MissLauraLee Loc: Indiana

Hi I am supposed to shoot a wedding tomorrow for a freind and need some advise on what settings I should use. I have a canon 7d with a tamaron 18mm-270mm lens and I also have a canon 580 EX II speedlite. I know I have the equipment just need help on what settings to use! The church is a little dark and I do not have a tripod. I am the only photographer.She is young and cannot afford to pay anyone so I said I would do it.. Please help!!!

Frank T Loc: New York, NY

Ok, I don't think I can help you with that but check out this website. It's David Ziser - Probably one of the top wedding photographers in the country. He has tutorials posted there and I've found them to be helpful.
http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com

ReallyGreenBrenda Loc: Reno, Nevada

Hello. You could use the auto setting. That will give you decent pics. My piece of advice...BUY A TRIPOD!! They are only $20 at Walmart and Target but worth $1000 when u see the difference in your photos. Good luck!

WildBill Loc: South West Florida

use the search and find related links to your question. There have been lots of wedding posts.
Hope you do well.

billybob40

Go to youtube.com/wedding it will have every thing you need. Its number one for info, this is number two.

AliceTrask Loc: Union, MO, US

I was just looking at Zisers videos. I had to bookmark that site. I love how he shows exactly what he's teaching. Thanks for the link!!!

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

Do NOT use a cheap $20 tripod to hold your 7D, I'm more than positive it is not rated to hold the weight of your camera, lens + flash. Invest in a good tripod, after all you're placing $1,000+ worth of equipment on it.

I don't have any advice on shooting a wedding, they are high pressure and I have not desire to do them, but I would say with the formal/posed shots take your time and shot on manual, try to get them right in camera.

Is the service being held in a church? if so speak to the minister/pastor/rabi and see what is allowed and not allowed.

Good Luck

pigpen

I never shot a wedding, but I have a friend who said his best wedding tool is his Gary Fong flash diffuser

AliceTrask Loc: Union, MO, US

I've got his collapsible and I use it all the times, indoor, outdoor, wedding, portrait...etc. It looks funky on the flash, but it does a pretty good job.

Bob Curtis Loc: Bay City, TX

Not only a tripod, but a good hand held light meter will help tremendously! I always take the meter with me so I can get an accurate light reading on the inside as well as outside. This is indispensible! (Meaning you can't do without it!) You can try, but I guarantee that you will be very unhappy if YOU DO NOT HAVE IT WITH YOU!

Bob Curtis

Bob Curtis Loc: Bay City, TX

Not only a tripod, but a good light meter will help tremendously! I always take the meter with me so I can get an accurate light reading on the inside as well as outside. This is indispensible! (Meaning you can't do without it!) You can try, but I guarantee that you will be very unhappy if YOU DO NOT HAVE IT WITH YOU!

Bob Curtis

twindad Loc: SW Michigan, frolicking in the snow.

Truthfully, you waited an awfully long time before asking for help on what is a stressful event for a photographer. Sync the flash at 1/125th of a second and shoot at that speed. That should get you fairly blur-free shots. Try to stay close - remember that in a dark environment, your flash can only do so much.
I speak from experience. The first wedding I shot was in a nice old church with stained glass windows. The reception was cavernous and they thought turning the lights way down low would make for a nice atmosphere. Good for guests, bad for photos.
Good luck!

Shutterbug_11 Loc: Yucaipa, CA

@ TwinDad: I can relate to that comment about the lighting when you did your wedding shoot. The same thing happened to me when I did a wedding last August -- the lights were great during the wedding ceremony and when we returned back inside for the reception part, the restaurant had turned down the lights for "ambience" -- I guess. When I saw the lights turned down, I thought, "oh this isn't good." Now, I'm having to do a lot of work with those particular photos with my Photoshop software. The other two weddings that I've done before this one were better organized in my opinion.

debbiesweds

You also might want to consider shooting in raw - so you have some options afterwards. Make sure you have your f-stop at about f8 if you are doing group shots and be sure to take lots of the bride and groom! One of my first weddings I felt I had not taken enough of the bride and groom, and afterall this is their day so make sure you get plenty of them along with the candid shots. I have the same camera and flash, and I alternate between many lens during the wedding - do you have anything with an f2.8 so you can maybe shoot in the church without a flash? You should get a diffuser for your flash and make sure not to aim it directly at your subject. Good luck and by the way...the first one is the toughest. You get thru this and you will be golden! I always say at any wedding I am more nervous than the bride and groom - but that is true of all wedding photographers I do believe! Good luck! You'll be fine, they are asking for a huge favor and most likely will be thankful for your efforts. Just give them your best! Be sure you have plenty of batteries and start out with fresh batteries in your flash if you are using the flash in church. Oh and be sure to remind the bridesmaids and bride, etc to walk down the aisle slowly and leave room in between. (You need time for your flash to regenerate

debbiesweds

Be sure to have several compact flash and think through what poses you want to place the bride and groom in - make a list (although you wont have time to read it) writing it helps - of all the people you need to photograph after the wedding
bride and groom, the parents, grandparents, siblings, or who ever they feel they need photos with - have a place in mind to take photos after the wedding and before reception - if it is a nice day you are so far better to find a spot outside, as your lighting will be much easier out of doors versus in the church and reception hall