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Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / November 2005380EX Flashgun
Hi guys, finally my server carries this group :) Anyway as mentioned in r.p.d. a friend has asked me to take some photos of his wedding. I have told him that I don't have the experience,but he insists. Anyway I am thinking of buying a Sigma 20mm 1.8 lens to cope with the low light at the location - a heavily shaded waterfall. So I was wondering if a Canon 380EX would be powerful enough for fill flash from around 20' back. I use a Canon 300D/DR Also ant good links for tips on wedding photography would be great. Thanks and HNY :)  Signaturerda www.rdaphoto.co.uk comments welcome (on the photos, the site is crap) Here's a tip: Have your friend hire someone who knows what they are doing. > Hi guys, finally my server carries this group :) > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Thanks and HNY :) > Here's a tip: > Have your friend hire someone who knows what they are doing. Thanks for your help, have a particularly bad Christmas/new year did we ? Signaturerda www.rdaphoto.co.uk comments welcome (on the photos, the site is crap) >> Here's a tip: >> Have your friend hire someone who knows what they are doing. > > Thanks for your help, have a particularly bad Christmas/new year did > we ? What "Home" says makes a lot of sense. There have been reports of people suing over unsatisfactory wedding pictures - even when taken by friends on a "best effort" basis. Avoid it. Cheers, David > >> Here's a tip: > >> Have your friend hire someone who knows what they are doing. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > suing over unsatisfactory wedding pictures - even when taken by friends on > a "best effort" basis. Avoid it. I have explained my lack of skill to my friend and he still wants me to take the photos. I have approx 4 months to try and learn as much as I can, to help do the best job that I can. The wedding is going to be a small affair with a maximum of 8 people in attendance. I know that I am VASTLY out of my depth ( I shoot landscape and other suck things that have no opinions), but I am willing to try. What I am looking for is some help and guidance to make my best effort, not to be told to give it up. The guys back at RPD were most helpful with my previous questions, wonder why I thought it would be the same here? Signaturerda www.rdaphoto.co.uk comments welcome (on the photos, the site is crap) [] > I have explained my lack of skill to my friend and he still wants me > to take the photos. I have approx 4 months to try and learn as much [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > The guys back at RPD were most helpful with my previous questions, > wonder why I thought it would be the same here? No-one is telling you to not do it, they are giving you their best advice based on their own experience and knowledge which is a recommendation you can accept or not. Whilst I do agree with their advice, if you must do it I would recommend practice, practice and more practice. The last thing you want is to be fiddling around with your kit looking for that obscure menu setting. Full white and full black make for very difficult exposure, so you may need to bracket. Does your camera allow auto-bracketing? Can you practice at your local church (get the appropriate permissions!)? Do you have the voice and attitude to command the attention and respect of those involved? You will be responsible for ensuring that all the "required" photos are taken, and in a timely fashion. Suppose you break a leg or have to go into hospital the day before? Think very carefully before you accept. Give the couple time to get a professional photographer in if needed. Cheers, David > Whilst I do agree with their advice, if you must do it I would recommend > practice, practice and more practice. The last thing you want is to be [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Think very carefully before you accept. Give the couple time to get a > professional photographer in if needed. Thanks, I fully intend to practice. The ceremony will be held outdoors, in front of "Alva Falls" as seen on my website. Luckily enough these are only a 10 minute walk from my house and as such I intend to take 100's of test shots in the immediate area. I think my main problem will be the whole flash photography thing (I have been advised to get up to speed on fill flash), I never use flash and as such am daunted by the prospect. I have now seen a Sigma 500 DG Super for ?110 which is a similar price to what I could get a 420EX (550EX is to expensive at around ?200) Honsestly this is a *really* good friend of mine. He does not want a pro photographer who he dosent know at his wedding.If I dont take these photos, then there will be no photographer at all (apart from family with P&S) He already has assuerd me that he would be happy with snapshots of the happy couple in front of the falls. I would like to try and do a bit better than this. I am 100% confident that If I totally screw this up then I will be the brunt of the evenings jokes, not sued. Sorry to have been a bit blunt. Signaturerda www.rdaphoto.co.uk comments welcome (on the photos, the site is crap) [] > Honsestly this is a *really* good friend of mine. He does not want a > pro photographer who he dosent know at his wedding.If I dont take [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Sorry to have been a bit blunt. Quite understood about blunt - better to say what you mean! The informal surroundings may reduced the difference between a Pro and a good Amateur, and the fact that you're in the UK makes it less likely you would be sued. (Is Alva Falls in Scotland?). As it's outdoors, I might be inclined to suggest a shaded area and avoid flash as you are so unused to it. At least with digital you can check at the time. Good luck! David > [] > > Honsestly this is a *really* good friend of mine. He does not want a [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > be inclined to suggest a shaded area and avoid flash as you are so unused > to it. At least with digital you can check at the time. I am hoping to aviod flash if possible, I have just ordered a Sigma 20mm 1.8 lens. The falls are indeed in Scotland, and just so happen to be in a very shaded area. I will try and get my wife to "pose" on the viewing area to take some test shots. Thanks Signaturerda www.rdaphoto.co.uk comments welcome (on the photos, the site is crap) [] > I am hoping to aviod flash if possible, I have just ordered a Sigma > 20mm 1.8 lens. Be careful not to get too close - the perspective that results may not be flattering! > The falls are indeed in Scotland, and just so happen to be in a very > shaded area. I will try and get my wife to "pose" on the viewing area > to take some test shots. Will the couple be waring traditional black and white? Perhaps get your wife to wear something similar. Although I don't use RAW myself, the extra headroom which may result could be an advantage. What camera? Cheers, David > [] > > I am hoping to aviod flash if possible, I have just ordered a Sigma [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > wife to wear something similar. Although I don't use RAW myself, the > extra headroom which may result could be an advantage. What camera? I dont think they will be wearing traditional outfits, it is a second marriage for both of them. My weapon of choice (read pricerange) is a 300D/D Rebel. I also have the 18-55, Sigma 50mm 2.8 EX (Great lens, tack sharp) and Canon 75-300. I thougt the 20mm 1.8 would be good for the group shot in front of the falls as I thought the 18-55 3.5-4 would struggle. Thanks Signaturerda www.rdaphoto.co.uk comments welcome (on the photos, the site is crap) [Wedding photos] > The falls are indeed in Scotland, and just so happen to be in a very shaded > area. I will try and get my wife to "pose" on the viewing area to take some > test shots. Since your friend insist on you taking photos and there being no other photographer around at all, how about shanghaiing your friend and his bride for a "full dress"[1] rehearsal some weeks before the wedding? It'll be no fun for your friends, but you'll be able to: - work many kinks out - know in advance which lenses you'll need where - find some good spots for backdrops and how to set up any lighting for them (if needed) - show your friends some average-to-ugly photos that you manage --- on paper, if possible --- and tell them that that is the best you can manage, if everything works out (weather, camera, batteries, you, ...) That way you have at least a chance beforehand to warn them off of your quality and shock them beforehand. - Additionally they will have something extra to do to to get these photos. If they are not in the least interested in getting these photos, well, that's their problem. -Wolfgang PS: make clear beforehand that you'll not show them any bad photos from the wedding, and that may mean _no_ photos. (imagine your camera being violently ill on shooting. No usable photos. What then? I'd say: better no photos than bad ones.) [1] i.e. these two in whatever they want to appear at the wedding, or as close to it as possible, on a day with 'typical' weather for the spot. > Think very carefully before you accept. Give the couple time to get a > professional photographer in if needed. Good advise. Over the years I have had several "friends" ask that I do the photos at their wedding. I always told them no, get a professional wedding photographer. The reason behind why they ask is that they know you are a good photographer and want to save money by not paying a professional. They will flatter you etc. but what it is about is not spending money on a pro wedding photographer. They may say they won't hold it agianst you if they don't like your pictures but none should believe that. SignatureCharles >> Think very carefully before you accept. Give the couple time to >> get a professional photographer in if needed. > Good advise. Over the years I have had several "friends" ask that I > do the photos at their wedding. I always told them no, get a > professional wedding photographer. The reason behind why they ask is > that they know you are a good photographer and want to save money by > not paying a professional. They will flatter you etc. but what it is > about is not spending money on a pro wedding photographer. That doesn't sound bad to me. > They may say they won't hold it agianst you if they don't like your > pictures but none should believe that. I strongly disagree. Every wedding to which I've ever been that had a "professional" in attendance has been dominated by the business of taking photographs, up to the extreme of choreographing the throwing of the bouquet and the confetti. All in order to get a good shot. There was no way that we were going to put up with a photographer calling the shots at our wedding, so we didn't hire one. Instead, lots of our guests took photographs. OK, many had technical flaws, but so what? We even handed disposable cameras to all the children. Better to enjoy the day, and we've got lots of pictures of people enjoying themselves. I can think of occasions where I might want to hire a professional, but weddings aren't one of them. So I say to the original poster, go ahead. Have fun, and make sure you take a lot of photographs. But make sure you set people's expectations first. Nothing is guraranteed, but maybe a few shots will turn out to be decent. Andrew. > > Here's a tip: > > Have your friend hire someone who knows what they are doing. > > Thanks for your help, have a particularly bad Christmas/new year did we ? I think he is being honest. If you are the sole photographer at your friends wedding and the pictures dont come out well, he may not be a friend any longer. Brides have been known to be really picky about their wedding pictures, and they have also been known to have GREAT influence over thier husbands feelings. It doesn't matter that you warned him. Wedding pictures are something you REALLY need a pro for. SignatureLarry Lynch Mystic, Ct. >>> Here's a tip: >>> Have your friend hire someone who knows what they are doing. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Wedding pictures are something you REALLY need a pro for. It's true; however I'm getting the impression that's not actually what the couple is asking for. If over the next few months the draftee senses it *is*, he should refuse the "job". He's going to lose some of the friendship in either case, and will be held responsible for either bad photography or failure to comply with the couple's request. He gets to decide which pain he is willing to endure. The couple does not want an outside photographer at the wedding? They *do* want deprive their picture-taker friend of the same chance to enjoy the wedding the other five guests will have? Seems to me someone has been demoted already. Were I he, I'd object, and offer to find a compatible photographer, suggesting they should trust my judgement, and offering to share the cost as a wedding gift. No, really; what kind of "friend" puts you in this position. Yup, the relationship has changed already. Who knows where it will be by the date of the ceremony? Good Luck. SignatureFrank ess BTW, my holiday season was perfect. Again. |
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