Shooting a Wedding New Years Eve. Rental Question.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/20/2011 07:23:27 PM · #1

One of my Best friends is getting married this New Years Eve and I will be doing the photos, long story but I offered otherwise she would not of had anyone. So anyways I have some equipment but will be renting a few things as well and wanted to make sure I don't forget anything.

I have:
Canon 5DMII
50mm 1.4
70-200 2.8 is
17-40 f4l
(2) 430 ex flashes
(2) Alien Bee 800 with modifiers and vagabond battery
(1) 8G CF card
(2) 4G CF card
(1) 32G CF card
batteries, lightmeter, etc...

Renting:
Backup Canon 5DMII (I know the camera so I figured I would just go with it as my backup)
24-70 2.8
100mm 2.8 L

I am thinking I will also buy 16G worth of memory cards as well (one 16G or two 8G) So am I missing anything equipment wise? I am thinking I will use the 50mm 1.4 on one body and either the 17-40 or 100mm on the second for the shots of the bride and groom getting ready. During the ceremony I will likely have the 24-70 on one and 70-200 on the second. Formals I will likely use the 70-200 and 50mm. The 100mm will just be for some specialty shots. Any suggestions on equipment? Anything I should drop? If anything it would probably be the macro 100.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/20/2011 07:33:05 PM · #2

Personally I think you covered 90% of what you needed with the backup body. You'll have more gear than many professionals these days. Now you'll just need a good eye and a good gameplan.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

12/20/2011 07:33:27 PM · #3

You could probably drop the 100/2.8. The 24-70 will get you pretty close in, as a matter of fact.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/20/2011 07:38:03 PM · #4

We will see about the eye and gameplan, I think I will do ok but this will be a learning process. My friend is just thrilled I can come and even better that I will take photos. I know I will do better then what she would have had.

Thanks Kirbic, I didn't realize the 24-70 had a 15 inch mfd, good to know. That will save me some cash and weight.

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

12/20/2011 07:44:44 PM · #5

- How are you firing the AB's... Your not going to want optical triggers at a wedding :-)
- Swap a 430 for 580 so you can control the power or your not using those off camera?

12/20/2011 07:47:16 PM · #6

I have radiopoppers for the trigger and of course a backup cable. The flash will just be used on camera if it is needed.

m_a_r_c

Nikon D70s

12/20/2011 08:49:34 PM · #7

You don't get another chance to re-shoot, so practice using the kit beforehand and check it all works properly, including ensuring the data is safely recorded. While the family and guests are waiting to be photographed, you don't want to be flicking through instruction books looking for how to switch red-eye flash on!

I know, because years ago I'd borrowed a really expensive Hasselblad medium format reflex and a huge lens to do my friend's wedding. Until things went wrong for me, I thought I really was the biz with my very fast lens that didn't need flash and was told took pin-sharp pictures every time. Any of the guests with cameras scattered in different directions out of the shot to make way for me, without me saying anything, the look of the monster I was holding terrorised them.

Then horror of horror a few days later when I looked at the negatives! Every image was so badly blurred they were unusable for anything other than a contact print. Reason: I had left a Macro Focus Ring of some kind still attached under the lens. It was kept on the lens to keep it safe, 10 minutes before I arrived, I attached the lens to the body, not realising I was supposed to remove it. I was gutted.

Message edited by author 2011-12-20 20:52:44.

12/20/2011 08:58:29 PM · #8

Thanks marc, scary story... I will run the camera through its paces as soon as I get it. I am not too worried about it just because I am renting the same camera I have so that I do not need to worry about where everything is on the new system. I was hoping to borrow my sisters 50D and her 24-70 but she is being a pain (after using my 70-200 for months) so I am just renting. I have used the 24-70 prior as well so nothing should be unfamiliar. I will be checking everything over very closely as soon as I get it though just to be on the safe side.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/23/2011 07:39:58 AM · #9

just an update. I ordered the 24-70 2.8 and the 5DMII and threw in a lensbaby composer. The lensbaby was more for fun and it was only 20 more so I can play with it and see if it is something I want to buy down the line, will try to get a few shots with it at the wedding, I am thinking some detail (dress, shoes, rings, flowers) shots with the lensbaby can be fun but I will get the safe shots first. I also bought another 16G CF card. So besides rechecking all my equipment I am ready to roll. Can't wait to post what I get.

Giles

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

12/23/2011 09:39:54 AM · #10

ive done 5 wedding for friends getting better with each one and im no pro. but i had a lot more fun and frolicks at the weddings i wasn't photographing hehe :)

id set some custom settings up on the two bodies so you can quickly change from M to c1 c2 to AV etc for changing circumstances etc. rather than having to cycle through iso, scene, aperture, shutter speed while everyone is waiting hehe.

good luck mate, i shot a mates wedding in majorca and at last minute bought another 8gb cf card from big supermarket there, shooting away at wedding with my two bodies and all the 600 pictures from the new cf were lost when the brand new card corrupted, tried to recover them but had no luck, luckily id shot enough with the other body to cover it all but could have been a nightmare. spread your pics out across multiple smaller cards say the 8gb ones still gives you about 450 raw doesnt it?

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

12/23/2011 10:02:29 AM · #11

The one thing that has helped me the most at the weddings I've done is a "photographer's assistant". My daughter has helped me with this several times. We work off of a list of "must have" photos of people and milestones, which the bride provides. While it's possible to multi-task when alone, it really helps to have another set of eyes on being in the right place at the right time. Outside shots (in Colorado) benefit from gold or silver reflector disks to add just a bit of fill to shadows. Takes a second person to get that right. Also, candids and the ceremony shots usually benefit from several perspectives. So, if you have a capable assistant, put that backup camera to work. The last two weddings, we've captured about 1000 images for each event. Not bragging... just think that's about what it takes to cover a big wedding from start to finish.

12/23/2011 11:04:09 AM · #12

Luckily this is going to be a very small wedding. Very low key and laid back. That and the fact that my friend was either not going to have any photographer or have a family member with basic stuff she should be happy and it will get my feet a little wet. I plan on breaking out my CF card as soon as it comes in and running it through the paces just to be sure it is not DOA. I would love to have an assistant and I actually was planning on second shooting next year for experience but this just came up quick so no experience and no assistant. I am still pretty excited though and I hope to get some great shots for her.

Giles, I will have to look into the custom functions, I know a bit about them but with my style of shooting (ie. no weddings yet) I have never had a need and I can flip through my setting pretty quickly without really having to look. That is the big reason why I went with another 5DMII as a backup so that I know what I am using.