I own a Nikon D40X digital SLR camera and I will be my brother’s wedding photographer for his wedding. I already have a zoom lens and a wide angle lens. The wedding is inside so I know I will need a better flash. I was looking at the SB-600 Nikon flash. What else do you think I will need in order to take professional quality pictures? Thank you for your input in advance.
I have done outside weddings before and the pictures came out wonderful. I do know how to take professional photos, but I have never did a wedding indoors before.
Tags: equipment, need, Photo, pictures, professional, take, Wedding
Other than the fact I have a D40, I use all of the same equipment, my lens of choice was a 55-200 nikkor af-s. With the sb600 I was able to take hundreds of great pictures. You really can do well with what you have, be sure to take a tripod along as well. I kept my mount attachment on my camera and slid the camera on the tripod periodically for some of my slower shutter speed shots.
In the end, a keen eye and stead hand is all you really need with your setup.
your brother is in for a shock, equipment is just that, professional images requires the skills and knowledge of a professional, yeah get a flash, use it off camera unless you want flat images,
they may seem like small things but…
a lens hood helps a lot with avoiding unwanted light from affecting photos and will protect your lens.
different filters for lens protection and effects.
a lightweight and sturdy tripod
a comfortable but solid strap to hang on to the camera.
extra memory cards
extra batteries
microfiber cloth to keep your lens clean.
gallon size ziploc bag to change lenses – especially if youre outside!
A minimum of 10 assistants with very large muscles and hulking figures who will agressively work crowd control for you. there is nothing worse than getting everyone together for a photo, telling them where to stand for the best composition and lighting, heads, hands, arms, clothes all positioned just right, etc…. Say CHEEZE! and then it happens…
20 other people with cheap point and click cameras all move in like vultures and try to get their own pics of your hard work. suddenly any hope you had of getting a decent shot just died because your subjects got hit with 40 flashes and your brother and new sister in law blame you for being a lousy photographer.
one last thing… never forget that its the photographer that takes the picture, not the camera. having a $100,000,000 camera with every accessory available will not make you or anyone else a good photographer.
First of all, you really need to question how your brother is going to react if you completely screw something up, and how that might effect your relationship with him. Wedding photography is hard work, and the probability of messing up is high.
Also remember that it’s hard(darn near impossible) to be a both a guest and a photographer at the same time. I notice this even when I take my camera along to a wedding for which I’m not the official photographers-it’s hard to socialize when your nose is stuck behind the viewfinder.
Consider, if you can, hiring a pro photographer as your wedding gift to your brother.
If you’re determined to do it anyway, here’s my suggestion list:
I would look into renting or buying and, most importantly, PRACTICING with the following
Fast, pro grade mid-range zoom(24-105 or similar, but most importantly a constant 2.8), preferably with stabilization(Nikon calls it VR)
Fast mid-range prime lens, like a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8
Sturdy tripod
At least one back up of every major piece of equipment, including your camera body and main lenses(what happens if your camera decides to die right as the bride’s about to walk down the aisle?)
An SB600, or even better, and SB800, would be a good “idiot proof” flash. I would suggest, though, investing your money in a couple of less expensive older auto flashes, like a Vivitar 283, Sunpak 333, or Metz 36CT3. Of these(I own at least one of all three) the Metz is probably my favorite, since it is the most powerful and flexible, although it’s also the hardest to find.
These are all inexpensive enough that you could get a couple for the price of one SB600 on Ebay.
You also want to have a selection of lighting modifiers and diffusers available. A lot of people really like the Gary Fong Lightsphere, although there are others. Even a chunk of plastic from a milk carton taped over the flash head can make a world of difference. Keep an index card rubber banded to the back of the flash head to use to direct some light forward when bouncing,
Here is a link,
http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Wedding101-page1.html
I’m afraid you will need more than just a good camera and flash. The most important ingredient is the photographer. Even skilled and experienced amateurs have been know to flub their first wedding shoot. I am assuming your brother knows your experience level and has seen your work. Make sure his bride is fully in on the plan, too. Unless you have been shadowing a pro wedding photographer for several weddings and also have a very good set of skills of your own, it is highly unlikely that you will produce professional looking photos. For one thing, weddings move at a pretty rapid pace and there’s not time for a lot of fiddling and trial and error. For many wedding happenings you have one shot and it has to be right. So taking a series and hoping for right exposure is out of the question.
I highly suggest you visit the venue at the same time of day as the wedding and do some test shots. Take a model with you, in fact, take two . Dress one person in white and one in black. Try some exposures with and without flash and see what you’ve got. You don’t say what lenses you have. If the venue is dark, the kit lens will not be fast enough. During the ceremony there will most likely be no flash allowed. And you may be restricted on your movement as well. In low light, a tripod is essential for the ceremony. I set it up in the back or the balcony.
My usual plan is to shoot the processional from the front with a flash. When the bride (and escort/s) reach the front the photographer often moves to the back of the church or a balcony. Occasionally you can shoot from the front. If I have a second shooter I do the front and my assistant goes for the long shots. Usually no flash is allowed throughout the ceremony. Besides being distracting, many people, especially the clergy, believe flashing disturbs the sanctity of the vows and will not allow it. I use a tripod for the ceremony shots, and either a f/1.4 or f/1.8 prime or a f/2.8 zoom, depending on how far away I am. As the ceremony draws to a close I ease my way back toward the front for the kiss. Then flash again for the recessional.
By all means you will need a good flash. The SB600 will do a good job. Nikon has an excellent iTTL flash system. Unless you are comfortable with manual flash, let the system work for you. If you can bounce or use a bouncer of diffuser you will get much more pleasing light with less specular highlights and softer shadows. But beware of underexposure while using a diffuser. Usually you have to compensate the flash output, which means you will use more battery power. I highly suggest using lithium batteries in a SB600. They hold a full charge better, but you will have to keep in mind the recycle time. Some popular diffusers are the Gary Fong Lightsphere (I use the clear) the Demb diffuser, Stofen, and betterbouncecard, I have a new one called Lightscoop that I like very well.
Here is another link especially for using flash.
http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/
Practice a lot between now and the wedding. Get a backup camera of some sort, just in case. Have lots of fresh batteries and memory. If you are not completely comfortable shooting on manual, use the program mode and check the results using the histogram. Purists will hate the idea of the P mode in a wedding, but in truth P will get the amateur in the ballpark 80% of the time. Don’t be afraid to use higher ISO. True, ISO 100 will get you much less noise, but I would rather have sharp images with some noise than clean but blurred. The D40 should be acceptable at ISO 800 if needed, of course 400 would be better. Try to get some good portraits outdoors of the B&G. Watch the highlights on the dress to avoid blowing them and having a featureless white blob of a bride. Look at some wedding sites for the “must-have” shots. Make a list and discuss them with the B&G. Have someone in charge of rounding up the people in the formals. When shooting the group formals, be the only one at the front. Command attention and get your shots first. Then let the guests snap. If you don’t take control, you will have the wedding party looking in all different directions. When you are shooting, they look at you only. Always turn people’s bodies at an angle to the lens. Don’t shoot from below. Portraits made looking up someone’s nostrils are never flattering. If you are on the short side, take a small step stool for portraits. You will be seriously amazed at the difference a foot in height can make. Pay attention to the details. Hold bouquets low in the group shots, most girls want to hold them too high. I don’t like the guys to clasp their hands in front. Hands in pockets is fine. Don’t chop off limbs at a joint. Get closeups and full length. In the full length shots, do not chop feet off. A little tilt goes a long way and tilt does not suit every image. In particular the ceremony and group portraits should be level.
Also remember that as the photographer, you will not be able to be the sister. It is a very important day for your brother and the family. But you, as the event photographer, will be shooting, planning to shoot, checking the shots, setting up shots, capturing emotions, getting details, etc etc etc. You will not have time to join the festivities or participate in the emotions of the day. You can’t chat with cousins you haven’t seen in years or visit with grandparents. You will be busy. You will probably have some difficulty with family members who don’t get it that you are working. Be kind, but firm. You are responsible for the day’s memories.
Be very sure about this. Bad feelings can happen when things go wrong. Even with the best of intentions on both sides, sometimes emotions get out of control, especially if the product isn’t as good as hoped or envisioned. Sometimes the B&G don’t realize how important good photography is until they are disappointed. So make sure everyone can handle it gracefully no matter what the outcome is. I don’t say this to overly discourage you. After all, I know nothing about your skill. You may be one of the rare newbies who can deliver great wedding images. I hope so, and also that everything will go great. Best wishes and good luck!
*EDIT*
I meant to mention, the day is about the bride, baby! Your side of the family is groom. I’m sure you know them better and are more comfortable around folks you know well. Of course, you want to document him on his day as well. But the day is 90% about the bride. As a wedding photographer, rather than the family photographer, you will have to lean your coverage toward the bride. If you forget that, most likely you will never *forget*, or hear the end of it, probably. So go for the girls!
It isn’t easy though, creating that perfect shot if you are taking some digital wedding photographs without help as there is only so much you can do on your own unlike the hired professional photographer who will have help.
So, if you need some help for a wedding you are to attend and you are going to do some digital wedding photography, then you may find some useful information in this article.
You’ll need faster lenses for indoor, a backup Nikon and a ton of practice. Remember, if you run into obstacles or have difficulties such as sd memory loss, camera malfunction, power loss, blurred pics ( especially indoors)…you will never hear the end of it from your brothers in laws especially.
Since you say you only need a flash. I can tell you’re not ready and the pictures would look better with a pro using a point and shoot v. an slr.
This is a day to enjoy your brother’s wedding, not “show off” as a photographer…the downside is too great.
I recommend that you do not do this.