jwn Loc: SOUTHEAST GEORGIA USA

the type of questions you are asking lead me to believe the T6 camera is the smartest one in the room. not being insulting but todays cameras are smart so in this case if you do it, put it on auto and blast away. charge the batteries, pick up additional memory card. Be charge when doing the pre and post posing shots. think of a set of must have shots....cake,wedding party, mom and dad....make a list and execute. And if you don't get invited to the anniversary party you will know why.

Nikon1201

You will need soft boxes and similar equipment and probably someone to help. You will need a full understanding of exposer,light reflection etc.

rwoodvira

I’ve done three. The first was with film for a friend who was unhappy as I was too slow getting back to her. The 2nd was my niece and the Third was for my sister-in-law, both turned out successful. The last I took between 250 and 300 shots, never got a chance to eat anything and the only time I got a drink was putting the unused liquor away and I got a shot of J & B. All were gratis. I won’t do it again, no way, no shape, no how. If the shots are not good it will feature the awakening of bridezilla.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

I'm not a pro either, but have done two family weddings with what equipment I had a -- Canon AE1 (35mm) and an separate flash for first & a Canon 60D with the built in flash the second time about six years later. So long as they realize that you are a bit out of your "comfort level" and some of the photos may not come out (you don't have to show them those) how upset can they be? I haven't had one complaint! Do it as a family obligation and tell them that the photos are a gift to the Bride & Groom! If others want copies and the parents probably will tell them you'll print them at cost (remember to add the Paper, Ink, other supplies & some time) because it isn't cheap to print a bunch of color prints, and you will be amazed at the PP time. One more suggestion--set the White balance for Auto; if you walk outside or to other venues, it will help. You won't forget to change the setting, and you might consider a fixed shutter speed and let the camera pick the f-stop.

Good luck!

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

To the OP. Given the questions you're asking combined with your equipment list, I'd find a nice way out of this job. Best of luck either way!

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

Wouldn't do it at gun point standing in the door of an airplane at 30 thousand feet without a parachute. Not a chance.

Ron Dial Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador

Either find a Pro for whom you can be the assistant, or don't take the job. Weddings are the most emotional job there is. Screw up a shot and you will forever be the guy that screwed up our wedding pics; at every family reunion forever.

sv3noKin51E

Aly, I remember the day I decided never shoot weddings ever again no matter how good the contract, for any price. That said, you have to learn by getting your feet wet, but always protect yourself with a contract, and the bride and groom must always brief their guests on how the photographer or their choice is to be treated, getting the shots among other things. I'd also keep an able assistant always at my side.

Despite the rousing negatives thrown at wedding photography, much of it deserved, I loved the work. I was well-paid and usually the people were easy to work with. In the pre-digital era, there were few people in the areas I worked who had pro gear to shoot film; those who did were respectful of the protocols and well-behaved. Polaroids or cartridge cameras (with flashcubes) were the favored guest toys I had to contend with but it was always understood that the relatives could all fire away -after- I got the first shots; that rule was always followed, since no one cared to deal with the bride's or bride's father's wrath as he usually cut the checks. On this occasion, the bride,groom and I had a standard contract, they briefed the guests and all was well, until the cutting the wedding cake. As the knife touched the surface of the top layer of the cake, the bride and groom looked lovingly into each other's eyes, and I snapped the photo just as the brides drunken uncle delivered a vigorous kick to my backside for 'always getting in his way.' He was promptly hustled out of the hall but it fairly well ruined the reception for everyone; I sucked it up and did my best. The couple was ultimately happy with my work, but crusty old drunks seem to gravitate to the most sublime moments. Unless a bouncer was by my side to ward off the weirdos, I'd pass. Good luck, sv

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

If you persist in doing this, I do have one word to guide you - redundancy.

Nothing will ruin everyone's wedding day more than a camera that broke, lens that got dropped, flash that decided to stop firing - etc. And worst of all, a photographer that got sick. If you cannot justify redundancy in your situation, you should not be taking this on. An assistant capable of shooting the wedding, duplicate cameras, lenses, speedlights, flash triggers, tripod (if using), flash brackets, etc etc etc etc etc. - are what you will need, along with a totally intimate relationship with your camera - every setting should be at your fingertips so you can instantly adjust as necessary to get the job done - and an equally intimate knowledge of lighting, which is what separates the snapshooters from the pros.

If you are getting the feeling I am trying to discourage you from doing this - you are 100% correct.

Cibafan Loc: Virginia

I would say no to being hired. If these family members can not afford a pro or experienced photographer then shoot if for them for free, but be aware they may hold you responsible if they do not like the results.

mgoldfield

Nothing can soften the blow of failed wedding pictures.
Unless you believe you can do a good job, decline or pay a pro to do the job.

There are no reshoots or retakes on a wedding.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

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I wish you luck. I have shot weddings a number of times and I was always the most nervous when doing a wedding for a family member. It wasn't that I didn't have confidence in my ability to get the shots but I have to live with family so if they do get upset over anything it could make life a bit difficult for at least a while.

Your camera should work fine for the wedding. I would use the 18-55 mm for group shots of any size and probably for quite a few others too. The 75-300 mm might be the way to go if you are taking shots of the bride coming down the aisle and other similar shots where you only have one or two people that are the subject.

When taking formal shots of the bride and groom and the wedding party, double check your composition to be sure that everything that you want in the shoot is actually there. Make sure you are not cutting off any feet or the top of anyone's head. Leave a little extra space on all sides to allow for possible cropping to different aspect ratios without cutting into the subject. In groups be sure you can see everyone's face and that they are all looking towards the camera. Take several shots of all of the important shots since you can never tell when someone may blink or turn their head just as you shoot.

On all of the main shots, especially of the bride and groom, do a quick check of your histogram and be sure you are not blowing out the details on the bride's dress. To be safe, keep the right side of the histogram slightly off the right edge to be sure you don't lose intricate details on the dress. Nothing will disappoint the bride more than to have her dress show up as just a solid white mass.

You mention that you don't have an off-camera flash to use so be sure if possible, to bring a tripod to use especially for the formal shots. If you have a cable release use it along with the tripod to avoid movement when taking the shots and if you don't have a cable release use the self-timer in the camera. Without a flash, you may very well have to shoot at slower shutter speeds to get the shot without getting any motion blur. You may need to shoot at higher ISO values but try to not get them too high or noise may become a real problem.

The "0.43x wide angle" and the "2.2x telephoto" lenses that you mention are auxiliary lenses that screw onto the front of your lens rather than an actual lens. These are not as good a quality glass as your actual lenses and will give lower quality shots. I would not use them at all and just stick with the 18-55 mm and the 75-300 mm. With the 1.6 crop factor of your Canon T6, the two lenses will function like a full frame "28.8-88 mm" for the 18-55 and as a "120-480 mm" for your 75-300 mm. Your widest field of view you will have available for group shots will be approx. the same as a "29 mm" lens. I have a "0.43x wide angle" auxiliary lens like the one you mention and I have occasionally tried it on landscape shots to get a wider field of view and it does work to an extent. Try taking some shots with it on your 18-55 mm lens to see what kind of results you get with it.
If you can't fit all of a large group into a shot, you may need to try the "0.43x" to pick up a bit more width but if you can avoid using it, stick to the 18-55 mm and if you need more width, back up some instead if possible.

Good luck again and let us know how it works out.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I was very new to digital photography (after spending year doing film) and I shot my sister-in-law's wedding (they asked me to). I shot in auto (I still hadn't figured out how to set the aperture -- the stupid aperture ring isn't on the lens like it's supposed to be!!!!). I downloaded numerous shot lists and combined them; I did the photos my brother-in-law and sister-in-law wanted; I did a passable job, but my daughter was married a few weeks prior and comparing her photos (her mother and I paid for the photographer as our wedding gift to her) and comparing my photos to the pro's photos -- well, there was no comparison!

I hope your relatives will appreciate your effort and don't have extraordinary expectations. That's not saying anything bad about you or your ability; it's something I say from personal experience. I did a fairly good job of documenting the day. The photographer at my daughter's wedding didn't document the day -- he "made" the day. There is a difference!

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Did you ever hear back from the bride? Are things okay between you?


If you do decide to take your camera to the wedding and "help" for free, I think you will find a lot of good advice in the wedding photography section here. It might be time to get a flash anyway. On a limited budget, I'd recommend one of the lower cost models (be sure it supports Nikon TTL) from Yongnuo, Neewer, or Godox. Some are under fifty bucks and will perform quite adequately. Also get a plastic diffuser or small folding "softbox" type attachment for less than ten bucks. You will find them very useful in a number of settings going forward.

Don't let all of the negative thoughts on this, including mine, keep you from trying to get some great shots if you want to help out, or from proceeding in your photography career. It's just that being the primary shooter for a wedding is difficult even for many pros with adequate equipment. Doing it without a flash and without enough experience will likely be more discouraging than it should be, though.

If you do bring your camera and take some great shots, prints will make a terrific gift for the couple. But doing it without the pressure will be a lot more fun.

Andy

rockyjack

I would not do this. This person (the one trying to hire you) sounds a little goofy to begin with. If the pro photographers were too expensive, why did they hire them in the first place, which they must have done in order to be in a position to "fire" them? If you do it, adamantly refuse payment and do it strictly as a friend/relative willing to take some snapshots. If the photos turn out to be more than snapshots, everyone's happy. If not, they got what they will have paid for.