Wedding Photography Emergency!!!!! Please Help!!!!!

[theantiquetiger]

So, i am doing my first wedding tomorrow. tonight was the rehearsal. The wedding is outside at 7:00pm. Here is what I was able to grab of the bride walking down the isle.

I told them we will need some slave flashes off to the sides and some kind of light on them as the stop to get the focus (I have all this).

Any other thing I could do?

https://v4s.yimg.com/sj/2808/12686244573_7a62f4564b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/12686244573/)
wedding (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/12686244573/) by Theantiquetiger (http://www.flickr.com/people/theantiquetiger/), on Flickr

[theantiquetiger]

The major problem is, they are basically walking in complete darkness.

So I just went outside and did an impromptu shoot with the same conditions, ZERO light!!!

I used one of my small cold foot mounted LED lights on the ground to put a enough light on the subjects and one of my slave flashes on lowest settings.

Only problem, the wedding march will have nothing behind them for at least 50m.

https://v4s.yimg.com/so/7312/12687536525_803661b82c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/12687536525/)
flash practice (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/12687536525/) by Theantiquetiger (http://www.flickr.com/people/theantiquetiger/), on Flickr

[Marko]

Sorry i didn't see this last night - Crazy difficult and unusual first wedding shoot.

If the bride and groom didn't think about having any light so people could see them walking down the aisle...then this is NOT your responsibility as far as I am concerned.

This is the wrong time for slaves imo. If this were my shoot I'd shoot it direct flash and they get what they get. It's a ridiculous environment for a wedding shoot.

Normally - like 100% of all weddings I've shot or attended - the bride and groom can be seen by the guests. (The light from your flash or from a video light doesn't count.)
Since this isn't the case, you and they should not expect traditional, well lit wedding shots at all.
You will not be able to easily cover the wedding march this way. Just take shots like your practise shots as the wedding march guests approach your shooting position.
Good luck!

[theantiquetiger]

Thanks Marko. I do find it strange they didn't think about how dark it is at 7pm during the winter. The location even has a "wedding planner" and she didn't even consider it. Luckily, the party is very small, about 8 people. I showed the Mother of the bride my shot of the bride above and my practice shot of my daughters and she understands.

Now I just need find some good positions for the actual ceremony, which will be held in a gazebo poorly lit with one over head tungsten bulb and lattice work just a couple feet behind them.

One thing I have to remember about my practice shot above, it was shot at 182mm, but my speed was only 1/50. I need to increase the ISO and get the speed up to near the FL. I was at f/2.8, so my field of focus is going to be very narrow, so I will need to bump the aperture closed a little.

[Marko]

Last thing you want is even the chance of blurriness if u can avoid it.

Since the pressure will be on, sharpness beats depth of field in every poker game in town when it comes to wedding photography. You'll be shooting at night - up the ISO to 1000 or more to salvage background detail. If there is no background detail to be had, lower the ISO to something less noisy as it's no use.

about that 1/50.... a bit too slow. The flash (I usually use TTL in all modes for events like these) should cover it but you may lose a few shots at that speed. I recommend shooting in manual mode if it is outside as the lighting will not change. Lock in the minimum shutter speed u need (easier to do in manual mode) and choose a wide aperture. Do a few on the spot tests. If you want to go semi automatic, to assure the sharpness, in this case because the pressure is on (first wedding) I'd recommend shutter priority at the minimum required speed (which depends on the lens of course).

Hope that may help - Good luck!

[theantiquetiger]

I also plan not shooting over 150mm Fl (more likely around 100mm), so just by bumping my speed to around this, I should be OK, even after closing my aperture to 3.5 or so.

I am planning on losing the shot on the entire dress on the aisle and just capturing mid-thigh to waist up. The other photographer is shooting with a cheap nifty 50, and I told her to concentrate on the full body shots.


I am thinking of it this way, if my first wedding is this difficult and I pull it off, it will only get easier from here.

[theantiquetiger]

The wedding was a success!!! The slave flashes saved the day. I have about 160 images to sort (already sorted out the bombs, down from 300 images).

I did learn something very important tonight, I do not want to be a wedding photographer

Here is my first edited image

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/12717924445_7e1c771604_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/12717924445/)
wedding9b (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/12717924445/) by Theantiquetiger (http://www.flickr.com/people/theantiquetiger/), on Flickr

[theantiquetiger]

Here is a link to the set as I build it

Amber's Wedding (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theantiquetiger/sets/72157641385443175/)

[Runmonty]

Super job on the few I have seen so far AT (about a dozen so far). I am blown away

Just a quick observation if I may be so bold about the processing. The whites look a little muddy. Just a very quick levels adjustment will fix very quickly.

You should be really pleased with these - well done mate



I am

[theantiquetiger]

Super job on the few I have seen so far AT (about a dozen so far). I am blown away

Just a quick observation if I may be so bold about the processing. The whites look a little muddy. Just a very quick levels adjustment will fix very quickly.

You should be really pleased with these - well done mate



I am

Thanks, will do

[Marko]

Nice shots so far AT.
In terms of being a wedding photographer....trial by fire is the hardest way.
Assisting a wedding photographer for a year or more is the best way.

[theantiquetiger]

Nice shots so far AT.
In terms of being a wedding photographer....trial by fire is the hardest way.
Assisting a wedding photographer for a year or more is the best way.

I just didn't like it. My best shots from last night are the non-portrait images, people not knowing I am taking their picture.

Maybe I can be a "Non-Traditional" wedding photographer, only taking candid pictures.