PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

I will be shooting a wedding reception for a friend in November. The wedding has already taken place a few months ago out of state. This reception is for people that could not attend the out of state wedding. I will visit the venue in a couple of months to check it out. From what I can see on their web site is very tall ceilings and mostly glass French doors all around. The reception will take place from 6:00PM to 10:00PM.
I will be using a Nikon D7200 and a D7100 with a 18-200mm VRII lens on one camera and will rent one of the following:
Nikon 24-70mm F2.8
Nikon 14-24mm F2.8
Nikon 16-80mm F2.8
Which do you recommend and why.
I will also have a Nikon SB910 flash on each camera.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Don

tramsey Loc: Texas

I have never shot a wedding nor do I want to; so speaking from all that experience i would say the 16-80 would pretty much cover your bases

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

With the DX sensor (what I use as well) I would suggest the 16-80 as well. You will also need to shoot everything at an angle to the glass French doors everwhere. Not sure if you are using off camera flash, but the French doors will cause a number of issues. First, if you are using a flash in the shoe, you will keep getting horrible reflections, if you take the photos at more of an angle, you won't get quite the bounce back. Off camera flash would be your best bet to avoid that completely. The other issue is, you will get a lot of photos with yourself reflected in the glass.

I've done a few at some country club type spaces where I will expose for the outside through the windows, so if the flash isn't used, everyone in the room would be silhouette, then use your off camera flash to light the people. A sure sign of someone who doesn't know what they are doing, is either the subjects are too dark, or the windows all look white, and the couple doesn't get photos that show the view they paid so much for.

Some may suggest a circular polarizer for the glass, but I never had much luck. The halls are generally dark enough as it is, and anything extra in front of the glass only makes it harder to expose without noise.

Just my 2 cents. I'm sure Ed will have more/better suggestions.

bk

Jules Karney Loc: Las Vegas, Nevada

I would use the 24-70 2.8. It is a great lens.
I never shot a wedding but the lens is a good walk around.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

When I shoot weddings, rarely, the 24-70/2.8 is my go to lens. I also use the 70-200 for some things. Depending upon the circumstances, I may use one, or several, fixed focal length lenses as well. Best of luck.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

With all things equal, would you go with 24-70 2.8 over 16-80 2.8, especially on a crop sensor body? (D-7200)
Both are 2.8, so I'm not sure why you would want to limit yourself? Especially when we are discussing a wedding reception, and tight quarters. 24 could end up being too long if in tight quarters trying to grab table shots. Nothing worse than having to shoot over one table, to get the shot of another table.

Not trying to argue, but I'm not sure I understand why you would suggest he rent a lens with less range?

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

There is little comparison between the two. The 16-80 is a variable aperture zoom. The 24-70 is 2.8 throughout. I use FF, so the DX would not be useful for me. Also, I already own the 24-70! To each his own.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

It is not the wedding tramsey, it is a reception. Agree with you on the lens choice. Leaning that way myself. Thanks for your reply.

Don

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Thanks for your insightful reply bk. Nice web site you have. It is not going to be an easy shoot that is one reason I want to visit the venue ahead of time. Need to get the layout of the venue and see where the best placement for off camera flashes would be. I will also be meeting with the bride to see if she can give me so insight as to how she will have the place laid out, will there be a band, a DJ, a sit down dinner, etc.
I like the latitude the 16-80 will give me, that is the way I am leaning.
Again, thanks for the tips.

Don

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

I threw the 24-70 out there cjc2 because it would work fairly well on the D7200 or D7100 body and it also would give me some latitude from wide angle to close ups. Wish I were shooting FF but just not in the budget presently.
Thanks for your reply.

Don

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

I'm afraid I would have to disagree with the 16-80 choice for three reasons . . .

1) In a typical reception area there is little enough light and your camera will prefer the constant F/2.8 lens for faster, more accurate focussing.
2) Secondly, even on a crop sensor camera, the 24mm can often distort unacceptably, let alone going to 16mm.
3) Because flash exposure is effected drastically by aperture settings, a variable aperture with flash photography is a formula for disaster . . . not a friendly combination.

In my many decades of shooting weddings I have established (for myself), that the two best lenses for a wedding coverage is the 24-70 F/2.8 and the 70-200 F/2.8 carried on separate cameras. In a reception the 70-200 would be a waste of energy to carry for it's very limited application, and for moving around amongst many people at an event . . . less equipment is better.

As for the reflective glass doors, just keep in mind that if you can see yourself in the reflection, you will get the flash back from your speedlight. Change your position until you can no longer see yourself.

My only other suggestion would be that with the speedlights you should have a good quality flash modifier like the Lite Genius Lite-Scoops. (At least that is my personal choice) Softer light, softer shadows, better spectral highlights, and effective in both portrait and landscape modes.

Hope that helps . . .

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

As you can see, ask one question, you'll get 40 different answers.

Watch a few youtube videos from David A Ziser. He's an internationally known wedding photographer, and he doesn't use expensive lenses at all. Personally, my favorite lens for receptions is a sigma, 17-50 2.8. (or something like that, it's always on my one camera body, so I don't keep looking to see if it's 17 or 18, or 50 or 55. Regardless, as long as I don't stand way above the people in the shots, I don't have to deal with distortion. The key is knowing that you keep the camera eye level for head shots, and belly button level for full body shots to avoid perspective distortion, and keep the people in the middle of the frame and crop later.

Not saying my way is the only way, but neither is anyone else's. I just think in the long run, limiting yourself to 24mm at the wide end, in a reception hall is going to drive up up a tree. I know this, because I loaned my sigma to someone, and was stuck with a 24-70 for one of my weddings this year. Had to keep asking Tim Stapp (who was second shooter for me) to get shots for me that I just couldn't squeeze in with that lens.

Enjoy, and please share some of your shots after the event.
bk

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Bob and bkyser have given me plenty to think about. To bad I don't have an unlimited budget to cover a lot more bases. Will chew on all of this for a while.
Thanks for your all of your suggestions and for sharing your knowledge.

If you have anything else to add please do so.

Don

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Lots of good advice here but let's talk a little bit more about focal length choices as applied to perspective. Whether you are shooting formal wedding portraits and groups or casual party shots, you are photographing PEOPLE. Wide angle lenses and zoom setting are certainly handy for working in tight quarters, shooting wide views on the dance floor of action shots such as ethnic or folk dancing- rock 'n' roll etc. You will want to pick up the spontaneity and festivity of the event. Wide angle lenses and zoom settings, however, can introduce certain distortions that can render faces and body styles in an unflattering manner, especially in the super-wide range. Although most modern wide angle lenses are of the rectilinear formula and no longer exhibit barrel or pin cushion distortion, people or objects closer to the camera can appear disproportionately large. Shooting down at folks can cause foreshortening of their body lengths or facial features. When using wide angle lenses and settings, try to maintain a perpendicular camera position where the "sensor plane" is parallel to the subject plane. Shooting up at them can make them appear as giants. In group shots where their are rows of people, subjects at the front of the group can appear larger than normal and folks at the back can appear to have smaller "head" sizes. So... as a rule of thumb, use your NORMAL lens or zoom setting when ever you can for formal and casual shots. When you need a bit more "space", try to use moderately wide focal lengths as opposed to super-wide settings and focal lengths. This method works well for general shots such as folks relating to each other in small groups, speeches, cutting the cake, first dance etc.

Longer focal lengths and telephoto lenses are great for zooming in on action where you can't get in close enough or picking up "faces in the crowed" reaction shots etc. Longer lenses are good for church ceremonies where you need to work unobtrusively. Moderately longer lenses and zoom setting (85-105mm) on a full frame body are recommended for closeup and 3/4 length portraiture. They yield good facial perspective and at wider apertures can produce good "bokeh" or selective focus. Perspective wise, very long lenses tend to compress the image whereby background tend to appear close to the subject that they actually are.


As far as reflective surfaces in the background such as mirrors, glass doors and windows, the rule is to shoot at on oblique angle to the reflective surface- not streetlight into it. If there is lots of light coming in through windows in the background, to avoid silhouetting you subjects, be sure that you camera's exposure system is CENTER WEIGHTED (so as to read the light on the subjects, not the window light itself) or utilize the back lightning to give you good dimension and provide "hair or rim lighting" and be sure you have sufficient flash fill.

What with high vaulted ceilings and a room surrounded by glass doors, bounce flash may be ineffective because of a lack of white and diffused reflective surfaces in reasonable proximity to your flash unit. Direct on-camera flash with a simple light modifier or bounce card may be best. Off-camera or multiple lighting is a very effective method but, in my opinion, requires some previous practice and experience or it can lead to more technical difficulties, especially in a room full of highly reflective glass backgrounds.

I am not trying to discourage the use of multiple focal lengths and lights, however, for the purpose of this post, I am trying to offer a simple plan for you in that I am assuming that you are NOT an experienced wedding shooter. By sticking to a more simplified method you will be able to concentrate on securing a great coverage with good spontaneous expressions. Too much fussing with gear or unfamiliar techniques can become distracting- you want to be able to work swiftly and easily. The couple you are shooting for will appreciate a nice memory of the reception with everyone enjoying the festivities. Keep your eye out for folks relating to one and other and enjoying the occasion.

I hope this helps. Kindest regards, Ed

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Appreciate your very detail response Ed, it is greatly appreciated.

Don