36 and lenses can do at different ranges.

Our chap also put us in shaded front of a tree and shot into the sun for the group shots to avoid us squinting - just make sure you have a lens hood for that and use +ve exposure compensation by quite a lot. Again, test it.

Nick

[Rod Souter]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Do the big group shot(s) first, then you will not have to round up the missing bodies

Take a whistle or some such to get them all (you should be so lucky) looking at the camera with eyes open at the same time.

Then the guests at the edges can be gradually allowed to for a drink/fag/pee.

Rod

[photo_owl]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

print out a list of the 'group' shots - starting with everyone then getting smaller.... give this list to someone else when the time comes and get them to organise the people!

you could do the whole thing with the 14-42, you would be far better off with a 12-60. whilst I use the 35-100 it's the 12-60 that get's most use. forget the filters.

plan your day around their timings - you can't be on two places at once and you don't want to be having to work out what's next; you need to concentrate on getting the shots right. have your day and shots printed out on another list from that above.

don't rely on multiple shots getting one right - if they are all exposed wrong, or the af setting got changed to mf etc they will all be 'bad'

you will struggle in the church without the flash, and even with that flash. for me the 35-100 works well but even that isn't enough and a 30/1.4 gets the call. you will just have to do your best with the flash shots (aisle both ways and register).

think about the required output - if you are aiming for a nice album as a record of the day and attendees plus a framed print of the couple (for example) then get plenty of 'detail' shots to use in the album (flowers/place settings/cake detail).

really concentrate on level and your framing - you really don't want to be cropping and straightening in pp

oh - and stay off the sauce.....

[monoboard]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Don't forget the imodium and i hired a 12-60 of Ian & was very pleased with the results so that i did not spend all day swapping len's.

reg

David

[Ian]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

The 12-60 is very popular in our hire service[email protected] to let us know if you are interested!

Ian

[DerekW]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Have an assistant that can be checking the necklines of the ladies dresses especially the bride so that no unrequired under clothes are showing - also have the assistant arrange the flow of the dresses - ie get rid of creases and incorrecctly hanging clothes.

For diplomatic reasons a female assistant will be more successful in this task <g>

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Re: My first wedding this weekend NEED HELP

Hey Rea4444, show us the pictures!
Did you hire the lens?
Did it go smoothly?
Was there some sun?