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Archive 2016 · Lens for important wedding shoot

  
 
Wolfgangerl
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Lens for important wedding shoot


I've only been shooting weddings on my own (meaning not as a second) for about nine months. To every wedding, I've brought with me a 70-200 f/2.8, an 85 f/1.4, and a 24-105 f/4. However, this month I have a very important wedding shoot at a prestigious yacht club and having scouted the work of other photographers at this venue, it's pretty clear to me that I won't be able to get away with that wide angle lens at f/4. This was only reinforced by a recent discussion on this forum on this basic issue.

Therefore I'm going to rent one, the question is which. This club has very high windows that allow lots of light into the main ballroom, but that will only be helpful for about an hour by my own calculations. After that it's your standard reception conditions, low light and lots of movement.

I am averse to using flash of any kind, which likely limits my options to 1.4 or 1.8 even though that excludes almost anything with any sort of zoom.

The ballroom is 2500 square feet, shaped like a box that has had one corner pressed inward.

My essential question is, how wide is going to be too wide? Thanks for reading.



Mar 04, 2016 at 02:41 PM
Clayton G
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Lens for important wedding shoot


35 1.4 is a no brainer, for me.

I would mainly be using wider for wedding party or family photos if needed in a pinch, at which point you'd likely be working in the f/4 range anyway for depth of field and can use the 24-105.



Mar 04, 2016 at 02:48 PM
gnjphotography
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Lens for important wedding shoot


I am averse to using flash of any kind, which likely limits my options to 1.4 or 1.8 even though that excludes almost anything with any sort of zoom.

Does this mean you do not know how to use flash? Not using flash during the reception is a pretty bad idea. Even shooting at 1.4, flash helps to stop motion blur and add quality of light to the scene. For receptions, the 16-35 f/2.8 is the best option, allowing you to capture the entire dance floor and the scene of the room.

If you are not comfortable with flash, I would practice using flash before the event. Quality should always be your priority.

-Greg



Mar 04, 2016 at 03:44 PM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Lens for important wedding shoot


If you're going to try and not use flash in a yacht club reception I think you're going to have a bad time... they have to have some really great lighting to not need any flash and for the no-flash photos to be no-suck photos as well.


Mar 04, 2016 at 04:04 PM
tntcorp
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Lens for important wedding shoot


better have a high iso low noise camera should plan to shoot w/out flash, since you will not be shooting wide open all the time.

assuming you are shooting full frame, 24 or 35 fl should be sufficient for the cited sqfootage.



Mar 04, 2016 at 04:38 PM
tntcorp
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Lens for important wedding shoot


btw, shooting w/ flash, you can use the 24-120/f4. however, you will want to mount the flash remotely off the camera or at least on a bracket to prevent casting lens shadow. good luck!


Mar 04, 2016 at 04:46 PM
ahaug
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Lens for important wedding shoot


I have fast primes but for reception work, I have them at f4 and use remote flash. I think you would be better off in investing in a couple of flashes and a remote trigger. I will work out much better than the flat low light of most receptions. just my 2 cents



Mar 04, 2016 at 06:25 PM
skg photos
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Lens for important wedding shoot


Why are you so against using flash?

Most people who say they are solely 'natural light' wedding photographers are just in need of more education and practice. Is that the case?

I believe it is possible to be an excellent natural light portrait or family photographer, but weddings require far more skill with lighting, natural and artificial, than that.
Unless the venue is made of white marble walls and floors and ceilings (we do have one of those in Middletown NY, so it is rare but possible), you are going to do your clients a grave disservice. And you can be sure that some of their wedding guests WILL have flashes, and that a portion of those images will be better than yours if you are not willing to light the subjects artificially if the situation calls for that. And it will. Good wedding photographers may produce work that looks like no flash was used during receptions, but most of us are using them for most of the reception.

If your finances limit you to either renting a 24-70 or buying two flashes (because the equipment saying "one is none" is definitely true at weddings), then use the f4 lens and buy two flashes and a couple of yongnuo triggers, and practice practice practice.



Mar 04, 2016 at 06:44 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Lens for important wedding shoot


24-70 2.8 II + bounced flash on camera. That combo is pretty much made for stuff like this.

I don't recommend off-camera flash unless you're totally comfortable with it



Mar 04, 2016 at 07:36 PM
swoop
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Lens for important wedding shoot



How many times had this happened to everyone. You're on the dance floor getting your shots or even walking to the other side of the room during the reception and a group of 3-5 people just huddle together and say "take our picture!" Without flash of any sort it's just going to be a blurry mess. F1.4 is not the solution to that problem.



Mar 04, 2016 at 08:53 PM
BSPhotog
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Lens for important wedding shoot


Yeah, you need some lights bro.

If not just for all of the darkness, then to overcome dumb DJ lighting or purple LED uplights or whatever other hot mess you're handed.



If you don't have a grasp of off-camera lighting or don't want to learn, then get a TTL flash on camera and bounce it off the ceiling or wall. Set the flash compensation for -2 or -3 and have lots of batteries...and patience.



Mar 05, 2016 at 12:30 AM
heikoM
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Lens for important wedding shoot


Of course some modern cameras (like D750 or Sony A7s) together with a cheap prime (like 2.0) can shoot all night long without flash.

But you should not mistake a "it is possible" with "that will be good images".


It is not the amount of light, but the quality of light!


The images will be muddy, grainy and full of unpredictable colorcast (depending on the lightning of the venue) In case the light also comes from above you also get racoon eyes, your clients will not be happy.

Get at least two flashes, Yongnuo will do. Train to use some sort of off-camera flash. Many guys here can show you examples how it is done well. You also can put the flash on the camera and bounce. Done so, the images will look professional, you can shoot in every corner of the venue and all will be happy.


good luck,

heiko


here you see 4 examples, one natural light, one bounced, one on camera with dragged shutter and one off-camera flash:






















Edited on Mar 05, 2016 at 04:09 PM · View previous versions



Mar 05, 2016 at 03:02 AM
OlafSiebert
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Lens for important wedding shoot


what others said: get light.
your lenses are ok.

btw, to your clients, all weddings are important ...



Mar 05, 2016 at 03:15 AM
SGallant
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Lens for important wedding shoot


TTLKurtis wrote:
If you're going to try and not use flash in a yacht club reception I think you're going to have a bad time... they have to have some really great lighting to not need any flash and for the no-flash photos to be no-suck photos as well.


Dude, I would never ever count on the venue lighting. I have been back to the same venues, and seen them lit completely different from one wedding to the next. I have been to daytime weddings with beautiful natural light and giant windows, and they closed off the shades for all dances without any warning. And there was no upligting, nor any spotlights (because it was a daytime wedding). It would have been some of the crappiest light in the world if we hadn't setup like any other reception.

I always plan for the worst and hope for the best.



Mar 05, 2016 at 02:30 PM
amonline
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Lens for important wedding shoot


Please reevaluate if you should be shooting weddings. You've been hired by clients who have put their trust in you, and it sounds like you don't have minimal basic gear. You should be able to face any given environment, if you're taking people's commission.


Mar 05, 2016 at 03:23 PM
BlaineM
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Lens for important wedding shoot


heikoM wrote:
Of course some modern cameras (like D750 or Sony A7s) together with a cheap prime (like 2.0) can shoot all night long without flash.

But you should not mistake a "it is possible" with "that will be good images".

It is not the amount of light, but the quality of light!

The images will be muddy, grainy and full of unpredictable colorcast (depending on the lightning of the venue) In case the light also comes from above you also get racoon eyes, your clients will not be happy.

Get at least two flashes, Yongnuo will do. Train to use some sort of off-camera flash.
...Show more

Heiko, in that example of off camera flash, what modifier were you using?



Mar 05, 2016 at 07:12 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Lens for important wedding shoot


BlaineM wrote:
Heiko, in that example of off camera flash, what modifier were you using?





1 Magmod grid and 1 gel


heiko



Mar 05, 2016 at 09:27 PM





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