lacsar Loc: Columbia SC and Newland NC

I'm glad this new person to UHH got all the help she needed and didn't catch and crap from anyone. Some should be ashamed.

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

Ashamed of what?

I'm always amazed at how people here think that everyone should be encouraged to take on weddings, does anyone take a minute to think about the bride and groom? Do they deserve to have sub-par wedding photos because "everyone needs to start somewhere"? There is no do overs here, you have to have more than basic photography knowledge to consider taking on a wedding as a primary shooter.

The OP has 3 weddings booked, we are not talking about helping one friend out because they can't afford to hire a professional. The OP is putting themselves out there as a wedding photographer for hire (free or not) and then coming to an photography forum asking what SETTINGS to use. That is a huge red flag that they are NOT ready to be taking on weddings.

How many times have we seen people post.."look at the crappy pictures the hired photographer did of my family member's wedding" or "help me fix these wedding photos, the hired photographer was bad" ?

We can't have it both ways, we can't say "oh everyone starts somewhere" and then turn around and bash sub-par results from wedding photographers that took on family weddings before they were ready.

This is a nutshell is one thing that is wrong with the photography industry, everyone and anyone with a basic entry level camera with a kit lens calls is putting themselves out there for hire and the world is too politically correct to say "whoooo hold your horses, you aren't skilled enough to do this"

DrPhrogg Loc: NJ

agree. In portrait shoots, you control everything. In a wedding, you are recording an event that is constantly moving. Someone accurately compared it to herding cats. With experience, you can get good at it. This is why you work free or cheap at the beginning: to get experience. There are a lot of people out there have limited budgets and will ask friends to shoot for free. As long as they understand they may get only what they paid for.

The major difference in settings is that the bride wears white, not 18% gray. This requires an adjustment, and some practice with and w/o flash ahead of time.

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

PTphoto Loc: Skokie, IL

A wedding is a very challenging shoot for any photog.
A pro's settings will typically vary from scene to scene, even moment to moment, as lighting changes, the subject's motion must be considered (still subjects are very different than dancers, or appropriately capturing a tossed bouquet, etc.) Crazy dance floor lighting poses particular variables to get right, and all the many variables in between you will certainly encounter at a wedding. It's complex.
Asking for camera settings advice is like a pool player asking a friend how hard to hit the balls for a game to be played later that day! Photography just does not work that way either.
Its responding to the moment with your skills of finding the settings, the light, the poses, the composition and much more to produce a result the couple will be happy with for the rest of their lives.
Many responders here have given good advice. To add to it, PRACTICE! and LEARN!
Try shooting some mock scenes in the same church and/or hall, or outdoor setting you will be in. Then, don't be certain the settings will still be the same as the big day! Things will change with a full house.
Learn how to adapt to the changes how? Practice! Look at a few professionally shot weddings. See the recurring classic poses they have, and re-create them yourself before the wedding.
Ask the couple to practice with you, and pose in the same rooms with the same light, ahead of the big day, would go a long way. They would then get some extra pictures of themselves, see your capabilities, and be better prepared for your results (or decide to fork out the dough to hire a pro, if needed. Give them the choice!).
Since you must be new at this, in addition to making sure you manage the couple's expectations of your potential results, try these things:
Your camera has SCENES
These settings are going to be more favorable to the situations you are likely to encounter, like:
Party/Indoor - for the reception,
Portrait - for the posed pics with various groups in front of some conducive background (PLEASE look up how-to set up the proper main, side, and background lighting for these shots, as varied and multiple light sources are mandatory for your pics to be any better than cellphone snapshots).
The green easy setting - will do a marginal TO POOR job for outdoors (or anything for that matter). You must have a good flash, and know how to use it in a 'fill' mode, and 'bounce' mode, probably with a diffuser. EXPERIMENT WITH THESE THINGS well before the big day, to increase your chances of success.

LOOK AT YOUR LCD SCREEN! AFTER EVERY SHOT! - A wedding is a one-time-to-get-it-right situation. Look closely at your focus, exposure, motion blur, composition, etc. AFTER EVERY SHOT! and make sure that at least you can re-take if they do not look right. Poor on the small screen will be terrible blown up.

HOPE THIS HELPS, and that you can graciously back out if you learn that you are in over your head. No shame on you if backing out helps them have pictures they will be proud to show for all the years of their marriage.

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

Four months after I purchased my T3i my wife's sister announced she was getting married. My wife piped up and said since she knew the wedding was going to be on a very thin shoestring budget that I have a new camera and could take pictures. I responded that yes I would bring my camera and take some pics, but I barely knew how to turn it on let alone know how to take good pictures so she might want to make other plans if she really wanted decent pictures. We get to the church on the wedding day and it turns out to be a historic old one room church with no electricity ( meaning no lighting) and the interior is a very dark brown. Luckily the grooms sister was there and had much more experience but not any better equipment than me. She took care of all the posing and taking of the main photos. I don't believe she was paid either, but I had the few of mine that were even half way acceptable, printed them, put them in a photo book and gave them to the couple as a gift.

amehta Loc: Boston

Nice! When I went to Portland, OR, for a cousin's wedding, at least I found out two days before the wedding that I was going to be one of the two photographers, and the day before (at the rehearsal) that I would be the primary. Beats finding out an hour before the ceremony! :-)

amehta Loc: Boston

It seems like it's worth making sure we know exactly what the official photographer situation is if we're attending a close relative or friend's wedding. If we're going to be tossed into the roll of official photographer fill-in, it helps to know before the rehearsal, and before leaving home if we're traveling.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

My dear angelsaboveme,

This whole thread got me so curious, I tried to find the pictures from my first wedding, my only church wedding. But after fifteen years of marriage and a nasty divorce, my ex had apparently decided not to keep the reminders. Other than my boss's daughter, the daughter of a co-worker, the daughter of a hunting buddy and the youngest daughter of my second wife's sister, I haven't been to any formal church weddings. But I have been to a LOT of weddings in wedding chapels, courthouses, one in a jail, a couple in "night clubs" (bars), a paddle-wheel boat (without the paddle wheel), a "scenic" cow pasture and various state or municipal gardens. At almost every one of those weddings, I was the photographer or an assistant, just because I owned a camera and made the mistake of attending. Thank heaven, at one wedding at least, my (now ex) daughter-in-law showed up and took some pretty good pictures. My efforts at several of the other weddings provided solid assurance that I would not be among the celebrants' closest circle of acquaintances.

My point is that there are all kinds of weddings. If you own a bridge camera, and you are asked to be the official photographer at the trailer park recreation and bingo hall, go ahead and have some fun. It'll be great to have shots of the bride's father walking her down the aisle in a tux coat, white shirt, black tie, shorts and sneakers - or a golf shirt and leisure suit. Don't forget the shots of the beer cooler and the half-sheet cake. But, until you get some practice, you might want to stay away from cathedrals, wedding estates and the Rose Garden.

If you think members are being nasty to you by advising that you bow out or get yourself arrested to avoid the gig, you have no idea how mean the bride's mother is going to be if your pictures are anything short of Magnum caliber. You may think that Annie Girl is an arrogant jerk for advising you to run for the next county. Don't be fooled! Right now, she (and others like her) are the best friends you have!

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

Ain't family great!?

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

Ain't family great!?

amehta Loc: Boston

They had a friend who was at art school lined up to do it before I was even attending. It turns out she was borrowing a camera, since she still used film, and I had more experience, and I offered. I was already scheduled to shoot the second reception in NJ several weeks later, so my role already included photography in all of it. :-)

Nobody wanting to make an actual decision with something like this definitely makes things interesting, though. So I decided I would coordinate the photography as my present to them. Everybody was happy with the results.

jchristian Loc: Baker, OR

Ya know, you have to start somewhere. I shot my first wedding and it was a nerve wracking job and not sure I would do it again. My first comment was I'm not a professional and of course no pay to go with it. But I can't give you any help but there are lots out here that can if they would stop trying to convince you your an idiot for attempting it. You have to start somewhere and just let them know your not a pro. Google it and you will find lots of ideas. Help him out, don't run him down.

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

"that?" Now about "then?"

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

1. Forget all the negative comments.
2. Know how to use your equipment so take a lot of practice photos of anything and everything both indoors and outside, and review them.
3. Check out the wedding and reception environments, and weather way in advance.
4. Have backup camera, flash, batteries, chargers and SD cards.
5. Make a list of photos to be taken and where (locations) as a guide line. You may not get them all but list the mandatory ones.
6. Help others take pictures at the reception.
7. Eat before you go.
8. Secure your equipment while it is out of sight.
9. Speak with the clergy way in advance.
10. Remember you work for the person paying you. If non-paid, then you work for the bride and groom (B&G). If others try to direct you, smile and refer them to the one paying you or to the B&G.
11. Consider having a second photographer using a camera and flash other than your backup equipment. Also have then do #2 & #7.
12. Consider having a nephew, niece, grandchild interested in photography to watch your gear and reward them. See #7 & #8.
13. Consider taking some pictures during the rehearsal.
14. Look at wedding albums, photos and wedding magazines way, way, way in advance. This may help with #5.
15. Speak with married couples. This may also help with #5.
16. Take pictures without being obtrusive.
17. During the reception get action (non-poses) pictures of children and seniors.
18. You have to start somewhere so go for it!
19. Have fun. :P :P