What rentals and new equipment?!

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

(I found it!) As you know, I have a lot of questions about gear among other things. The first is, what specific speed light should I buy for my Nikon D5100? I am saving to upgrade my equipment! I also found a used 85mm 1.8 Nikon lens for $325. She said $290 now.. Should I buy it? And will it work with an upgraded Nikon as well as my own? I’m shooting an indoor wedding June 19. So I’m limited currently as I only have my 5100, a 35 mm, a 50 mm, the kit lens, and 55-200. 
You had recommended I rent a 70-200. 
Previously you mentioned a Nikon 700. Should I get that one, or just use what I have for the wedding, and continue to save for a better camera? Thanks!! I’m sure I’ll have more questions soon. 

[Brian]

Finally!! OK, the cool part on how I setup this forum is only you and I can talk back-and-forth, so others won't be chiming in to "Help." This keeps the discussion simple and to the point. I also want to warn you before I recommend anything, I am a Nikon OEM Snob. Meaning, I like the good stuff which tends to be more expensive. Very rarely will you have me recommending a Kung-Pow! 3rd party flash for $95 or something along those lines. I do not fuck around when it comes to a Wedding, and I certainly need for my gear to WORK and not question it. Period. Those off-brand / cheap flashes are fine when you want to learn and fiddle...and you do not want to be learning during something important, like a Wedding.

As YouTube people say,

Let's get into it...

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

The first is, what specific speed light should I buy for my Nikon D5100?

With any gear purchase question, I will always ask, "What is your budget?" Followed by "What will you be shooting?" Since we've gone over what you will be using this for, photographing Weddings, that's out of the way. But...how much are you willing to spend? What am I working with here?

Ultimately, I will recommend a Nikon SB-5000. That flash seems to be out of stock in a lot of places and it also costs $600 all by itself. But it's meant for Professional Gigs and has enough power to handle a Wedding. If that price is a bit too high, then you can head to KEH.com and purchase a Nikon SB-910 Flash in "EX" Condition for $221.53. Which isn't bad and I think is your best option at this point. If you want to buy something new, and it will work perfectly with your D5100, the Nikon SB-700 is the one to get at $326.95. Speaking of prices, Nikon controls the prices. So if the reseller is authorized to sell Nikon products, the prices should all be the same between Store A - Store B & Store C; within a few dollars. Adorama might have a SB-5000 flash for 599.99 and B&H might have it for $596.95, or whatever. If you see anything "New" for a lot less, like several hundred less, those products are known as "Grey Market" and DO NOT COME WITH ANY TYPE OF WARRANTIES. In fact, Nikon will not touch any Gray Market that is sent into them for repair. So you MUST be careful to avoid "Grey/Gray Market" or sometimes it's labeled as "Imported."

Here is an example:

See that "Imported?" This means it's "AS-IS" and no warranty from Nikon what-so-ever. Avoid these items at all cost. Got it?

 

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

I also found a used 85mm 1.8 Nikon lens for $325. She said $290 now.. Should I buy it? And will it work with an upgraded Nikon as well as my own? I

The 85mm lens is great on a FX body, and will work fine on your D5100. That said, with the "Angle of View Change" you get with your DX Sensor, it really doesn't perform well. Let me explain.

Since the physical size of a DX / Crop Senor is smaller than a full-frame one, it causes a magnifying effect, similar to "Cropping" a Photo in Photoshop. With DX Camera Bodies, you take the focal length of the lens and multiply it by 1.5 to get the "equivalent" focal length on a FX Camera body. In this case we are talking about an 85mm focal length:

85mm x 1.5 = 127.50mm

So what does that mean? That 85mm will act closer to a 135mm lens would on a FX body. This is why so many Photographers who shoot with Crop Bodies use a 50mm f/1.8 for Portrait work. The 50mm focal length acts more like a 85mm would on a FX body. (i.e. 50mm x 1.5 = 75mm) That's why you are using a 35mm lens and a 50mm lens. In reality if you switched to a FX body, you would replace the 35/50 with a 50mm lens and 85mm lens. Make sense?

Why am I bringing this up? Because 85mm acts more like a short telephoto lens; it's a bit too long for my taste on a Crop Body. Since it's a Prime and you are going to be moving all around during a wedding, it just doesn't make sense to purchase that lens now. You can't zoom in-and-out, it's a Prime. Weddings are not laid-back affairs, even small ones. You will be running-and-gunning and since this is your only 2nd Wedding, your style hasn't developed yet.

Should you buy it? Absolutely! But when you are upgrading to FX, and if you are shooting Weddings, FX / Full-Frame Format will be in your near future. So even though $290 is a very good price, I'd rather you take that $290 and rent something like a 70-200 lens for this gig.

 

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

I’m shooting an indoor wedding June 19. So I’m limited currently as I only have my 5100, a 35 mm, a 50 mm, the kit lens, and 55-200. 
You had recommended I rent a 70-200. 

I wish you would have posted this question months ago. COVID-19 has really fucked with the supply chain and many products are sold-out and have been for months. Where is this venue? Is it outdoors? How much room will you have to work with? The reason I ask, is it has to do with your Crop Camera. It's that stupid Angle of View Change, it just messes with everything. We don't have a lot of time here, you need to rent equipment for at least a week and it needs to be in your possession at least by Wednesday for your to practice and fiddle with. Pro-grade lenses that are required to shoot Weddings are quite large and heavy. While I recommend a 70-200 f/2.8 lens, that sucker is 3lbs all by itself. So find a 5lb bag of Sugar and hold it like you would shooting a camera, that will give you an idea of what you will be dealing with. You have no idea of what the Pro-Grade stuff is like. Your 35mm and 50mm will feel like toys compared to a Pro-Grade lens. 

Anyway, what I'd rent is a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8G lens and get a SB-910/SB-5000 Flash. I will warn you, due to that stupid Angle-of-View Change, 24mm isn't that "Wide" on a Crop Body. You'd need a 16mm Focal Length for that. So the Bouquet Toss / Garter Belt Toss will be damn near impossible if you can't back up far enough if it's a really small venue. That said, 90% of your other shots you can pull off with the 24-70 and D5100. The lens is heavy, but not as heavy as a 70-200. Honestly, you have no idea of the difference between a Consumer-Grade "Training Wheels" Camera Body and a Professional Grade one. Same thing goes with the lenses. Night and Day difference!!

I will warn you, the 24-70 is addictive. I borrowed that lens from a friend once 11 years ago...and that lens has caused me to spend over $16,000+ in gear. LMAO!! The focus speed, clarity, contrast, sharpness, the lack of blown highlights is something you aren't used to. That lens wants to SHOOT. It's like a Dog pulling on a leash wanting to run. When I first used that lens, I thought it wasn't working properly. It seemed to be not focusing, even though my images were clear when I checked them. It's only when I purposely made the lens out of focus by turning the ring then letting my camera Auto-Focus. A split-second after putting my finger on the shutter button the damn thing locked on. I had NEVER experienced a lens that focused that quickly!! So be forewarned.

Oh, but since this lens will be a rental, it may not be up to par as a brand new lens would, as people use-and-abuse rental gear. Hopefully you will get a good copy of the lens to use.
 

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

Should I get that one, or just use what I have for the wedding, and continue to save for a better camera?

As I've stated above, a new camera...FULL FRAME FORMAT, aka "FX," is in your future if you want to shoot professionally and/or shoot Weddings. Period. So yes, start saving up.

Now here are some drawbacks to switching to FX:

As I've mentioned above, in my humble opinion, a DX Camera is a camera with "Training Wheels." Why? It's because the sensor is physically smaller than a full frame one. I know, big-deal? Right? Well, since the sensor is smaller, it uses the center-most portion of your lenses, which often is the best part of the lens. So it's VERY EASY to take a good Photograph and have all sorts of Hearts / Likes / Swoons when you post images on FB or other Social Media. It gives you a false-sense of ability.  When you upgrade to FX, you are using the WHOLE LENS, including all of it's flaws along the sides. This will show you all sorts of quirks with your lenses that you weren't aware of and you will find your technique will be weak in some areas. Why? It's due to that Angle-of-View Change!

Since the FX sensor is physically larger, it affects so much on what you see. FX bodies have a shallower Depth-of-Field, well...not really in the technical sense, but in the real-world, it forces you to stand in a spot that you normally wouldn't which affects the Depth-of-Field. Clear as Mud?

Think of a Analog Clock and stick your arms out.

9 & 3 = Medium Format
10 & 2 = FX / Full Frame
11 & 1 = DX / Crop

With that Magnifying affect gone with Full Frame, you will end up being closer to your subject than you would with a DX camera. This in turn, changes your Depth of Field. The main things that make up your DoF are:
 

• Focal Length Used
• Aperture Setting
• Distance between the Subject & Background
• Distance between the Subject & Film Cell
• Sensor / Film-Cell Size

Here is some comparison shots of what I'm talking about from an old friend who shot the same subject with a D7000 & D700:

1. D700 & D7000 Comparison Shots #1 - Lily Sawyer
2. D700 & D7000 Comparison Shots #2 - Lily Sawyer

OK, I do have a point to all of this, and it's getting to my "Bottom Line" Paragraph on what you should do. Right now, stick with the camera that you have. You do not have time to learn how to produce photos with a FX Camera body. You do not want to be learning during a gig and I don't care how much practice and YouTube Videos you watch, switching formats takes a little practice and a good month to get used to if not more. Especially when you find that your technique needs improving and finding out that your existing lenses suck.

I've personally gone through this as well as everyone else. I'm just trying to warn you and give you realistic expectations of what is in your near future. I'm sure you are almost at the point of asking what camera do you buy next? This is a tough one to answer. Why? Because Nikon is slowly abandoning the F-Mount DSLR Cameras and is switching to Z-Mount / Mirrorless Bodies. That's good news and bad news...

The bad news is the F-Mount that has been around since 1959 is being replaced. So no new lenses will be produced for the existing DSLRs. The good news is that the F-Mount is a Mature System and has all sorts of options to choose from. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has screwed around with the Supply Chain and so much is Out-of-Stock or is on Back-Order. Which leads me to believe that certain lenses will never be in-stock again. That usually leads people to think that Mirrorless is "Better" and the "Future." While that might be true to a certain extent, it's still a brand-new format and the choices of lenses are limited. Well, at least they have the main zoom lenses that the majority use (14-24, 24-70, 70-200) released. It's the exotic primes that haven't been released yet, but things are slowly getting better. Again, we still have COVID-19 to deal with and even though they have announced certain lenses, they might not be available until 2022 or even 2023!

This is why I can't tell you to save up and go and buy ____________. I can say you should save up at least $5000 for whatever path you take. (Or more.)

But right now, you have much bigger things to worry about, that Wedding is in a Week!

Bottom Line: Stick with your D5100. You know that camera and how to use it. Bring extra memory cards and batteries. Bring at least a pack of 8 AA Batteries. Energizers or Duracell. (Ones that have a little more "Umph" for flashes and other electronic devices.) Hell, bring two packs of 8 AA Batteries. Rent a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8G Lens and a SB-910 Flash. Rent them for 7 days and have them delivered by this Wednesday. Then practice with them ASAP. Set your flash to TTL Mode and use Aperture Priority on your D5100. Remove the stupid UV Filter that is used for "Protection" on the day of your gig. Those UV Filters can produce all sorts of weird colored blobs when using flash. JUST REMEMBER TO PUT IT BACK ON THE LENS BEFORE YOU SEND IT BACK or else you will get charged. I wouldn't worry about a 70-200 f/2.8 for now. Unless you want to go ahead and rent it. But again, that lens is quite large, so if you do rent it...be prepared.

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

 

I finally figured out how to reply.. lol. Okay, so I bought the 85 mm. I went to rent the flash you recommended and the SB-910 isn't available until August. There is a SB-700 available. Is that a good one? Or should I check out another rental website? I'm on borrowlenses.com. The SB-700 is just $30 to rent for a week, and the Nikon 24-70 is $109 for a week. As for the space I will have to work with, the wedding is in a church. A small one, without vaulted ceilings it seems like. From the outside photos I found online, it seems that there are rows of smaller windows on either side of the long, narrow building. So I think I'll have some space, but not too much. The reception is in a rental hall, but a small town one. I haven't seen the inside yet and she's literally impossible to reach. Sigh. I won't let this happen again ever. I feel so stupid. That being said, I am here to learn and to do my very best. She now wants makeup photos in her home. (It just keeps getting better.) I have done something relatively similar for a sweet 16, but this is different. I thought some of my sweet 16 photos were great, and others I have obvious issues with lower light and movement. Thank God I found you and Damien..,. Anyway, thank you for  your thorough reply. I'll have to study it! I have another question: Why would I want CF cards over SD cards? I've never used CF cards before.. Please let me know about the flash. And should I definitely skip the 70-200 then? And just go for the other, 24-70? Does that lens zoom well? Will I use that one by itself? You said I shouldn't use the 85 for the wedding.. Should I ONLY use the 24-70? Or maybe my 35 or 50? Thank you, you're the best. And I appreciate your honesty SO MUCH! xo

 

~Brittney

Edited June 13, 2021 by BrittneyA

[Brian]

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

There is a SB-700 available. Is that a good one? Or should I check out another rental website?

The SB-700 should work "fine." It's a good flash and I bought one for my Brother as a Christmas Gift to work with his D5200. I'd check to see if another site has a SB-5000 or a SB-910. With any of those flashes, it will be WAY BETTER than any pop-up flash. At this point, you really don't have time, you need something by the middle of the week. I've used Borrowlenses.com and LensRentals.com. Getting setup with them is a bit of a PITA, as they need your Driver's License and other Documentation to prove you are you, which is understandable as they are sending things to unknown parties on the internet. So plan on jumping through a couple of hoops today to get your accounts setup.

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

• So I think I'll have some space, but not too much.
• The reception is in a rental hall, but a small town one.
• She now wants makeup photos in her home.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU ARE GOING TO RUN INTO IS YOUR D5100 AND THAT CROP SENSOR.

You don't have "Wide." 35mm is kinda wide on a Full Frame, but not on a crop sensor. Small churches, getting ready shots in people's bedrooms...all of that stuff you need wide. For a Crop Sensor, that's around 16mm to get a 24mm equivalent's "look." In reality, you need the Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 Zoom Lens as that is the "24-70" for a Crop Sensor Camera Body.

Holy Shitballz!!! I FOUND ONE!!! Lensrentals.com has a Nikon 17-55 f/2.8G DX lens in stock!! I know you like your Primes and you seem to be a Prime shooter, but honestly? You need a Zoom for this gig. So ignore my recommendation for a 24-70 since you bought the 85mm and rent that damn Nikon 17-55 f/2.8G DX lens. Don't argue. Trust me.

Here is a photo taken with my 17-55 f/2.8 when I shot with my D300s for a Wedding years ago:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKJ_RUVDlnZ/

I was standing about 6 or so feet away from them with my SB-600 camera right on a lightstand. (Off Camera Flash.) Just before I took the photo, I told the Groom to "Grab her ass!" and he happily complied. Her reaction is genuine.

You are working in uncharted territory and it's not going to do you any good standing on a ladder in a corner or in a closet trying to get further back because you aren't "wide" enough. I've been there, it sucks. I've missed shots due to not being "wide" enough because of a damn Crop Sensor. Getting ready shots almost always require a 24mm lens, and with your crop body, that's going to perform like a 35mm would on a full frame. I know I'm going on-and-on about this, but I'm trying to save you a headache & heartache. You have no idea of what you got yourself into. As I've stated on FB, being a Guest at a Wedding and Photographing it is Romantic, being a Vendor Documenting the Day is a Pain in the Ass.

Honestly? Stuff like this is completely normal when it comes to a Wedding. You think it's just a small ceremony in a Church, and a simple Reception. HA! Then the "Oh, by the way, I'd like you to take photos of...." starts to happen and then it blows up in your face. This is the reason that Wedding Photographers charge as much as they do! But you will get through it, you have no choice and at least you know to expect the un-expected.  

  

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

Why would I want CF cards over SD cards? I've never used CF cards before

CF Cards are just different and is one of the older formats for Digital Cameras. Going forward, new cameras are XQD / CFExpress Type B and SD cards. It really depends on what your camera body takes. The only reason that I recommended CF Cards was if you were going to purchase a used D700 body; that camera ONLY takes CF Cards and I think your D5100 only takes SD Cards.

[Brian]

1 hour ago, BrittneyA said:

Please let me know about the flash. And should I definitely skip the 70-200 then? And just go for the other, 24-70? Does that lens zoom well? Will I use that one by itself? You said I shouldn't use the 85 for the wedding.. Should I ONLY use the 24-70? Or maybe my 35 or 50? Thank you, you're the best. And I appreciate your honesty SO MUCH! xo

SB-700 is fine. It should work for your situation and with things not being in stock, you may not have a choice.

70-200 / 24-70...technically you need it all. The main problem is, you are going to be "Performing on-stage" within a week and you know how to play Heart and Soul and can play a C Major Scale on a Piano. People think Weddings are easy, they've all been to at least one in their lives, well at least by the time they are adults. It's a completely different experience when you are the one documenting the day. It just is.

You can shoot an entire Wedding with a 24-70 lens. You can get creative with a 70-200 lens and things like the first Kiss are much easier with a 70-200. But like I said, a 24-70 will cover an entire Wedding if you think outside the box. Since you are on a Crop Sensor, you need a Nikon 17-55 f/2.8DX lens for this Gig. That lens compensates for the Angle of View Change with a DX Sensor and gives you the equivalent focal range as a 24-70 would on a FX Sensor. Understand?

Bring your 35mm and 50 and 85mm. You might be able to pull this Wedding off without a 70-200. Most of the time, my 70-200 gets used for when I'm on the outskirts and the Woman that I shoot with is in the middle aisle during the Ceremony. Often she has a 24-70 mounted and I have a 70-200. I also zoom in like a Sniper for the "Ugly Crying Groom's Face," or to get in a tight shot of a Mom in tears. Then for a Reception, the 70-200 also helps me capture the emotion while the couple is on the dancefloor for the 1st time. One lens is simply "better" than the other when it calls for a certain situation. It is also based on what look you are going for. Blurring out the backgrounds and using compression to your advantage makes for easy and creative B&G Formal Shots with a 70-200. But shooting the Formals with everyone in the Wedding Party? Heck no, you are standing too far back with a 70-200. You use the Right Tool for the Job you are doing/Photographing. That's why I have a 14-24mm, 24-70, 70-200, 85mm 1.8 and a 50mm 1.8, Main Camera Body plus a backup camera body and a SB-5000 Flash with a SB-910 Flash as a backup for each Wedding Gig. In the car I have another 24-70 and 70-200.

But you aren't there yet. I'm not going to tell you to spend $16,000+ in the next week for this mess you have gotten yourself into. That wouldn't be fair. So let's keep things simple. You have so much to cram in the next few days you can not afford to have a major "Brain-Fart" during this Gig. You need to figure out how to bounce your flash!! That's on Wednesday.

As for the 85, I said it's great on a Full Frame Sensor, but it "Too Long" to be of really any use on a Crop Body. But that is based on my shooting style and I'm more of a Zoom Person. You might find that 85 is the "Bee's Knees" and prove me completely wrong. I hope that you do! I want you to blow this Gig out of the Park and have a happy client!!

Bottom Line: Head to LensRentals.com, rent a 17-55 f/2.8G DX and a SB-700 for the week. Hold off on the 70-200 unless you feel like forking out the cash. The 85mm that you purchased might work in place of the 70-200. Sometimes my 70-200 sits in my bag all day if the venue is small. The 24-70? Hell No. It's my most used lens during a Wedding and that's why you need to rent the 17-55. Got it?

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

 

Thank you. I just rented the 17-55 f/2.8G ED AF-S DX is what it says, I hope that's the right one! And I saw the Nikon SB-5000 Speedlight, so got that too. Everything was about $165 with limited coverage insurance, shipping, and tax. I'll receive them on the 16th. My next question is: How will I use the flash and attach it? How do I turn it on and then back off for when we go outdoors? You mentioned shooting in A mode. I assume I'll still have to adjust my settings.. ? I guess I usually shoot in M mode. I don't shoot in Auto much, but part of me is wondering if that might be a good idea? No way? 

 

Should I get CF cards? Instead of SD? I've never used CF cards before.. Will the lens I rented create nice bokeh far away AND close up? When will I want to use it vs the other lenses I have? 

 

Thank you! 

 

 

 

Brittney

[Brian]

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I just rented the 17-55 f/2.8G ED AF-S DX is what it says, I hope that's the right one!

Yep. That is the one.
 

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

My next question is: How will I use the flash and attach it? How do I turn it on and then back off for when we go outdoors?

Umm...with the switch on the back of the flash?

You attach it the flash on the Camera's Hot-Shoe. I will be you have the protection cover still on top of the camera. Slide it backwards and you should see something like this:

 

 

See this thing on top of your camera? Slide it off (Backwards.) It's just the contact cover. That's where the flash mounts to:

 

Now, here is the Manual for the SB-5000. I want you to download it right now and READ IT.

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

 

Okay, I'm reading it. It's 128 pages. lol. But I will read it. Any videos that I should watch in addition to it? I can't wait for my things to get here.. I need to figure out what settings to use. My biggest fear: The church says no flash allowed. Lol. Wouldn't that be grand? Still waiting to hear from the bride about my millions of questions.. I'll report back when I have more information! Thank you.

Brittney

[Brian]

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

You mentioned shooting in A mode. I assume I'll still have to adjust my settings.. ? I guess I usually shoot in M mode.

If you are used to shooting in M Mode / Full Manual, keep using it. Aperture Priority just helps make things a bit faster in where you pick the Aperture and the camera picks the Shutter Speed to match as best as you can. Personally, I shoot in Manual Mode 99% of the time. The only time I switch to Aperture Priority is if I'm bouncing back and forth between a really bright area and then immediately spinning around and shooting an area that is dark. Sometimes an "Auto" Mode like Aperture Priority makes things easier since rotating dials can open the proverbial door for you to miss a shot. I don't think this Wedding with be like that for you, so stick with what you know.

 

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I assume I'll still have to adjust my settings.. ?

Uh, yeah! You will be adjusting your settings all day long!! Speaking of settings, your camera's Sync Speed is 1/200th of a Second for a Shutter Speed. So set your camera to 1/200 (the camera will do this automatically if you set it up correctly in the menu). Here is the D5100 Manual in .PDF Format.  Now we need to set up your camera to work with the SB-5000.

First, I want you to turn to Page 38 and follow the steps. The Flash Mode that you need to set in your camera is Rear Curtain Sync.

From Nikon:

Quote

REAR (rear-curtain sync): Flash fires just before shutter closes, creating a stream of light behind
moving light sources (below at right). If this icon is not displayed, flash will fire as the
shutter opens (front-curtain sync; the effect this produces with moving light sources is
shown below at left).

Rear Curtain Sync is A LOT more forgiving than the other Flash Modes. It fires the flash just before the shutter closes. What does this do? Your subjects will be "frozen" with the quick Flash Duration, but things in the background might be a little blurry. This is perfectly normal. If you are on Front Curtain Sync the Flash fires when the shutter opens and this can lead to your subjects being blurry if they are moving, like walking down the aisle and things in the background sharp. THIS IS VERY BAD. It's much better to have a frozen and in-focus subject and a blurry background than a blurry B&G and sharp background. Got it?

I just read the User Manual of your D5100. Holy Smokes! I forgot just how Consumer Grade that camera is!! I actually just found the real manual and this is the one you need to read Cover-to-Cover. Nikon D5100 Reference Manual. 

I want you to start on page 149 and go through each of the settings. In fact, on page 151 is where we need to be.

• You want setting A1 to be set to Focus and not "Release." This makes sure that the camera only takes the photo when it thinks things are in focus when using AF-C Mode. Chances are the AF-C mode will be the one you use the most during the day. As you press the shutter halfway down, the camera keeps focusing. You might be used to the other mode, AF-S which is single focus mode. This is good for subjects that are standing still, like for Portraits. That said, if someone moves just a little bit, the focus can be off so I'm always using AF-C for Weddings. BTW, I don't bother with AF-A mode.
• You want setting D2 set to On to display your current ISO in the viewfinder instead of shots remaining.
• Menu Setting E1: SET THAT TO TTL. This is Through-The-Lens Metering, which puts the Flash in a Auto Mode. You do not have enough time to learn how to properly control Full Manual Flash. Seriously, you need like 6 months or more of practice. USE TTL Mode!
• The F1 Menu Setting, I'd switch that to ISO. This way all you would have to do is hold the FN button and rotate the Rear Control Dial. This makes adjusting your ISO a breeze.
• Setting F4. This by far, is one of the most important settings on Nikon Cameras. You should set this option to RELEASE LOCKED!! Why? If you set it to Release Locked, the camera will only take a picture if a Memory Card is installed in the camera! You don't EVER want to take the risk of taking a photograph and not having a card in the camera, because as soon as you power off the camera, those photos in the camera's buffer are permanently gone. Again, Menu F4... "RELEASE LOCKED!!!"

Now we should be in the Setup Menu, the "Wrench" Icon.

• Monitor Brightness. I'd set that to -1 or even -2. Photographers get caught in the trap of using the Camera's LCD to judge exposure. THIS IS VERY BAD. As I've stated before, the Camera's LCD Display's the JPEG Preview that is embedded in the Raw file, and not the RAW File Image itself!! Always remember, your camera's LCD is a lying and cheating Whore who will sell you down the River if given the chance!!! The camera's LCD brightness is adjustable, which causes you to think you have obtained proper exposure, but you haven't. So by setting it to -1 or -2, will help ensure better focus, because it's really hard not to view the LCD and not judge exposure. People do it all the time.

Other settings!

I would change the "Info Display Format," page 168 to "CLASSIC." This mode is much easier to read and allows you to get to various settings without having to dig through the menus. In fact, Page 169 has a breakdown of what all the settings are. Memorize them!!

You should shoot RAW. If you can, select 12-Bit Uncompressed. But I don't think the D5100 has that option. I think it's 14-bit only. Oh well. Regardless, SHOOT RAW.

[Brian]

15 minutes ago, BrittneyA said:

The church says no flash allowed. Lol. Wouldn't that be grand?

Been there, done that. You are fucked. Inform the Bride. There are reasons that I shoot with the professional bodies. They can deal with High ISO's pretty easily. Chances are, you are going to be at ISO 6400 or more during the whole ceremony. Hopefully they have big windows.

4 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

Should I get CF cards? Instead of SD? I've never used CF cards before..

GET CF CARDS OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!

Your camera doesn't take them. The CF Cards were for another camera that you aren't buying. You want to purchase a couple of 32GB SD Cards.

[Brian]

4 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

Will the lens I rented create nice bokeh far away AND close up?

Probably not in the sense that you are used to. This isn't a family session at the park where you can set your 50mm lens to 1.8 and blur the hell out of everything. f/2.8 will give nice Bokeh, but you can play with that Aperture Setting now. Mount your 50mm, set it to f/2.8 and take a few test shots. Zoom lenses typically don't go beyond f/2.0 and the reason is the size and weight of the lens. If you were to have a f/1.8 Zoom Lens, that sucker would probably weight 7lbs or more. You probably couldn't get your hands around it. But f/2.8 is better than nothing. You will get decent subject isolation with f/2.8, but not the buttery blurry backgrounds that so many are used to. Especially ones who shoot with Primes.

Subject placement, distance between the background and subject AND between you and the subject will affect how much blur. If you move the subjects further away from the background, set the lens to f/2.8 and Zoom in, Compression will help with the Bokeh. This was taken with my 70-200 at f/2.8 zoomed into 200mm. She was a good bit away from the grass in the background:

Typical shot of what to expect with f/2.8. Also taken with my 70-200 and I was a good distance away. Compression is your friend when it comes to zoom lenses. 

(BTW, I didn't edit this photo, but I did take it. I just realized that her dress is blown out and lost detail.)

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

Your photos are really beautiful! Edited or not! Gosh, honestly any bride would love that even if it's blown out.. Anyway, okay, no CF cards! Lol. I FINALLY received a couple photos of the inside of the church. They were texted to me, so I'll email them to myself and save them on my computer so I can send them to you. Yikes. Could be worse? You'll see. I am thinking shooting in "A" might be better based on what you said. Primarily movement.. and changing of light. I DON'T WANT BLURRY PHOTOS! I should send you some examples of my work.. including some that I feel sucked, but the bride loved them. (THANK GOD....) I have to say, outdoor photography is so much easier. But I'm really looking forward to learning how to use my "consumer" camera, ha! As soon as I do learn I'll likely be buying a new one and back on here asking for more help. I am hooked and plan to bug you often. Sorry, not sorry! 

 

Should I use the one I rented while taking makeup photos in her home? Or one of my own? Same as a small church, with indoor setting and close proximity, so I assume so? Should I definitely switch over to my other lenses at some point? WHEN? Sorry I ask very obvious questions.. lol. I also just got a photo list. It doesn't include the reception; that's to follow! Sigh... I guess it's nothing unusual. But perhaps you can give me pointers. 

I'll send a separate email with the list she texted me, along with the church photos... (Luckily the bride also knows that low light could be an issue. So she said she'd "go over it" with me based on what I thought... I want to say, "You have to have all of the lights on everywhere! Haha.. :/)

 

 

Another question: After I figure out how to switch to all of the settings you've recommended, can I just leave them like that for outside photos too? The menu options and whatnot. Are you in NJ? I have family there. 

 

Brittney

[Brian]

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I am thinking shooting in "A" might be better based

It's definitely something you should try today. Set your camera to "A" Mode (Aperture Priority) and mount your 35mm 1.8 lens. Set the Aperture to f/2.8. Now, just take a few generic photos. I have a question, it has been over 11 years since I had a consumer-grade camera with a pop-up flash, does the pop-up flash automatically pop up and fire off while in A Mode and low light? We need to make sure now, this way it doesn't accidentally fire while you are in the Church. This in turn will probably freak you out, and then you will be in your head / camera's menu screwing around during the gig and...

Let's not go there.

So we need to find this out today. The reason that I ask, is that since your camera has a built-in flash, and it's a consumer-grade model, it assumes you don't know much about photography and wants to "help." So the stupid pop-up flash will often kick on in low-light settings. The D5100, like the D3100 is meant to be a "Bridge Camera." Just enough technology-wise to get you hooked on DSLRs and away from Point & Shoot Cameras, but not so advanced so that you buy a more advanced and more expensive camera. See how that works?

What I want you to do is put your camera in Continuous Shooting Mode so that it takes 4 photos a second. (Page 35 of the Reference Manual). If you are on Single Frame it just takes one photo at a time. If you set it to Continuous, as you lay on the shutter button, it will take multiple photos. You can just fire off a single shot on Continuous, you just have to let go. It takes a bit of practice but it's easy to get the hang of.

Now, I want to make sure you are shooting in the Continuous "AF-C" Focusing Mode and not "Single." (Page 39 of the Reference Manual.)

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I DON'T WANT BLURRY PHOTOS! I should send you some examples of my work.. including some that I feel sucked, but the bride loved them.

You know what? Post some of these blurry photos, along with the settings that were used. I need to see. Aperture | Shutter Speed | ISO | Lens Used. Something may not be set correctly in your camera, as many people never take the time to RTFM. (READ the Fucking Manual.) Then they wonder why their photos don't turn out well. For instance, you are set to the wrong focusing mode and your subject is moving. Or your shutter speed is to slow, you need to either bump up your ISO to get that faster or open up to a larger Aperture. Stuff like that.

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I have to say, outdoor photography is so much easier

It is depending on the lighting conditions and time of day. I once photographed a Wedding on Top of a Mountain (Well, nothing like you would think of as a Mountain, it was at a Ski Resort) at 1PM. FULL SUN. No clouds in the sky what-so-ever. No shot looked "Good." Everyone had "Panda / Racoon Eyes" if I didn't use my flash for fill. Hopefully your light will be better.

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I'll likely be buying a new one and back on here asking for more help. I am hooked and plan to bug you often. Sorry, not sorry! 

 

That's what I'm here for. I will warn you, I'm VERY GOOD at spending other people's money. It's a Gift / Talent. Even in the real world, I can be quite convincing. But to be honest, I live by the "Buy it Right-Buy it Once" Philosophy. I HATE-HATE-HATE wasting money on this Shit. It's not worth it in the long run. I always tell people to resist an impulse-buy, save up and get the item that you want, as you save money in the long run. No sense forking out a $1000 now only to blow $2500 on another camera body because the $1000 didn't do the job. In the end, you spend $3500 and not $2500. Understand? So when I say to expect to pay around $5000 to "Switch to Full Frame," I mean it. It's better than wasting a few grand with an impulse buy. 

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

Should I use the one I rented while taking makeup photos in her home? Or one of my own? Same as a small church, with indoor setting and close proximity, so I assume so?

This is where you scare the hell out of me. You should know this stuff if you are shooting a Wedding. The short answer is "Yes." The long answer is, "It depends..." Both are basically saying yes. Once you get the 17-55 f/2.8 Lens this week, I want you to mount it and shoot the hell out of it. You will be amazed on the quality difference between a pro-grade and consumer-grade lenses. I will warn you, that lens is a solid one and the weight will throw you at first. Hopefully it will come with the lens hood. USE THAT LENS HOOD, EVEN INDOORS. As I've stated before, remove the UV Filter that is being used for "Protection." Just remember to mount it before you send the lens back. Oh, why am I telling you to not buy a 17-55? Because it's a DX Camera Body only lens. It's not meant to work on a Full Frame camera, that's what the 24-70 lens is for. Since you have a DX camera, that's why we went with the 17-55. Got it?

The only lens that you really shouldn't be using is the 55-200. Now, you can use it, but the widest Aperture when zoomed out will be f/5.6 and that's not enough for dark environments. That's where f/4, f/2.8 and the other wider Apertures come into play. You either "Open Up" your Aperture, or bump up the ISO to compensate to get that Shutter Speed Higher. If you haven't figured out the "Exposure Triangle" by now, I'm really worried. That's Photography 101 type of stuff. You should know this before shooting a Wedding. But let's not dwell on that, you have a Gig in less than a week. You can take Kim Howell's Learn to Shoot in Manual Course here in Ask Damien, or you can do a crash course with a YouTube Video or two. I do hope you take Kim's LTSIM Class. I think you will get more out of it than a YouTube Video. BTW, that link goes to her website, but the course is hosted here in this forum/website. When you are approved for the class, it will appear in the list along with "Ask Brian."

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I'll send a separate email with the list she texted me, along with the church photos.

Ah the dreaded list. Every Bride usually has one, but in this case I think you will benefit from it. After you do several Weddings, you should know to take photos of the "Bride getting ready," "The Bride posing with her Bridal Party," "The Groom & Best Man," "Walking down the Aisle," "Cutting the Cake..." stuff like that. LOL!! I will say this, and I learned this the hard way: If they are present, make sure you take a nice portrait of Grandma & Grandpa or the B&G's Parents. Both together and by themselves. A single nice head-shot is what you are after.  Something that will work as a 5x7 or 8x10 Photo. Why? Because sooner or later, one of them will die and the family will be scrambling for a photo for the Funeral or to put in the newspaper. Trust me. My Mom died unexpectedly last year, and nobody thought to take a single photo of my Mom when I got remarried a few years ago. Fortunately, I was able to look through an "Outtake" where my Wife & I had weird looks on our faces, but my Mom was just far enough away and had a nice smile to crop her out. That photo was destined to be deleted or never seen. So my advice to you, is unless you have completely blown the shot, keep those outtakes, you never know when you will need source material from them.

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

It doesn't include the reception; that's to follow! Sigh... I guess it's nothing unusual. But perhaps you can give me pointers. 

This is why I jump up-and-down about not shooting a Wedding until you are ready. Weddings sound so easy to do. "You have a nice camera!! You must take awesome Photos!!" I hear it all the time. Especially when I walk around with my huge Nikon D4s and 24-70 lens mounted:



To give you an idea of scale, that's a 27" iMac. The Nikon D4s is WAY bigger & heavier than your D5100.

Weddings combine all sorts of photography, Photojournalism, Macro, Sports & Action, Event, Portrait, Family/Groups Photography...it all intermingles & intertwines. You need to be a Jack-of-all-Trades type of Photographer, be really good at one or more of them, and be really decent at the others. Even to this day, I'm still working on my "Detail Shots." I'm used to capturing emotion and drama, shooting wide...not small and precise. My Ring Shots are a little better, but I still need work in that dept. That's a form of Macro Photography. Instead of Bugs or other small things, you are photographing Rings and trying to make them look interesting, which is harder than you think.

So I can give you pointers, but in the end, you are in the hot-seat. I won't be there shooting next to you. That's why I'm telling you to "Shoot what you know." as you are used to Photojournalism. Don't worry about the list; well worry...you don't want an un-happy Bride, but tell the story of the day. Beginning to Middle to End. Every good story has each of those.

Right now what concerns me is your "Blurry Photos." Actually it downright terrifies me that you don't know why. When you shoot Raw, and you should, there is a certain degree of wiggle-room to save your Ass in Post. If you blow focus or have subject movement, there is nothing for you to recover from. That shot is lost...for good. So let's concentrate on these blurry photos that you speak of. I think that will help you out the best at this point. Saturday is coming quickly.

8 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

After I figure out how to switch to all of the settings you've recommended, can I just leave them like that for outside photos too? The menu options and whatnot. Are you in NJ? I have family there. 

Yep! Actually, these setting that I've recommended you will probably end-up using the majority of the time. Or not. You need to fiddle with them in place today and tomorrow. Even if it's just a photograph of your Coffee Cup. Photograph SOMETHING. You need to fiddle and practice. I want to see well exposed and in focus photos. Take your kid to the park or go to one. Photograph running kids and make them Tack-Sharp. Pay attention to what Aperture, what Shutter Speed and what ISO you were at. All that stuff. Photograph moving Cars, flowers if it's windy...ANYTHING. These shots aren't meant for IG or other social media, they are for you to learn and pick-apart. Hell, photograph a lamp against a lamp on a blank wall and try to make it interesting.

I'm originally from NJ, which partly explains my bluntness and honesty (other part is genetics.) I currently live just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. If you want to see more of my photos, I'm on IG: @jennie.brian.seetheworld

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

 

I am freakin terrified too... I swear I told her I'm not very experienced with indoor photography, and only did one tiny wedding.. I sent her the photos from it so she'd see! They are NOT okay. The couple literally changed the venue on me WHEN I SHOWED UP. It was supposed to be in a pavilion outdoors under a gazebo at a park. It was in a church. I was soooo mad, all of my practicing didn't mean much. They didn't have a reception or anything. I only charged $300. I'm actively looking for a second shooter.. SIGHHHHH. 

I'll get my settings together as you suggested. I'll be shooting today, tomorrow, etc. as much as I can. My rentals should arrive the 16th. 

I've never had blurry photos generally. But indoors and I don't get along. I will send you the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I don't mind your bluntness and honesty AT ALL. I like it. I need it! And I'm just grateful that you're willing to help me so much. You have no idea.. 

As for settings from my photos, I'll have to go find the originals and open them in photoshop to see them I believe. You know what is funny, and not so much...? I just took a digital photography class at the local community college hoping to learn settings better, (ISO, etc.) and didn't.. I usually play with my dial and f-stop, take a photo, and if exposure looks okay, I go with it. I am brutally honest too, at my own expense lol. But I'm here to learn. I am also wondering if I can just set up lighting to take her makeup photos? Or the flash is sufficient? So I don't need to worry about a light. 

Okay, so you think shooting in A is best. I am NOT a pro with "M", nor any other setting honestly. Gosh, I felt like I have been getting better and better at photography. But this has been VERY humbling. To say the least. I never thought I was awesome. But I won't shoot another event or wedding until I feel more prepared. 

I'll look into that class. Trick question lol.. but do I even have time to get through part of it before the wedding? With my limited time, what should I do? Get my menu settings ready, step one. Practice shooting in A mode, step two?

Attached are some pics of the wedding.. What I thought were "good enough" FACE SLAM- to okay, to horrible. You'll see. I'll also include a couple of photos that I thought were nice, but most, not all, are outdoors. Thank you for existing. If you want to see more, I'll show you more. 

 

Brittney

 

 

 

[BrittneyA]

Brian, 

 

Here are the venue indoor photos I have finally. I do know the building in long and narrow, with average-sized windows along either end. You can kind of see one or two in the photo. And here is her list so far.. Thank you.. 

PS. I will definitely find you on Instagram!

 

 

Brittney

[BrittneyA]

I should add that the wedding is at 6. The sun doesn't set until 8. So that should be good. She really wants the lights all off minus the chandeliers you see near the front.. 

[BrittneyA]

Brian,

 

Here is the only photo I have of the reception. She said it's basically a large room. It also has an upstairs with a balcony. They'll have a sit-down catered dinner, then dancing. 

Thank you again!!! 

Brittney

[Brian]

3 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

The couple literally changed the venue on me WHEN I SHOWED UP. It was supposed to be in a pavilion outdoors under a gazebo at a park. It was in a church. I was soooo mad, all of my practicing didn't mean much. They didn't have a reception or anything. I only charged $300. I'm actively looking for a second shooter..

Yep. This type of thing is a bit out-of-the-ordinary, but not unheard of. That's why I disagreed with Kim about visiting the Venue 1st. While in certain situations it can help, but honestly? Things never go the way you expect to on the day of the gig. ESPECIALLY when they change the venue at the last minute.

3 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

Okay, so you think shooting in A is best. I am NOT a pro with "M", nor any other setting honestly. Gosh, I felt like I have been getting better and better at photography. But this has been VERY humbling. To say the least. I never thought I was awesome. But I won't shoot another event or wedding until I feel more prepared. 

I'm not going to come down on you with the wrath of all photographers. The truth is, you aren't the first person to go through this and certainly will not be the last. Professionals make things look so easy and with today's cameras/technology, you can get "good enough" in a short amount of time. This is completely different when I first started back in 1986; way back then you didn't have a LCD, Histogram...there wasn't ANY AUTOMATIC FOCUSING SYSTEMS, and you either had 24 tries or 36 tries to get it right!!

But I'm digressing here. You need confidence right now and me getting in your head isn't going to help the situation. So let's make the best of things.

"M" is always the "Best" mode, IF you have mastered your camera and know what it will and won't do. It is also needed when you disagree with the settings that your camera will be requesting/recommending. Sometimes my camera will practically be jumping up and down saying I'm either way over-exposed / under-exposed, but I'm not. It takes time and experience to figure out your own recipes which results in the images you are trying to create. But for you, Aperture Priority might be your friend and that isn't a bad thing. Turning on Automatic ISO might be another. You also might want to put your camera in M Mode, Turn on Auto ISO and keep your Shutter at 1/250th or better and use f/2.8 - f/5.6 with the 17-55. That's also another recipe. It's all subjective and that's the hard part. The cool part is with having a Crop Camera, you can "f/2.8 All the things!" This is due to that pesky Angle-of-View change and it will help you this coming Saturday. You can't get away with shooting everything wide open on a Full Frame camera, in fact the over-all look that f/2.8 produces on a crop body is more like f/4 on a Full Frame Camera. Likewise, if you are used to shooting at f/1.8 with your 50mm, you are going to be in a world-of-shock when you find out just how razor-thin the DoF is when you shoot at 1.8, let alone 1.4!

Knowing your limitations is a good thing, it allows you to have a goal to overcome them. I can say this, Compositional-wise, your photos are "OK," but your posing and such need improvement. This takes time and experience. I will give you a tip that I learned from Jerry Ghionis himself / in-person:

1. Never Broad-light a Broad.
2. Women want to look pretty/beautiful (I call this Prettyful) and Guys just want to look cool in photographs. That's it.

For example, the bride sitting in the chair, that was a bad pose for her. You never want to make a Bride look large in the photos, especially when shooting with a wide-angle. It's not a joke that the camera adds 20lbs. We live in a 3D world, the camera is 2D. All of that "Pudge" needs to go somewhere and it is your job as a Photographer to minimize it. She is in the "Masculine" or "Standard" Pose and the Groom is in the "Feminine" Pose. You have them backwards! LOL!! There is a reason that the "Feminine" Pose exists; you've seen the photos, the light source is pointing at the bride but her back is pointed towards it. Then she looks over her shoulder and towards the light. Boom! She is in the Feminine Pose. 

From what I can tell, you are not paying attention to the shutter speed being used. This photo screams it:

See the background? It's like you are panning a Racecar shot. Here is one of mine that I'm talking about:

So learning you shutter speeds and focusing on your hand-holding technique is what you need to do this week. Your camera needs to live in your hands.

The good news is, your shots aren't completely terrible; you just need A LOT more experience and practice. I mean, yeah...they are out of focus which leads me to the next section...

Your Gear.

While it's true that "The Best Camera is the one in your hands..." Your equipment is lacking. You not being in the correct modes with your camera, and not just shooting Manual, but using the correct Autofocus Mode, and not having a complete grasp on the Exposure Triangle is a bit unsettling. But since the Bride has seen your work and is OK with it, you might be able to pull this off and I hope that you do. The good news is, a 17-55 is on the way and I'm hoping you get a good copy. Your lenses are holding you back. The 55-200 just isn't a good lens and you will get a taste this week of what I'm talking about. As far as Kim's Course, I don't think you have time. She has assignments and such to help you get better and I'm thinking you taking her course won't help you this week, but you still need it. So do sign up for it. Master Manual Mode. Learn your gear before you go buying stuff. I can say this with authority...I have all sorts of fancy and expensive equipment. All I do now is take crappy photos with expensive equipment. It's not about the gear, but your Technique and Craft that matters. As I've stated above, Professionals make it look easy, but they are also consistent in producing quality photos again-and-again. That's the difference between a Pro and a Amateur. Just because you have fancy shit doesn't automatically mean that you will get immediately better. Well, they will be "better," as better glass is better glass, but It really just means that the shots you are after will be easier to take. For example, you will be surprised on the focusing speed and how a pro-grade lens locks on and doesn't hunt in low-light conditions. There is a difference between a $200 lens and a $2000 lens. Believe me.

Quote

I've never had blurry photos generally. But indoors and I don't get along.

Indoor Photography is all part of shooting Weddings. You will be indoors at some point during the day. It frustrates me to no end when a Photographer says, the "Specialize in Natural Light" or only "Shoot Outdoors." That just screams lack of knowledge and technique. You need to keep an eye on your shutter speed at all times. Your ISO too. When photographing the Bride getting ready, you will be using that flash. Try bouncing it too. Get creative. Oh, there is something called Flash Exposure Compensation. You will be adjusting this up and down during the day. usually -0.3 to -1.0 on the average when using TTL. Sometimes you are at 0.0 with the Flash Exposure Comp. So look at the SB-5000 manual and figure out how to change this. Why? I'm so glad you are wondering...

TTL Mode is a Auto-Mode with a Flash. Believe it or not, the camera's built-in meter is completely worthless when it comes to Flash Photography. The reason is, the Meter is a Passive one; it takes a reading of the Ambient Light and gives you it's thoughts of what a "Proper" exposure would be. The Flash hasn't fired yet, so the light isn't present. So how do you get a Auto-Mode then? You create a algorithm that takes 1000's and 1000's of photos that are supposed to be "Properly Exposed" and create a formula that gives the Camera a "Best Guess." So right before the shutter opens, the camera sets the flash power. Sometimes it gets it right, other times it doesn't. That's where Flash Exposure Compensation comes into play. If you need the Flash to be less/more powerful, you adjust the flash accordingly. Make sense? 

4 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I should add that the wedding is at 6. The sun doesn't set until 8. So that should be good. She really wants the lights all off minus the chandeliers you see near the front.. 

Yeah, at this time of year, the Sun hangs around, which you can use to your advantage. In a small venue like that, a 70-200 isn't required. You can photograph the whole Ceremony with the 17-55. You will just be standing in the Aisle. Speaking of Aisle, here is another tip:

Tell the Bride to "Float" down the Aisle. The reason is, most women do not like being the center of attention and they have a tendency to MARCH AT A BRISK PACE when walking down the Aisle. Since this is a small wedding, you probably won't have that issue, but it still could happen. Meaning you aren't ready for her walking down the Aisle and before you know it, you've missed the shots.

Now for the Checklist: It's your typical Wedding. For me, I'm rolling my eyes. For you, STUDY IT. Believe it or not, the hardest part will be you working by yourself. You will be arriving 2-3 hours before the ceremony. Why? Not only for the Bride getting ready, but if she wants shots of the Groom getting ready, it's only you!! So you will need to plan time accordingly to go from where the Bride is getting ready to where the Groom/Groomsmen are, if there are any. You might get lucky and they just meet up at the Church. Or not. It really depends. Welcome to Weddings! See how a "Small Wedding" is going to turn into a 6-8-hour gig? I'm sure you are probably charging $300 or so. Which is fine, due to your experience. But think about this in the long run, $300 for 6-8hrs of shooting and then 30+ hours on the back-end. For $300. Let that sink in.

See why you need to stand up for yourself and say, "NO!" when it comes to answering the question, "Do you shoot Weddings?"

[Brian]

4 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

Here is the only photo I have of the reception. She said it's basically a large room. It also has an upstairs with a balcony. They'll have a sit-down catered dinner, then dancing. 

Again, typical Wedding. It-is-what-it-is. You will be using your flash A LOT, probably during the whole Reception. Here are a couple of ways I use my flash during a Reception:

i use the Wide Angle Thingy which force the flash to shoot wide and then use the built in bounce card while it’s point to the ceiling:

Thiw is what it looks like during the gig. It helps to avoid direct flash and people looking “Icky.” 

[Brian]

Sometimes I will reverse the Flash Head It twists) around and set it one-click backwards during receptions. 
 

[Brian]

You then can crank your ISO to 400, Set your Shutter Speed to 1/60th and set your Aperture to f/5.6. Boom! You should able to do Table Shots of everyone at the Reception. Or you can bump up your ISO to 1250. It really depends on the Venue and lighting conditions. Keep in mind, this is only one way to set your camera up. It may not work for you. This is why you need to fiddle Wednesday  - Friday.

Did you get extra SD Cards yet? How about the AA batteries?

[BrittneyA]

Brian,

Thank you.. That photo you mentioned with the bride and groom.. That awkward pose lol, they requested it just like that. Actually, with a few of the others too. lol. They were a bit frustrating, but were happy in the end. For THIS wedding, I haven't confirmed a price with them yet! They've hired me without a number. This whole thing is messed up. I am giving them a contract to sign before I take a single photo, that's for sure. I was thinking of charging more than $300. The other wedding was only 3 hours of shooting, whereas this one will be 7+/-. I was thinking of maybe $500-$600. Is that unreasonable? I'm also giving them a mini shoot after their honeymoon as a gift. OUTDOORS lol. I have some other photos that I was able to freeze much better. But it was outside. I'll be practicing and practicing. I have the AA batteries. I have one SD card. I'll get more of both! I have an extra camera battery too. 

I know I keep saying it, but I'd be screwed without your help. Thank you! Well, I still may be lol! Let's hope not!! I'm trying to get there!! 

I just need the flash and lens to hurry and arrive so I can practice. I'm going to go change my menu settings now. If I have issues with it I'll ask!

Brittney

[BrittneyA]

And I know... I sent you some really bad ones.. A couple weren't even salvageable WHATSOEVER. I do plan to become really good at many types of photography. I have to. I love it! I hope you're ready for a long road ahead lol. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by BrittneyA

[Brian]

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I was thinking of maybe $500-$600.

That is not an unreasonable number, especially since they now want a "Typical Wedding." (6-8 Hours.) It's one thing to have a Ceremony and some Formals afterwards, it's really a glorified family session at the local park, it is entirely a different thing with "Getting Ready," First Look, Ceremony, Formals, Reception and all of those photos. PLUS!! You have all of the Post-Processing on the back-end. That can be 30-40 hours of work just in itself! You make more money working at a Fast Food Joint.  

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I'm also giving them a mini shoot after their honeymoon as a gift.

So in the end, you are shooting this thing for free. Man, you love giving away the farm. Now it's one thing that if these are your friends or you are looking to build a Portfolio; these kind of gigs suck but are necessary. But there is a line that you really shouldn't cross and $500-$600 is reasonable.

 

2 hours ago, BrittneyA said:

I just need the flash and lens to hurry and arrive so I can practice.

You need to practice now. No excuses. Set your camera up and get out there!! You just bought a 85mm lens. You need to fiddle with it and learn how it behaves. Shoot everything from 1.8 to f/22. Pay attention to your shutter. You have today and tomorrow to practice with it. Then Wednesday will be a whole other thing. Flash Photography is so different than the natural light stuff. Controlling your Shutter Speed is your top priority for today and tomorrow. Then work on Aperture Stuff with the 17-55 / Flash when it arrives.

[Brian]

When this is over, you are going to take Kim's Learn to Shoot in Manual course. She has all of this stuff written out and I just don't have time. I can give pointers and tell you what to buy, but I have a day job and won't be around much. Plus I have my Weddings to shoot, with one this coming Friday.