whitewitch Loc: Buffalo NY

I am an amateur photographer with a basic knowledge of photography. I recently bought a FujiFinepixS9000 digital and am still familiarizing myself with it. In July I attended my nephew's wedding and was very disappointed in the shots taken in the church as most of them came out blurry. This was a very low light situation and I was shooting in automatic. As the bridal party came down the aisle, I was shooting from the pew and most pictures came out very blurry. I wasn't using a flash because I don't care for flash pictures. I can't tell you exactly what other settings I was using at the time but can someone please give me advice on how to photograph movement in a low light situation like that? Should I have used the flash? Should the camera be set on continuous focus? Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated. :cry:

jbert Loc: Texas

Hard to say with out the data and maybe a pic. I looked at your camera and the aperture goes dow to f2.8, but on auto, I doubt it chose that. Auto even chose the ISO. Had to put the camera in aperture priority and set f2.8, you may have been ok. And you could have set a high ISO ---maybe 800. With my Sony if the settings are off something will blink, but then my old (D)SLR did also.


Jim

robtekirsch Loc: Bergenfield, N.J.

iso increase will add more light & use of a unipod or tripod. as we get older we shake even if we dont think so. Practice, go to other low light locations or show up at a church with a wedding sit out of the way & get to know exactly whhat your camera will do.

Bob Curtis Loc: Bay City, TX

I did this professionally for 29 years and there is no easy way to do it. The secret is to be ready for each shot. I NEVER did a wedding without a conference with the bride and groom (hopefully) because I wanted to know what they wanted and I wanted them to know what I would be doing. This way you help to eliminate many of the problems. Get a SIGNED Contract with them so that they will know that you know what you are doing. Also, a sample sheet of what you will be taking is always helpful so that they will have some information about you and how you work. PLAN every shot ahead of time, even the coming down the aisle ones. Don't stand up in the aisle as they come down until the last minute. Prefocus ahead of time so you will be ready. (I could write a book on this, but space and time are limited.) Good luck, and get some good books on this and see what others are doing. A backup camera and LOTS of film (or cards for digital) are very essential! By the way, to eliminate flash photos set your iso to 1800 or 2000 and you will probably not have to use a flash. Experiment first just to be sure! By the way, my wife was my trusted helper, took some photos herself and was my "right hand man."

Bob Curtis

TomballLegend Loc: Tomball, Texas

Get yr self a light meter, use it! You never shoot a church wedding with flash. You also must learn how to stay away from the Bride's mother! Put something on the floor, that's yr target and focus, once on that.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Another view. If the Church is dark you may want to use flash for shots of those coming down the aisle. I use a flash with a diffuser on it. Turn focus on maual. Pick a seat a little over half wayu down the aisle. Pick the place in the aisle that those coming down the ailse will almost fill the virtical farme. Focus on that spot and then just take shots of all coming down the aisle. At this point I go to the back of the church and take the cermoney shots with another camera and long Zoom on a tripod. Dave

mgemstone Loc: Chicago/Cocoa beach/La/NY

You probably don't like flash pictures because you don't know how to use it. I'll take a clear flash image over a blurry one taken without a flash. Increasing the ISO will allow a faster shutter speed but it does nothing to assist you in focusing. The result is still the same - blurry images from movement versus blurry images from being out of focus. Using a tripod or monopod often isn't possible unless the church aisle is very wide. Marking a spot on the floor where you predetermine the focus only works if the the camera position is unchanged. Often the distance between the wedding party members is short enough so that the person(s) in front may obscure the person behind them.

The real key is reading your camera manual and experiment with taking pictures in different environments. It cost only your time to become proficient in taking photographs.

whitewitch Loc: Buffalo NY

Bob, thank you so much for your input. I was only there to attend my nephew's wedding. I was NOT the wedding photographer any means. God forbid! : ) Like I said I am an amateur. I have no intention of putting myself under that type of pressure. ha Thanks again

whitewitch Loc: Buffalo NY

To everyone who responded to my question - Thank you so very much for all of the information. I will definitely play around with and practice your suggestions. I did pose another question - should I have set the camera on continuous focus?

Thanks again,

Denise

whitewitch Loc: Buffalo NY

PS - I can't post any of my disastrous photos because I deleted them right away. I was very annoyed with myself. They weren't worth saving. The good photos I managed to capture were taken outdoors.

TomballLegend Loc: Tomball, Texas

Everything one may think of WRONG in one shot!

whitewitch Loc: Buffalo NY

Ahahahaha! That's too funny : )

LarryD Loc: Mojave Desert

I doubt that your problem was focus... I'm sure that the camera focused just fine and continuous focus would probably not have helped. You likely got a good focus confirmation beep or light, or the camera would not have even taken the shot without good focus by default..

Your problem was movement of the camera/subject caused by the camera choosing a very slow shutter speed.. (we could have known for sure by looking at the exif shooting data).

Green box mode would have failed you here, however, you may have been OK in a Program mode where you could set your own ISO high enough to see adequate shutter speed. Always look at those numbers before pressing the shutter and make sure you have at least 1/125 shutter speed (or thereabouts.. we're all a bit different)

Since you were a spectator, an occasional flash would have been OK..... I'm sure there were plenty of pocket cameras flashing away.

whitewitch Loc: Buffalo NY

Thanks so much, Larry. I really do appreciate your thoughts on this subject. I will definitely keep this in mind....

beacher Loc: Butler, PA

Ah, Bob, I think he was just amongst the rabble, so to speak, not manning the pro pho spot (or even near it :D ). But ok to the rest of the stuff ya said!