Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Do you have any photography friends that are willing to help you out as a second shooter. This is how I was able to shoot a few weddings.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I shot a wedding for a relative years ago, and it turned out fine. Of course, they weren't expecting a $5,000 photo package. These inks may help.

http://www.slrlounge.com/school/6-must-have-lenses-for-wedding-photography/
https://fstoppers.com/education/bare-bones-minimum-gear-needed-photograph-wedding-96180

RGreenway Loc: Morristown, New Jersey

I think you ARE ready, and the advice given above will be very helpful. In addition, I would try to be sure to get enough photos of the bride and groom in key situations, like the garter, cutting the cake, etc. and then try to get all the guests, like table shots at least. It's no fun afterwards to find no photos of Auntie Anne and Uncle Joe when they are favorites of the bride or groom! I have shot several weddings for friends and am NOT a professional and the results were well appreciated. I would also consider using SmugMug or another photo hosting site to upload your images for their review and for final posting the selected images. They can then share a link to anyone they choose. This is much better than burning CD's or even thumb drives I think.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Search for a shot list suggestions. Tell your relative not to have high expectations. Wedding photography is a specialty and, in my opinion, very difficult. I've been asked and I do not accept – I won't even take a camera to a wedding. If you have time, try and find a wedding photographer and ask to be a second or third on one of their shoots.I would be stressed off the charts and I am a professional. Good luck.

cthahn

If you have never done a wedding before and do not have any experience with one, don't do it. This is a once in a life time for the bride and groom, and it can not be done over again. Depending on the size of the wedding, you need an experienced helper, spare and backup equipment for everything you use, and hope that nothing goes wrong. Go on the internet and UTube and do some investigation from those that have done this before. Just remember, it is not the camera that takes the picture, it is the photographer.

Jamackay

I have been a photographer and a videographer for quite a few years. I do not do weddings anymore. I have shot photographs for a couple of dozen weddings, mostly for friends and mostly for free. I have done videos of hundreds of events, including a few weddings. My rules;
1. Always have a second camera of some type. If you have a couple of lenses, find a second hand body, even a simple one.
2. Shoot everything, especially at a wedding. Better to have hundreds of options.
3. Try to look like a photographer. Dress the part. You are asking many people to be photographed and not looking like a family member should be your goal.
4. If you shoot film, shoot 500 or more pictures. If you are digital shoot a thousand.
5. Make a list of all the standard shots, ceremony, cutting the cake, throwing the garter, and so on. Try to be at each position with time to plan your shots. Don't be afraid to re-stage anything you miss or need more shots of.
6. As soon as possible, stage the family shots. Take the time to do this right. This is what people will want to remember. Plan for the best lighting. Shoot with fill flash. Other shots can be without flash as they will interrupt the ceremony, etc.
7. Visit with each table at the reception for small groupings. Avoid candid shots. Stage each one.
8. Deliver a disk or flash drive. Printing is expensive. This is where your major out of pocket costs are.
9. Give your invoice, marked paid-in-full as a present.
10. If you are asked to "get some video, as well", don't do it. Photo and video are completely different and you will miss the best photos. Let Uncle Ned do it.
11. If you are now or in future asked to video instead of to take photos, resist! Weddings should be shot with two or more video cameras, should be in at least 4K format and will require editing. Shooting video is 10 percent of the job. Editing is 90 percent. Don't do it for free. Video is a different art form. Shooting video of a wedding requires that you direct the video to get the best results. Your customer will expect Titanic with 300 cuts.

Nikonman44

Most of us have done exactly what you have been asked to do.

Point one. Pay or freebie the end results still reflect on YOU and your photographic ability.

Casual weddings can and should be fun.

I am a nikon man strictly.

an 18 to 105 can capture just about everything you need. If you want to capture the water activities then you attach the zoom, my 70 300 works well as I am sure your selection will suffice also.

A couple of my assignments I purchased basic throw away cameras and had guest capture each other.

Not the best but some are really creative and then you can screen and add what you like to the total package.

I shot one wedding (as a favor) turned out awesome and the shots (traditional and formal and free thinking ) came out great.

Offered to have a formal album created for cost and they chose to just get the cds and do album later.

They moved houses two years later and cant find the cd. Be sure to save at least two copies in your fotofiles or on extra cds. It does happen

Good luck and be part of the celebration, join the fun and capture classic shots that will live forever


John D

GMCJim Loc: York Haven Pa

I would say I am not even the amature you are but I have covered 2 weddings for my sister's both were well pleased. They were both in film days and one requested some b/w shots so I had two bodies and 3 lenses. Just relax, watch for people having fun, shoot away! Use your long lens to catch candids of people having fun! Use your long lense to catch candids of people that tend to pose when a camera comes out. You will do well and your niece will be pleased I promise!

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

If you have the time see if you can hook up with a paid pro in or near your area ask if you could second or third for him/her on a non paying deal and actually help shoot a wedding for the experience.

Jcmarino

Yep you can do this. You have the right equipment and know how to use it. You will do great with the posed shots, the rest is documentary. Hopefully they will have some diffused light for the ceremony. If not, try to overcome the sun with OCL and or reflectors. You will be fine.

JeffL Loc: New Jersey

If you have to shoot this, keep in mind that you cannot relax and enjoy the wedding. You are there to focus on creating memories of this day. Yes, you need to pose the bride and groom alone and with their respective families, limiting that to parents and children. Don't forget the exchanging of rings, cake cutting, bouquet toss, first dance as married couple, and dances with their respective parents. You have to be somewhat intrusive, positioning yourself for the best angle, lighting, etc. It is highly unlikely that you will need a long lense, unless you want to shoot someone boating, as you will have to be quick to get candid shots of guests acting naturally. Don't shoot guests as they are stuffing their faces at the reception, as that is not generally appreciated. Remember, it doesn't matter how great a photographer you are if missed getting a shot of old Aunt Sadie at her last family event.

easy8

Maybe a great present would be to hire a photographer in the area

fourg1b2006 Loc: Long Island New York

I think the word WEDDING is stressing you out. It sounds like you will be taking photos of friends and family, which you said you do all the time. It's going to be casual just think that it's another outing. Your going to be fine.

Jim Bob

I shot weddings for years using film cameras. I can tell you that it is a stressful event, every time. She can consider all the pointers in the world-knowledge is always important. But nothing compares to the chaos and confusion that attend almost all weddings. I wish her luck.

fotografz

A few tips from a long time wedding photographer who has trained quite a few assistants:

Keep it simple: use gear you are familiar with, do not introduce unfamiliar gear, borrowed, rented or bought. If you do not have a back-up camera and want one, rent the same camera that you already have. If not, do you have a family compact camera? Take it also. The 70-200 is a staple for many wedding shooters ... it will help you get shots of everyone at play especially in the water. The 70 to 110 focal lengths of that lens will work for 2 person posed shots and closer portraits. a wide zoom like the 24-105 will do for all the rest. In fact, you could shoot the entire wedding with the 24-105!

Prep, prep, prep! Put together your kit the day prior, and test it. Charge all batteries, reformat all cards, test your flash, pack for action (put the 24-105 on the camera so it is ready to go immediately).

Practice, practice, practice. Is your niece near you? If so, shoot an engagement session with them which gets them used to you, and you can determine how to best photograph them. If not, recruit another "similar" couple to practice on. Keep in mind what body type your subjects are, and only study other posed shots with a similar body type.

What to practice: shoot a couple walking at you like a processional. DO NOT set your camera on continuous focus unless you are expert at it. I've found that these type of wedding shots unnerve most beginners because the original expressions cannot be re-staged later, and practice helps with feeling easier about them. Practice timing shots like the ring exchange and first kiss. These shots also happen once in real time, however if you miss them, these shots can be re-staged ... a couple in love will take any excuse to kiss : -)

Scout, scout, scout: Try to arrive earlier and become familiar with the location and more importantly how the wedding ceremony is situated in relation to the sun, or what the reception area looks like.

General tips:

Do not shoot larger group shots @ 24mm ... it distorts people at each end and makes them look fatter ... try to stay with-in 35mm focal length or longer if possible.

Where possible, seek shade ... shade without dappling or hot spots ... if in a wooded area use your flash to keep the green ambient shadows off the skin.

Key Tip:

Practice with your speed-light. Think of it as a supplement to the ambient outdoors and indoors, not as a main light. Outdoors it will fill shadows caused by downward sun that causes "Raccoon Eyes" ... indoors in lower light, set your camera to manual exposure and a higher ISO like ISO 800 or 1,000, and flash to TTL. As a basic starting point, set the shutter speed to the focal length of the lens : 50mm = 1/50th. This is called "Dragging The Shutter" and it allows the camera to record the lower indoor ambient while the speed-light freezes the foreground subject action because the flash duration is so fast (usually 1/1000 or faster). This method avoids the black background with over-exposed foreground subject so prevalent with beginner wedding shooters. Trust me on this, and give it a try to become comfortable with the technique.

Lastly, if or when you experience "brain freeze" or you become over-whelmed by some situation that you can't seem to solve immediately ... set the camera to "Program" and keep shooting. I tell my students that "P" on the camera stands for "Panic".

Best of luck ... and LUCK favors the prepared!

Marc Williams
FOTOGRAFZ, LLC

https://fotografz.smugmug.com/Fotografz-Weddings-Events/Wedding-Samples/Wedding-Samples/