eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 21, 2024 13:43:06 GMT
My father-in-law (in his 70's) is getting married (on Friday). Civil ceremony, meal somewhere. Wants me to take a few photographs, I normally say no, but ...
At the moment I know,
1. nothing about the venue 2. nothing about what he needs 3. nothing
I'm assuming he's just after 'slightly better than snaps' shots of the day and the evening, and mostly I'm fine. However, indoor shots in bad light - it's a long time since I shot an indoor event and used a flash, and even then I had fear and don't think I did that well.
I'll be using my Canon EOS R (the original one), have a few lenses, and decent flash. I spend 99% of my photography life in aperture mode, variable ISO, variable shutter speed (I'm lazy).
Best bet for indoors? Fix the shutter speed (1/250 or whatever the fastest flash sync is?), fix the ISO, shoot in aperture mode still, point the flash at the ceiling if it's low enough, use any kind of diffuser I can find?
Or is there a better secret I've forgotten in the mean time? I know the Internet is swamped with this question, I appreciate I'm asking you all to repeat advice a million years old, but please see the 'I'm lazy' bit above.
Help me snappers-social-club, you're my only hope (other than google, see lazy).
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 21, 2024 13:43:59 GMT
Oh and don't worry, anyone who read the subject and thought 'he's fallen over again and broke something for a third time', it's not that  |
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Post by peterob on Oct 21, 2024 15:33:10 GMT
Congratulations etc.
I hardly ever use flash but, from what I remember you'll probably have to fix an ISO value and then choose the aperture you want to use and the exposure time to get as much of the available light as you want and taking account of what you can hand-hold. The flash ETTL will do its own thing. You probably don't need an exposure time of 1/250 s unless you want the flash to be the dominant light source or you have people running about. Subject movement shouldn't be an issue for groups saying "cheese". I've never used on-camera flash on a mirrorless camera but you'll probably need to alter the exposure preview settings - it is read the manual time.
Bouncing the flash is usually a good idea if the flash has enough power. These days you can get away with ISO 1600, say, pretty much which means you don't need a hugely powerful flash. Some flash guns have a little pull out reflector/diffuser to throw some fill-in light forward but for a normal ceiling height bounce tends to get light pretty much everywhere.
I'd read the manual and get some practice in but I expect indoors you'll need manual exposure settings and outdoors you may get away with aperture priority if exposure time is greater than the synchronisation time limit. It is probably worth reading up on how to set flash exposure compensation if you want fill-in with autoexposure. I don't know how the ELV on the R5 is best used with flash - that's what I would really look up in the manual and practice with because you may have to revert to simulating a DSLR viewfinder to avoid overexposure.
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Post by zou on Oct 21, 2024 15:50:57 GMT
I don't do Canons or flash, but as a middle-aged man strap yourself in for an opinion!
Actually, can you not just message him and find out what he wants? A lot of folk (rightly) hate flashes going off constantly and it may be you need to use natural light/high ISO. Also venue may require it?
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Post by spinno on Oct 21, 2024 15:59:47 GMT
Without the basic knowledge of where it is and what he wants (photographically speaking) you're a bit stuck.
Bounce flash usually works for me.
If it's a civil ceremony there's probably no flash until after the ceremony, but you need to clarify with the celebrant/registrar. Oh and don't forget you can't actually photograph the signing of the actual register, I've known photographers who've transgressed and suffered the glare of Medusa...
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 21, 2024 21:54:29 GMT
I don't do Canons or flash, but as a middle-aged man strap yourself in for an opinion! Actually, can you not just message him and find out what he wants? A lot of folk (rightly) hate flashes going off constantly and it may be you need to use natural light/high ISO. Also venue may require it?
Yes, definitely an option, it's a super small group (14 people), civil ceremony and then a local restaurant I think, so probably not a lot of requirement. I'll speak to him again before the day - he tends to have a very military outlook on these things and so plans the whole thing very well but then doesn't share it  |
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 21, 2024 21:55:25 GMT
Without the basic knowledge of where it is and what he wants (photographically speaking) you're a bit stuck. Bounce flash usually works for me. If it's a civil ceremony there's probably no flash until after the ceremony, but you need to clarify with the celebrant/registrar. Oh and don't forget you can't actually photograph the signing of the actual register, I've known photographers who've transgressed and suffered the glare of Medusa...
Yes, I'm assuming most photography after the ceremony given it's a civil one, and good reminder about the signing bit although I do know that one |
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 21, 2024 21:55:54 GMT
I don't do Canons or flash, but as a middle-aged man strap yourself in for an opinion! Actually, can you not just message him and find out what he wants? A lot of folk (rightly) hate flashes going off constantly and it may be you need to use natural light/high ISO. Also venue may require it?
I was tempted to send him my street photos and some of the abstracts I've done and ask him which style he wanted .... |
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 21, 2024 21:56:20 GMT
Thanks all |
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Post by geoffr on Oct 21, 2024 22:02:08 GMT
I know everyone is saying âbounced flashâ but you can get a collapse soft box which I prefer to bouncing off the ceiling because it offers more control and a softer light. Canât remember exactly whst I have or where ir came from but you should find one on Amazon or similar.
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Post by Kath on Oct 22, 2024 8:06:51 GMT
I know everyone is saying âbounced flashâ but you can get a collapse soft box which I prefer to bouncing off the ceiling because it offers more control and a softer light. Canât remember exactly whst I have or where ir came from but you should find one on Amazon or similar. I have one somewhere. I don't like it but I suspect it's because I use a stupidly large camera anyway and I find the soft box on top to be unwieldy. In fact I find the flash on top to be unwieldy too. If I can find it and you think it would be useful, I could send it down to you. I have literally used it twice. Never again. I'll take an actual light and a soft box instead! I don't know your camera very well but if it were me I'd honestly shove everything on automatic/programme and use ETTL on the flash and get on with enjoying the wedding. |
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Post by zx9 on Oct 22, 2024 9:45:21 GMT
Depending on available light, I would be winding up the ISO and shooting with f/2.8 lenses quite wide open perhaps with the flash set to -1 stop just as a fill in.
I like the show him your previous shots idea, he will either pick one of your styles or reconsider, after all it is a compliment to be asked because he likes your pictures and an imposition to ask you because you have a nice camera.
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 22, 2024 17:35:52 GMT
I know everyone is saying âbounced flashâ but you can get a collapse soft box which I prefer to bouncing off the ceiling because it offers more control and a softer light. Canât remember exactly whst I have or where ir came from but you should find one on Amazon or similar. I have one somewhere. I don't like it but I suspect it's because I use a stupidly large camera anyway and I find the soft box on top to be unwieldy. I have one (or three) and they're terrible so while I appreciate the offer, I'm good thank you!! |
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Post by Chester PB on Oct 22, 2024 17:58:35 GMT
Try to get a look inside the venue before the event, and if the lighting is as it will be for the event, try a few test shots. I advised an old friend of mine who had been 'persuaded' to take some pictures at the end of a church wedding, and the vicar was very helpful. For a civil ceremony, make a few enquiries at the registry office.
If your 'clients' only want small prints, or none because they will only put the images on social media, I might be tempted to use 'auto ISO', and perhaps 1/60 and F5.6 or F8 with a 35mm lens. Shooting RAW will allow colour temperature correction later, but most modern LED lighting should be close to the 'tungsten' colour balance on your camera. The ideal colour temperature setting is something else that a visit beforehand might help with. Avoiding flash will make you less intrusive too, which might help.
Good luck, and manage their expectations carefully. |
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eightbittony
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Post by eightbittony on Oct 29, 2024 11:29:03 GMT
Well, I survived, we got some photographs, I forgot everything I should have been doing because I have no muscle memory for that kind of photography, but we have some half decent memories of the day. I'll continue my normal response of No in future |
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