As the title suggests, I'm looking for advice for shooting a wedding. To be clear, I am not a wedding photographer and I did not ask to photograph this wedding. A colleague is getting married, is having a very small and casual event, and asked if I would photograph it for them. I resisted but they still insisted that I do it, even after I made it very clear this is not something I have much experience with. So, alas, here I am. They are not expecting top-notch professional photos, but I'd still like to do my best. I shot one other wedding in a similar situation with the Tamron 35-150mm but have since sold that lens.
Most of the photos they are requesting are group shots (Bride + family, Bride + friend groups, etc). I have the Sony A1 and the only semi-appropriate lens I have that might suffice is the Tamron 17-28mm. They said they would cover the cost of renting a lens as well. Maybe renting the Tamron 35-150 would be the wise choice since I already have a lens covering 17-28.
If you were in this situation and could rent a lens or two for this event, what would you do?
I remember the popular local pro used 50mm plus potato masher flash on a 35mm film body years ago at one wedding. So I don't feel like you need an excess of FL
After having odd shaped heads in the holiday photo one year using uwa zoom, I might be happy using 35-150, 28 70, 24-70 etc & you're probably bringing your 17-28 anyway.
Either the Tamron 35-150 or Sony 24-70 GM II. I think you can get by with the Tamron if you bring the 17-28 for establishing shots and groups that don’t fit in 35mm. If there will be a dark reception also a flash that you know how to use.
In my younger days shot a lot of very high end weddings. A 24-70 or 16-35 and a 70-200 on two bodies will cover the ceremony and group shots at the church. You need at least one fast prime, preferably an 85mm. Off camera lighting for your group shots after the ceremony is really important. Since you are not doing this on a regular basis and while not ideal you could get by with something like an AD200, trigger and shoot through umbrella.
Always carried a lot……..A LOT of gear and lighting to weddings with backups for the backups so it's hard to pick and choose but if I was going to pair it down to the absolute minimal setup, I’d go with two bodies, 16-35mm, 85mm prime and a 70-200 and most definitely some form of off camera lighting and plenty of memory cards and extra batteries. Prioritize zooms over primes as the single most important thing is flexibility when shooting a wedding. I prefer primes but you just never know what kind of situation you are going to end up in at a wedding and the flexibility of a zoom might just save the day. Some definite compromises here such as for larger group shots after the ceremony and if space is tight might be forced to use the 16-35mm at 35mm. Hard to pick if you had to pick between a 24-70 and 16-35 but you really really need something wider than 24mm over the course of the day. In terms of breaking it up through the day on a bare bones setup I'd use the 16-35 and 85mm prime before the ceremony, the 16-35 and 70-200 at the ceremony and then the 16-35 and 85mm prime at the reception. Best of luck and hope it all works well.
I have the Tamron 35-150mm and it is excellent for such events. The only downside is the variable aperture when using flash. If you are using TTL is is OK, but not as convenient with Manual flash settings. Your wide-angle lens will likely be useful for the dance floor. IMHO, the distortions would be too great for group shots.
Actually, today, if I was shooting a wedding (something I vehemently try to avoid ), I would mostly use my stunning new GM 28-70mm f2 (the one I would rent, if I were you). You could also rent the GM 50-150mm - another stunning lens I am growing to love.
Another suggestion - Ahead of time, make sure you interview the family and know what specific shots they are looking for, then make a list.
No longer do weddings but do cover the occasional event for which I use the Tamron 35-150 and 16-35GM on 2 bodies. Nothing like the 35-150 for this sort of work as it's so versatile and I love the way it renders
16-35 is the most important lens for this kind of thing. Your 17-28 will work, preferably you have an on camera flash to go with it.
35-150 / 50-150 / 70-200 is fine but it really needs to be on a 2nd body, and the % of shots where you need it is lower. Its for exchanging or rings and walking down the aisle shots where you cant exactly stand close up and block everyone.
The Tamron 35-150mm is great, but heavy. Such a big lens is not needed for a small and casual event. I'd recommend the Sony 24-50/2.8G plus an 85/1.8 like the Sony or Batis.
NJPhotographer wrote:
The Tamron 35-150mm is great, but heavy. Such a big lens is not needed for a small and casual event. I'd recommend the Sony 24-50/2.8G plus an 85/1.8 like the Sony or Batis.
It maybe heavy but I wouldn't be without now for a working event. I would though have a couple of smaller primes with me which would be the Bats 25 and 50 1.4GM
If you've got the space I'd try to shoot the group shots with a normal to short telephoto lens personally, I like being around 70-100mm for lack of distortion and easier background control.
The lighting is probably more important than the lens for portraits in any case, but that's a different can of worms...
I don't do weddings but have had two daughters married in the last couple of years. Things have changed some over time. "First look" used to frequently be at the beginning of the ceremony, now there can be more photo time before as well as after the ceremony, But there's a point that after prelims, when they start, it's non-stop until, reaching the end of the aisle (etc.) again. No time to swap lenses, maybe little time to change places, etc. so, 35-150 or 24-70, that's what's on the camera and swapping lenses as opposed to just swinging up camera 2, is going to be rough Both of our weddings had a primary photographer with at least one assistant and, extra lenses were typically on a second camera, for both.
Finding out what the plans are venue concerns, when photos will be taken and who to include (let them help/do the photo wrangling) may be more important than choosing between the 35-150 or 24-70, etc. I'd think one might not need longer than 150mm but could expect at least some use of wider for either, too.
Some weddings truly are small casual events. The pro wedding photographers don’t see these, and I think have a hard time visualizing them. The most important thing is understanding and managing expectations. A simple contract can get this into writing. It doesn’t need to be fancy, ask grok or ChatGPT to write it up and include the aspects you are concerned with.
I have seen weddings where the mom uses a m43 point and shoot to capture the wedding. It can be easy for a FF Sony enthusiast to fill those expectations even without a spare body, off camera flash, etc. if that is what they wanted they would hire a pro.
DTPavlik wrote:
As the title suggests, I'm looking for advice for shooting a wedding. To be clear, I am not a wedding photographer and I did not ask to photograph this wedding. A colleague is getting married, is having a very small and casual event, and asked if I would photograph it for them. I resisted but they still insisted that I do it, even after I made it very clear this is not something I have much experience with. So, alas, here I am. They are not expecting top-notch professional photos, but I'd still like to do my best. I shot one other wedding in a similar situation with the Tamron 35-150mm but have since sold that lens.
Most of the photos they are requesting are group shots (Bride + family, Bride + friend groups, etc). I have the Sony A1 and the only semi-appropriate lens I have that might suffice is the Tamron 17-28mm. They said they would cover the cost of renting a lens as well. Maybe renting the Tamron 35-150 would be the wise choice since I already have a lens covering 17-28.
If you were in this situation and could rent a lens or two for this event, what would you do?
It sounds like your colleague isn’t all that interested in the pictures or he would have hired a professional wedding photographer. So I wouldn’t sweat it at all. Take your Tamron and a 24-70 or 35-150 and be done. And I would let HIM give you all the information on the photos he and his bride want. I wouldn’t do any work at all trying to do something he’s not willing to pay you for and KNOWS you’re not a wedding photographer. I get requests like this all the time and am very comfortable just saying “NO.” I even told my sister no when she asked me to photograph her daughter’s wedding. I will not do weddings since it’s too much pressure. 🙂
So, you can still tell him no and tell him to hire a wedding photographer or just go minimal and don’t worry at all. He’s certainly not worried.
Craig Gillette wrote:
I don't do weddings but have had two daughters married in the last couple of years. Things have changed some over time. "First look" used to frequently be at the beginning of the ceremony, now there can be more photo time before as well as after the ceremony, But there's a point that after prelims, when they start, it's non-stop until, reaching the end of the aisle (etc.) again. No time to swap lenses, maybe little time to change places, etc. so, 35-150 or 24-70, that's what's on the camera and swapping lenses as opposed to just swinging up camera 2, is going to be rough Both of our weddings had a primary photographer with at least one assistant and, extra lenses were typically on a second camera, for both.
Finding out what the plans are venue concerns, when photos will be taken and who to include (let them help/do the photo wrangling) may be more important than choosing between the 35-150 or 24-70, etc. I'd think one might not need longer than 150mm but could expect at least some use of wider for either, too....Show more →
My daughter is getting married in Oct. They have hired pros to do their video and photograph. Obviously I am not tasked to photograph them. But this old dad will have a Sony 16-25 f2.8 on the A1, and the Tamron 35-150mm on the A1II. I will snap a few shots here and there.
As they've said they'd cover the cost of lens hire, I'd rent the new 50-150mm f2 and have some fun trying it out. You've got an A1, so you'll get some really nice images.
Douglas L wrote:
My daughter is getting married in Oct. They have hired pros to do their video and photograph. Obviously I am not tasked to photograph them. But this old dad will have a Sony 16-25 f2.8 on the A1, and the Tamron 35-150mm on the A1II. I will snap a few shots here and there.
I was "allowed" only my phone, at both. And both daughters chose their own photographers. My job was to be father of the bride and not Dad with a camera.
), I would mostly use my stunning new GM 28-70mm f2 (the one I would rent, if I were you). You could also rent the GM 50-150mm - another stunning lens I am growing to love.