Wedding photography advice

S.A

So recently i've been asked to photograph a relative's wedding (Free of charge they're trying to cut costs, naturally) which is in a month's time, the only problem is my equipment isn't up to parr, as an amatuer photographer/student on a tight budget you could imagine it's very lacking!

Personally I feel rather comfortable with my own equipment but after reading a lot about wedding photography I'd like to have extra equipment just incase and I really don't want to disappoint!

So what I do have is:
Canon EOS1000D
Canon EFS 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS
Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO Macro DG
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 MKII

So, what I am planning to do is rent some equipment though I'm unsure as to what I should get, and on top of that I'm quite limited as there seem to be few places in Belfast (or close) that you can rent from (If you know anywhere please let me know!!). So here's what I can get:

Here's the rental prices for the day (This is all from Calumet):

£140 Canon EOS 1DS MKII Digital
£90 Canon EOS 5D
£34 Canon EF 70-200 2.8 Luis lens
£32 Canon 24-70 f2.8L EF lens
£21 Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS
£16 Canon 580EX Speedlite

I'd say my budget would be £250-£300, I am a poor student y'know!

What do you recommend?

Crispin

S.A wrote: »

I'd say my budget would be £250-£300, I am a poor student y'know!

What do you recommend?

I would recommend you don't rent anything. If you are doing this is free of charge why should you fork out that much (madness imo :eek:). Just use what you got. If you really want to spend your money buy yourself a flash and some extra batteries/memory cards. TBH if they want pro quality shots they've gotta pay for it, wedding photography is a specialist job for a reason and there are no second chances!

Good luck with it though!!

Daz R1

Crispin wrote: »

I would recommend you don't rent anything. If you are doing this is free of charge why should you fork out that much (madness imo :eek:). Just use what you got. If you really want to spend your money buy yourself a flash and some extra batteries/memory cards. TBH if they want pro quality shots they've gotta pay for it, wedding photography is a specialist job for a reason and there are no second chances!

Good luck with it though!!

Am I not right in assuming that they're paying for the rent of the gear ?

S.A

Haha, cheers for te advice Crispin! I feel fine just to use what I have and I'm confident that I'll do a good enough job with it, I just got a bit paranoid after ready up on weddings.

Daz R1 wrote: »

Am I not right in assuming that they're paying for the rent of the gear ?

.. Nope, I've been pitched by my ma to do it for free, which I don't mind seeing as I'm only an amatuer photographer, the only thing I hope they don't think I'm paying for prints which won't cost very much anyways.

As long as someone else thinks I'll do fine with my own equipment that's all I need, just a bit of reassurance!

MagicMarker

If you're doing it for free then don't spend any money on new equipment. With what you've got you'll get some nice shots. Only difficuly may be low light and the fasted glass you've got is the 50mm, which might not be ideal depending on the shot.

But if they're not will to pay a pro then they have to accept they may not get pro shots.

Carrigman

The only item that I'd consider renting is the flashgun. You will be very limited with the inbuilt flash on the 1000D. Other than that, keep your equipment to a minimum on the day and concentrate on the photography. And make sure you have a tripod.

MagicMarker

Don't even think about using the inbuilt flash!

S.A

Carrigman wrote: »

The only item that I'd consider renting is the flashgun. You will be very limited with the inbuilt flash on the 1000D. Other than that, keep your equipment to a minimum on the day and concentrate on the photography. And make sure you have a tripod.

Will do thanks! I have a really easily adjustable tripod so that should be fine to work with. I'll put the flash on my to-get list!

Freddie59

S.A wrote: »

Will do thanks! I have a really easily adjustable tripod so that should be fine to work with. I'll put the flash on my to-get list!

Where are you located?

S.A

Freddie59 wrote: »

Where are you located?

In Belfast, not too far from the city centre.

elven

It's up to you whether you're confident going into it with your own gear or are willing to spend on extras but having done weddings with a 350d and a 5dii, i'd rent the 5d for the day. the extra high iso capability with the 50mm you have will get you shots that flash would ruin. You're much less intrusive with that, too, and will get some nice intimate stuff that you'd otherwise miss.

AnCatDubh

Just a couple of thoughts;

A lot depends really but you *can* get away with some standard gear. A few years back before I even knew what a DSLR was together with my wife we did a relatives wedding. The gear was soooooooo lame by comparison to what I should have but all went well. Sometimes it won't be all in what the camera / lens can do. The weather, environment, guests and couple can play a big part in all of this.

What are the expectations of the couple? Get the jist of what it is they are hoping for. Meet with them and talk with them. Discuss and listen. My guess is that if they weren't previously going to engage a professional with a professional fee (assuming budgetary constraints) then they will be easy to please. That being said its no excuse for being lackadaisical.

I know some are saying not to go renting because its not a paying gig and my story certainly supports that if that's the way you want to go but if you were planning on doing it as a wedding present (assuming you are from the side of the house that would be providing a present) then maybe keep some fiscal spend in mind - sure your time will be valuable too, but all i'm saying is to keep it in mind if that were your original intention.

From the lens point of view I'd hazard a guess from a technical perspective that "£32 Canon 24-70 f2.8L EF lens" would be a good investment to have for the day (I don't know the specific lens). It's a range and an aperture that you don't as yet have covered in your own kit and one that I think you would benefit from for anything from indoors to candids.

A second body (if even on loan if budget doesn't stretch that far) would be invaluable IMO from the perspective of backup in the first instance and as a second camera with a mounted lens of a differing focal range / aperture which gives you the ability to shoot differently and spontaneously if required to the extents of the your available mounted lens. For example; you might leave your 50 mounted for most of the day while altering the zooms on the second body.

Sleepy

I recently got some fantastic shots of a friends wedding with my 450D and the 50mm 1.8. It was well able to cover the ceremony in the church, signing of the registrar, cake cutting, first dance photos and unless they're expecting professional quality your kit lens should suffice for group shots.

Let them know that you'll have to fuss about a bit more than a pro will (i.e. you'll take longer on the group photos etc), take plenty of memory cards and spare batteries, shoot raw and shoot lots. Visiting the church before-hand to get an idea of the lighting conditions (take notes of the iso / shutter speeds / aperatures you need and good spots to frame the couple with for the key moments etc). would definitely help.

I came away with about 30 - 40 usable shots and about 12 great ones out of approx 140 shots taken without the freedom to move around the church that you'll have as the 'official' photographer. Once you set the couple's expectations correctly you should be fine. Maybe you could look at getting some of your best shots over the day printed up in an album for them as your wedding gift?

EDIT: If you can't get a second body, make sure to have at the very least a decent P&S as your backup (and bring spare batteries / cards for it). Imperfect photos are a better worst case scenario than none.

Fenster

At the very least I would insist that they cover your expenses. Make this demand before the wedding and get a confirmation in writing. Family or no family, they are running you to non-trivial expenses for their wedding!

bbbbb

As an amatuer, if I was in a simliar position I would be slow to use some new equipment I wasn't familiar with.
If I was a time rich, cash poor student, I'd try to visit the venues a couple of weeks in advance and try to do a dry run. Figure out what settings/lenses I'll need & when, experiment with the ISO & flash indoors etc.
I'd have a chat with the priest in advance as well, to clear things with him and if I hadn't been to a wedding in a while I'd sit in on one (ideally in the same church) and watch what the photographer is doing.
I'd try to figure out where the good spots to get the "money shots" would be. I'd look around the grounds of the church & hotel for a suitable scene for the portrait shots.
Good luck!

smelltheglove

When I started out I did a few weddings for people who otherwise would not have had a photographer. My camera would not have been far off a 350d. I had one camera with 2 lenses and a proper flash. They all went fine.

I have noticed a huge difference with 2 cameras, with a better quality. However I rarely go above iso 100, I almost never use flash in the church and I always get good shots. Both my cameras are the same. I am sure you will do fine with what you have, the couple most likely know what to expect.

Check out the venues before hand for comfort sake, take a good look around and think what to do if rain comes. Look at other photographers websites and memorise what shots you want to capture and most importantly relax and ENJOY it.

Borderfox

Does that read right Rachael, "However I rarely go above iso 100" ?

S.A

Thanks all for the advice! Everything is very uncertain at the moment, I haven't even gotten proper confirmation from the couple themselves, the mother and my mother seem to have decided all this without even telling me.

I'm quite familiar with the church and reception area as I've been there several times before but I'll make note to go back to see about camera settings and stuff and I'll make sure to be there for the rehearsal. There's still a month until the event and everything needs to be confirmed fully.

I'll be back if I need more advice!

Fajitas!

Borderfox wrote: »

Does that read right Rachael, "However I rarely go above iso 100" ?

Lucan is known for being home to the brightest churches in the whole wide world :pac:

Fajitas!

Aaaand just to add some practical notes to the thread;

Do try to get your expenses covered, and a fine feed, followed by a large quantity of booze. If I were you, I'd be going for a 5D MkII, 24-70 2.8L and a 580ex II - That's the minimum I'd shoot a wedding with. Your 50mm will be very handy too. Buy yourself a reflector too - A 5-in-1 job. They're not too pricey. This shouldn't be too bad for them to cover.

Oh, and get the money before the wedding. Tell them it's for gear rental and you need it upfront.

Do do a recce of the church even if you're not familiar with it. Get some light readings. Try and get your locations sorted.

I'd go against the grain, and say don't bother talking to the priest. You'll get too many rules laid down, and they can be quite offputting. Religion is all about forgiveness anyways :pac:

Do try see another wedding in the church, and have a look at photographers' (ones you like) portfolio's, to get an idea of the day in images.