By Paul keeling
http://www.paulkeeling.com
If you are any way in to your photography, the chances are that one day somebody may ask you to do their Wedding photography. There is a lot more to Wedding photography than getting people to smile and say “cheese!!!”, as I’m sure you are aware . If you feel in any way not up to scratch, or if you have any reservations about whether or not you are going to get it right on the day(and remember you only get one chance at everything!!!!), then say “No!!”,and recommend that they hire a professional. However, if you feel that you are up to the job, then here are a few tips to help you along.
The first question you might ask yourself is….
What equipment do I need?
You hear it said many a time that it’s not the Camera, it’s the person behind the camera. But in a Wedding situation you may have to shoot inside a church in low light without a flash. Do you think your cheap compact or your iphone can cope with such a challenging scenario?
What I would recommend for shooting a Wedding is a full frame camera, if you have one. The full frame sensor on such a camera allows in much more light, and cameras of this calibre are designed to cope with even the most challenging of circumstances. My weapon of choice for a wedding is the Nikon D700, although if you are a Canonite, the 5d mk II is equally as formidable. But not everybody can afford full frame cameras and not everybody uses the 2 big brands.
There are alternatives. The Nikon D7000 is good in low light, as are some other crop sensor cameras.
The most important things for a wedding photographer are a sharp eye and a quick finger.
Lenses are also important. If you are shooting in low light, you need a lens with a wide aperture. A zoom with a fixed aperture of F2.8 performs well under most circumstances. My zoom of choice is a 24-70mm f2.8, which I find can be used for most of the Wedding.
Some photographers use fixed “prime” lenses. These are fantastically sharp performers in low light but using these involves frequently changing lenses. 2 camera bodies can be the simplest solution.
Also have a spare of everything. Spare camera body…spare flash….plenty of memory cards. Be prepared for any eventuality!!!
If all the equipment above all sounds too expensive and out of your reach, and you really want to shoot that Wedding, why not hire the equipment? This is a good option and is much less expensive.
But, at the end of the day it’s not about what camera you use.. it’s the person behind the camera and their skills that count .
The best advice I can give is if you have any doubts about your skills, hire a professional.
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