missmarylou

I am doing a favor for a dear friend by shooting their wedding. Any tips on camera settings when I will not be able to use a flash during the ceremony? I have a 24-70 f/2.8, 50 f/1.8 and 17-135

gessman Loc: Colorado

Oh boy, missmarylou, here we go again. Looks like you have some pretty sophisticated equipment which would imply that you know photography but then you're asking such a fundamental question that it makes me, a non-wedding shooting amateur ask if you really want to do this or not?

Nobody can tell you what the light will be where you'll be shooting and you probably should know that. The fact that you don't makes me think you might should excuse yourself from doing this. The best you can hope for is to hear about methods such as going early and getting some light readings and then determine your settings - doing things like pushing your ISO up, etc.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong with this that could convert your "dear friend" into a total stranger. There are a lot of people on the forum who will encourage you to push on and it'll all be alright - at worst, you're friend will forgive you, etc. I like to try to instill confidence when I'm comfortable in so doing but not when it appears that what I'll be doing is contributing to a potential disaster. Others have opinions but I see that nobody is rushing to answer this question. I'll bow out at this point myself. I'm very tired and weary of the philosophical arguments that are springing up in almost all the threads and I don't wish to contribute to any more of them beyond what I've said here. Good luck with your decision.

phoneguy55 Loc: upstate NY

as Gessman so eloquently, and diplomatically explains....( as he always does) you have a big chore in front of you. That being said...if you plan to jump into the situation my thought is that using a higher ISO is your best bet. With lower light you can't expect to use your highest shutter speeds, so a balance of ISO and shooting as wide open as possible are really your only variables. The available light really dictates what you can do. ( ie...dark small chapel....well lit large cathedral....backyard gazebo trellis with natural light....) If you can use exposure bracketing it might also help but will increase the number of shots, so have lots of memory available. ( these are just the thoughts of an amateur.....and what comes to mind if I were in your shoes...)

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

First what camera body are you using with your lens line up?

I have a 24-70 and while it's a fast lens, I don't think shoting a wedding in low light with no flash with my Canon 40D is going to be enough, I know I'll end up with noise.

If you are going to do this, I would recommend taking a trip to the church BEFORE the wedding day and practicing with the lighting conditions so you at least have an idea about what to expect.

good luck and happy shooting!

LarryD Loc: Mojave Desert

I hear this a lot... but I have to ask.. why not ?... There will be plenty of point and shoot cameras there with flashes going off all the time and very few Ministers or Priests disallow it, so long as you don't flash everybody in the face.... There will be times where discreet non-flash is appropriate, but surely not the entire wedding..

Why wouldn't the wedding couple want their own photos to be properly exposed and well done.... :?:

JimH Loc: Western South Jersey, USA

I'm with Gessman - please tell your dear friend, if you want them to remain a dear friend, that you had second thoughts and would rather be able to be a witness to their nuptials, and offer to perhaps help with the cost of a pro, if that is the real reason they came to you. NEVER OFFER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO A FRIEND OR RELATIVE IF YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL - if you screw it up, not only do you lose any standing as a photographer, but you alienate a friend or family member. It's just a bad idea over all.

Offer to bake a cake or help with the limos or something like that but I encourage you to NOT attempt the photography unless you are a paid professional with a performance contract.

(I'm not a wedding photographer, and never want to be one. But I've heard too many horror stories of well-intentioned friends who messed up a wedding and never heard the end of it. Just a bad idea.)

gessman Loc: Colorado

You know, missmarylou, if this is a informal or casual affair with just friends and family out on the lawn or something I might consider retracting my original post. If, on the other hand, it's a formal deal with tons of people, etc., and lots of expectations, I have to stand by my original post. Certainly you know more about the situation than anyone on the forum and if you don't think it'd make any difference if it didn't come out alright... I try to stay as far away from weddings as I can and I don't mean as a photographer but I have heard horror story after horror story in the past few years about people doing their friend's weddings when they weren't experienced at it and it's not gone well. If you weigh everything that's been said and still decide to do it, I wish you the best of luck.

missmarylou

Thanks everyone for all the advise and tips. My friend has used me to photograph many things for them and they definitely know my work. They assure me they will be happy. yikes! I feel totally confident on everything except the ceremony when I want to try and be as inconspicuous as possible. It is a very large chapel in the mid afternoon. I do have plans to go in and take practice shots the week before. I have been the 2nd shooter at 2 other weddings and everything went well.....I feel very blessed to have found this forum. I appreciate the knowledge and support. Thanks, Miss Marylou

missmarylou

Thanks Gessman, I certainly appreciate your knowledge and ideas. I to have heard the horror stories, but feel that I may want to try and jump on the wedding train and try it out. I will have a contract and make sure they understanding that I am not a professional. I love weddings and hope and pray I can do a great job for them. Who knows, I may even have awesome photos to share in a couple of weeks. I appreciate you sharing your information with me.

OnTheFly Loc: Tennessee

Very well worded and accurate.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Okay then. Sounds like you're good to go. This exercise of keeping all us sensitive good ol' boys spending all Sunday afternoon sweating for ya was just a little trick then? Okay. You've got a very distinctive user name. I think I can remember that for the next little problem you come up with and say you want help when you really don't need it. Still, I want to wish you all the best... :)

PapaJon Loc: Oregon Coast

I am "Not" a professional wedding photographer, but I have shot a number of weddings.
That being said the easiest way to handle this is to ask the Minister or Priest's permission. If no flash during the ceremony, take what you can without flash and then stage the rest after the ceremony. I try to shoot some shots of the Bride and Groom before the wedding and then shoot the group pics after the ceremony.
Hope this helps.

maxcrump

Found myself in the same situation recently. Went to rehearsal and tested with a 24-70 f/2.8 and my 50 f/1.8. Found I did better with the 50mm and sneaker zoom and crop, crop, crop. Worked well. Shot the staged pics with and without flash before and after and the ambient light shots were warmer and everyone prefered them. Hope that helps and good luck. lots of work and glad I did it.

Big Daddy Loc: Near Cleveland

Yes there are many pitfalls. If you want to be a photographer I say forge ahead. I would sit down with the bride and groom and explain the situation and tell them you will do your best, You have to learn somehow. I have never understood the ministers objections to flash but its there house I guess, seems kind of selfish to me! One of my first weddings I did I didn't change the color balance on my camera and the pics all came out a little orange but were fixed in processing. Pics came out great though! Raise your ISO, crop and do your best! "Be Bold and Mighty Forces Will Come to Your Aid" Something one of my mentors taught me years ago!

Dria Loc: Ohio

How about a decent diffuser on the flash (or does that go without saying?) Flashers with diffusers are much less obnoxious.