UKH

I know, there’s literally hundreds of other websites to get advice. But I’m an outdoor lad and my kit is mostly set up for such.  I’m using an A6400 with a Sony 18-135 and 70-350 zooms. Plus sigma 16, 30 and 56.

Any advice for which lenses, set up etc.

PS it’s technically not a wedding. They’re renewing their vows. I’ve been asked and would like to do a good job.

Zoom set 80-100mm f2.8 - f4 will work a treat for most shots. 

• I have done two - one on film and the next one digital. The lighting was very tricky at the 2nd so I was glad we had been for a preview walk around.
• I mainly used a 24-70 (FF). My wife (very nifty with a camera) took loads of candids whilst I did the formals. 
• It is so expensive to have a professional that I can see why people ask a friend. Just make sure they will still be friends if it goes horribly wrong!
• Check how you are going to produce the finals - prints, digital files or book. We did book the second time - 3 copies for 2 mums and the couple and that went well.

I’ll start with the serious bit (having no idea of your talent level!): If the photos are going to be cherished for years and you’re not 100% confident of providing them a consistent, technically sound set of photos then don’t do it. There’s more to ‘professional’ photography than having the right kit  

With regards which lenses etc that would completely depend on the venue. Is it an outdoor job? Is it in one of them really dark teepee tents that’ve been popular for a few years? Will it be in mid-winter when it’s dark at 4? 

I would be tempted to source a second body regardless, either for a back up or to enable you to go with a quickly switchable two lens setup.

This definitely and off camera big flash unit with diffuser for many venues. 

I have done advertising interiors, use my camera for work all the time (animal pathology / clinical signs - sometimes with some very flighty patients) and the weddings have both stressed me the most!

Do not presume taking loads of pictures will get you enough good ones. Steady concentration and attention to detail is really critical and you will still have some you will never show. I have had much more fun not as the official photographer at several friends weddings. 

i’ve done a couple of weddings for close friends. As you will guess, they were a while ago. Tele Roleiflex medium format FP4 with a couple of borrowed off camera flashes for the portrait stuff. Nikon F2 35mm, 50mm, 100mm big aperture primes HP5 for everything else. Sometimes pushed. As much outside/not flash as poss. the couples asked for black and white. I printed some of the big stuff too.

The big thing though is not kit. You need a mate who’s been invited to be an assistant. It can be worse than herding cats, and not just the group shots. Just a bit of arranging people around tables and on the dance floor stops it looking like Club 18/30 in Ibiza.

Thanks 

No worries on that count. They know my abilities (sub-enthusiast) very well, so we’re all good on expectations.  My mate has an A6000 and was tempted to ask to borrow it.

Pro tip: don't cut 'em off at the neck.

Never done one, but used to work closely with photographers back in the day for social things; not weddings, but group type events.

The one thing I carried away from all that was, don't just think you can only photograph what's in front of you when people do what they're there to do.  Shoot that, of course, but afterwards take the principals and necessary others aside and stage shots.  Tell people what to do, where to stand, how to pose, where to look, and please tell them all to make sure their flies are done up, and similar.

The assistant will help enormously, and reflectors are cheap and can save many shots, or elevate them from the good to the splendid.

Good luck!

T.

I’ve done one.  All canon.  Results were well received.

For the compact indoor location:

• EF 50 mm F/1.8
• EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

For the outdoor location which wasn’t massive:

• EF 50 mm f/1.8

• EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

The key thing was that I borrowed a second camera body for the day and carried both fully set up so I could swap instantly without faff, and with each camera set up as I wanted for its respective lens.  The 50 mm prime is subsumed in to the range of the zoom lens I used for the outdoor location, but with the aperture wide open it’s a magic piece of kit.  The 10-22 mm lens needs to be used carefully but opens up possibilities.  The most important piece of kit I had was my feet - move around!  Some of the photos  got wall mounted in giant prints and are still there 10+ years later.  I really enjoyed doing this as it meant I wasn’t wandering round gormlessly like I normally do at social events.

Also - batteries!  It’s better these days now many cameras will charge over USB-C from a powerbank.  Keep on top of that charge.

I did it for some very close friends at a smallish wedding, they had both been married before so were not overly bothered about photos but wanted some taking.

It was pretty stressful and i was glad when i could put the camera away, we could get outside and got some decent shots but inside was a bit of a nightmare, i didn't really have a clue what i was doing. In the end it turned out OK more by luck than judgement, they have a 2x2ft print on their wall of one shot!

If they are happy for you to do it on the understanding it may all go tits up then go for it, but i wouldn't do it again!

Hi Graeme, I've done a bunch of weddings over the years. Adequate gear is enough as long as it's reliable.  Ensure your batteries are all charged; bring spares and your charger. Bring more film/memory cards than you think you need. However, the gear is not where you'll suceed or fall down - it's the confidence, sensitivity, perseverance and ability to spot an image that's about to happen. Don't be aftaid to order people around. Work out a shot-list with your friends. Make the photos they need and do it quickly. The event isn't a photo-shoot; family and guests are there for the couple. The previous comments re. an assistant are spot on. Herding guests; holding reflectors; running errands etc.

The most popular (and thus sucessful) photos from my last wedding were taken with a pocket size Canon G16. I used it for candid photos. They worked and people liked them cos the camera was unobtrusive and let me get very close (~2m) to folks having a good time.

Fill-flash is a good technique to master if you plan shooting outside.

Have fun ! j

PS There's lots more to say, but better in response to more specific questions...

Thanks everyone. Lots to think about. Think I’ll just need to explain to the wedded coup that I’ll do my best. But please accept it might be a complete shitfest.

My brother asked me, because they were too tight pay for one despite spending a fortune on the location. I told him they'd be average at best. I did have a look around the place the day before to look for any good back drops etc.. and to avoid being always into the sun. Our kids were 3 and 5 ish then, i gave them my little pocket sized digital with a big memory chip and said take lots of photos. To be fair they were great, random angles, just pottering around pointing it at people and things all day, the stuff you'd never normally think of. Plus unlike if I'd put a camera on each table, no toilet cubicle shots! 

I think the key advice has been given.

Don’t do it, but if you do:

As also said above make a plan with the happy couple to step aside and get the key shots, almost a tick list.

know the plan for the wedding, what’s happening and when.

know the key people.

walk round the venue.

Very best of luck.

Toby

I've done a few and find 2 camera bodies work the best, it also gives you some element of redundancy if one packs in or the memory card becomes corrupted (usually have a 3rd body available, often borrowed)

Lens wise I use a 17-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 in the main as they cover most eventualities. The more formal shots before and after the ceremony I'll sometimes put on a 35mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/2.8. I'll also have a play at the reception with different lenses.

Quite often the light can be poor at venues so be prepared to up the ISO to compensate, most modern camera can cope. I did shoot the majority of a wedding at ISO3200 as the lighting was poor even with additional industrial lighting placed out of sight. Y=Ideally you are wanting to keep the shutter speed above 1/200 sec on a 17-70mm, higher at 70mm+.

I always try and visit the venue, often in different weather conditions to check the lighting and see what would make a good location for a photo. Also see if I can find photos from other people who have previously been there, sometimes gives ideas or area to miss out.

Main thing is to enjoy and take lots of photos.

Lot of good advice on here.

I've done a couple of weddings for friends and it's worth reiterating that unlike doing most other kinds of shoots, if you screw it up you can't take the hit on your time and go back and do it again so approach it like you would approach your day job. 

I wouldn't do it without a spare camera, preferably a second one with a different lens. I'm also a stickler for twin card slots as an instant backup. If you hire a second camera, get one as close to your own as possible, Hail Marying an unfamiliar camera at a wedding is a bad idea.

The other thing to consider is that you'll be doubling up as photographer and guest, but I didn't find this too onerous and anyway I love taking photos. (At one wedding I was best man & photographer).

FWIW, I used a combo of a 24-70 and fast 50 for formal shots and a 135mm f2 for sniping at the dance. I got a lot of candid portraits of smiling and laughing people with the latter which were very well received. I used a flash some of the time.

I've done two, for family and friends. All the key advice has been given so the only thing I'll emphasise is the need to know the key people and ideally have an assistant. I remember at one of the weddings when I was trying to organise the group shots asking, "Could we have all the groom's immediate family now?" The groom responded, "Well, my mom's dead and my dad's not coming!"

Visit the venue in advance, to get an idea of what backgrounds will work. I really love the fact our photographer (who may be reading this) took our photos with several different backgrounds, the more informal ones with us just waking hand in hand are my favourites.

Everyone wants to look at their best, I discovered that a bouquet held at the right angle is great for hiding your tummy (probably don't tell the bride why you want her to hold it there), but also try to catch them being natural and not just posing for the camera.

One more thing popped into my head: make sure you’re the only photographer for the formal shots. When it’s somebody’s pal doing the photos it’s very common that another guest with a camera will stand next to you taking the same pics. The result is that some of the subjects will be looking at you and one or two will be looking elsewhere. I’ve was once asked to stay away from the wedding photo action as I was carrying a bigger camera than the actual photographer so the guests who didn’t know me, which was most of them, thought I was the photographer.

Might have missed it above, but my top tip would be get a list of the photos the bride/groom want ahead of the day e.g. which specific groups of people and any particular locations.  This makes it loads easier to herd the right people together once everything is under way.

My other top tip is that as long as your camera etc. are reasonable quality you should be fine, but definitely make sure you're entirely comfortable with how it all works.  Preferably that means 1000s of previous photos, not just a day or two trying it out.

I've done a few sets of wedding photos for friends and one paid wedding (at a pretty low price, reflecting my experience levels).   They've all gone well, people were pleased with the photos and it was mostly good fun.

In the first instance say no. After consideration still refuse it. If even more pressure is applied, desist. You have been warned. If you really have no option, say that you only work in B&W. Not easy in itself with the high contrast between the bride and groom. If forced to do it in colour, the mother in laws dress will never be the right colour. I could go on...

Yes, several times, once professionally. It’s a surprisingly demanding job. You need to get (all) the formal pictures just right, and take a lot of informal ones too, in an unobstrusive way. You’ll get no time to socialise at all until the bride and groom have left the reception.

I recently discussed wedding photos with a bunch of friends....none of us old gits had looked at our photos since our big days! ( It was in the context of the huge cost of all things wedding related) . So, on that basis, you need not worry about your assignment! 

I’m soooooo glad I asked. Thanks everyone for your replies. So much good advice.

I realise the first thing I need to do is ask what are their expectations. If it all goes badly wrong and I produce nothing of worth, how upset would they be? If the answers is even just a bit, then I’ll say no and advise them to book a pro. If the answer is they’d be ok with that then I’ll say yes and plan using all the advice you guys have given me 😊

Wedding photos are what the bride will coo over with her female friends directly after the wedding, then as you say bury them away forever more. Those who get married a second time will spend significantly less on photos, cake, dresses etc! 

Like videoing the kids going downstairs to see if Santa’s been. I got the point where I had to say “can I please just enjoy the moment instead of fecking videoing everything every bloody year!!”

I mean the kids were in their 20’s so I don’t think I was being unreasonable?

I've done six for friends; don't underestimate the responsibility and the overall stress of it.

Play to your strengths but just make sure you get the main group/family shots and shots of all the guests/ sub-groups: this is what most people want.  Get everyone smiling and work on your banter. Nobody wants photos of unhappy people

Shot RAW and process the shots to punchy, bright and vibrant.  People like to look good in photos.

One of the most stressful days of my life, after my sister went "you've got a camera, you can take the photos...", though probably not as stressful as my other sister who's a costume designer/seamstress - "you can do the dress....". Luckily, buying a fast prime 35mm lens second hand saved my bacon and I was able to avoid using flash in the registry office (dark oak). Loads of good advice in the thread if you can't follow Sean's!

1) get a shot list off the bride & groom, and the plan for the day to work out what you need to do when. Are you expected to cover the bride's getting ready activities, and groomsmen's morning round of golf? You can't be in multiple places at once!

2) If there's a number of group shots in the same location do the one with most people in first, then next most and so on, that way you get everyone in the right place and shouting range instead of having to keep hunting around for people.

3) find out what style the B&G like - do they want a lot of shallow depth of field stuff? Posed stuff? particular angles? That will guide you to the lenses required.

4) Use 2 bodies, and preferably ones which record to 2 cards. You need camera redundancy, and memory card redundancy.

5) A lot of people say they just want candids, but only a fool wouldn't do some official-looking group shots.

6) Make up 'business cards' and give them to everyone with a camera so they can send their shots to you.  You can't capture everything, so the ability to put other people's shots in the album you're going to do for them is helpful.

7) If there's cameras on the tables get the best man to make sure people know how to use the flash on them.

8) Ensure you can always get sharp shots (no motion blur) - a bit of noise from upping the ISO is far less of an evil than unintended motion blur.  B&W masks noise very well.

Good luck!

Thanks again for everyone's further contributions.

I think it's going to be a far more informal affair than I had expected, but nonetheless I want to do a good job. As much for my ability to learn.

Let us know how you get on.

I took some candid shots at a wedding party on Saturday. I had no flash, shot RAW, everything between ISO1600-6400 and was using a Canon R5 with a 50mm 1.4 lens which is about as good as kit gets. Despite dead-on AF, good technique and some careful processing I would not have been happy with most of the keepers if I'd been the official photographer. They're nice snaps for the couple to have, I'm personally pleased with the moments and expressions I caught and how I processed them but you wouldn't print them very big due to noise or motion blur. Some people got crisper photos from their phones. I resorted to the heavy grain B/W look for quite a few of them which is a favourite thing of mine anyway whether or not I need to cloak noise or a lack of sharpness. A flash would have made a huge difference, in this instance I was a minor guest and didn't want to look like the photographer. Practice with high ISO photography would also have helped, I hardly ever go above 400.

Good luck.

Thank you. It’s not until next August, so you may well have forgotten about it by then. But I’ll repost after the event. Also gives me loads of time for practice.

Done a couple.  Kit is less important than ideas and creativity.  Get to know the venue, check out backgrounds,  sun direction, weather and talk to the couple to see what they want. You can often find some great backdrops I'm quite unlikely locations that have the right light at the right time. 

Thanks 😊 

Did a wedding once. Logistically difficult. Needed two cameras around my neck plus a video camera. Worked out to get the right volume of material - had to be shooting at least every 10-20 seconds then also get some good video footage. Really hard work.

DC

The other thing I forgot to mention, is that if you do take life in your hands and offer to photograph the wedding:

You will most likely use a tripod. This informs everyone else that you are the official photographer. Then as you start to direct the shoot, everyone else with a mobile or Instamatic takes advantage of this  and crowds around you camera. Result  total chaos. You have been warned!

Thanks again. I’ve taken on board everyone’s advice, but especially yours. I contacted the couple and checked their expectations so I’m all good if it all goes tits up (I think!). They’ve no real expectations of ‘formal’ photos, apparently they have hardly any family photos of them and their kids.

I think I’m the one more interested in taking nice photos. Having bought my kit a few years ago, and more recently RAW editing software, I’m stunned at how much better my photos are than they were on my old compact and even newer phones.

It’s next August. I’ll get back you all and let you know how I get on.

Ive done a couple of weddings.

don't fall into the trap of thinking they wont  want the formal shots even if they are informally shot.

have a quick shot list

like bride groom  plus family each family.

bride groom and kids.

but no more than 6 of these or people get bored.

have a designated gofer with the list do the chasing for you

Choose somewhere not in direct sun with a non distracting background such as privet hedge, under a tree, inside of a white marquee etc and shoot fairly wide open. 
go upto iso 1000 if you need.

once the couple have got the “formal” shots open up too couples, friends groups etc make them come to you in the same place you shot the bride and groom, turn it into a kind off wedding photo booth, ask them to mug it up if they want. 
after that relax  and enjoy the day and snap all the informal stuff safe in the knowledge you have captured the essential stuff. Hi

Thats my suspicion….good advice

On it

Good advice again

Sorted

Plan to check out their set up next summer….well in advance of the day 

I’m terrible at trusting ISO. Usually try to shoot as low as possible so that’s something I’ll need to play about with, and trust

Good idea

😊

Don't be too polite to boss people around, tell them which groups to be in for certain shots, corral them, shout a bit (nicely!) etc. I was asked to do this in 2016 with basic kit and no chance to recce the location beforehand, luckily expectations were low and I assume they were happy (I insisted on just transferring all shots to the couple's laptop and having absolutely nothing to do with afterward; not saying you should do likewise, that's just my story). Back to the point, I saw the "organising people and shouting a bit" as being a major part of it. I didn't have a gofer. 

Thanks. I plan to meet the couple first and ‘pitch’ some formal photos. I get the impression they just want me to turn up and take lots of informal photos. But I think that comes from a lack of understanding of how much work it takes to take even half decent photos. I’ll probably edit as much as I can, it’ll be good practice in using my software. But like you afterwards the photos are going on an SD card and they can do what they like.