I am photographing a beach wedding

01/10/2005 04:55:08 PM · #1

I need advise. But first, here are some things you should know.

1. i am not a professional and do not plan to take any work away from the pros (so please do not take offense)

2. i cannot afford any additional equipment, so please know i appreciate your suggestions, but financially it's not possible for me to buy or rent anything at this time.

3. the wedding i am shooting is for a good friend. i taught her photography (basics) a few years ago and she really trusts me to be her wedding photographer.

4. the wedding is on the beach in FL on Feb 4th. It will be 6 people (including the bride and groom). No friends, just immediate family as the guests.

5. there will not be a reception. i am only responsible to take photos of the ceremony.

Okay, here's my equipment:
Bodies: Canon 20D & Canon EOS Elan IIe
Lenses (all cheap):
Canon 18-55mm kit lens
Canon 28-80mm lens
Canon 70-300mm lens
Flash: Canon 580ex
Batteries for body: 2
Batteries for Flash: 12 AA batteries (monster rechargeables)
Memory: 1 gig & 2 256meg cards
Filters: Polarizer (circular), Diffuser, UV, 82a, star-8
Tripod (generic)
Light stand & gold/silver and diffuser disks (this might blow over with wind though)

Advice needed: how to protect my camera from sand, what angles to get the best shots (not sure if we'll go out in the day or during sunset... they haven't decided), flash advice needed (white balance, exposure level, angle), white balance for camera, prefered settings for shutter, aperature, focal length, lens, etc, and any other advice you can give me.

I am allowed to wander all over the place to get the best photos.

Thanks everyone!!!

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

01/10/2005 05:01:30 PM · #2

Hmmm, are you going to be the ONLY photographer? If you are make sure you let your friend know that you have never done this and that should things go wrong, you won't get grief for it.

Reflectors are good but you better get an assistant rather than using the stands.

GoldBerry

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

01/10/2005 05:30:07 PM · #3

Sounds like a good opportunity, shouldn't be too much work. If it's at night a good flash with your camera set to manual can make for some pretty cool shots. It illuminates the subject while enhancing the night backdrop..very cool.

As for daytime, don't stress...ceremonies don't give you much time to play around with equipment and angles, besides, most people want good photos but not overly creative ceremony photos. Some full body shots, some close ups, and a few wide shots that show the whole beach. If you're nervous, those shots are a good way to play it safe.

parrothead

Canon EOS-40D

01/10/2005 05:33:52 PM · #4

Take full advantage of your digital camera. Befores the ceremony starts, take someone down to the beach and get some exposures down. Depending on the day it can be a wonderful day to shoot(overcast), or very tough(direct overhead lighting). With and out door event, the lenses that you have will work excellent. Just varie your angles throughout the ceremony, pose shots afterwards, and have fun. I have shot a couple in direct overhead lighting on a beach, and with no shade or cover, a fill flash really didn't do too much. So you just make the best with what you have and know. I have found that the posed and candids are what people love. The ceremony is important, but you can only work with the situation that you are dealt. I hope that this helps....if even a little. I am a terrible writer. Good Luck!

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

01/10/2005 05:34:00 PM · #5

Thanks all! I will make notes of those shots.

I have been a photographer for a wedding a few times actually, but only as a back up. My friends actually really like my work, but I have never done one on the beach, and never with a digital camera. So, I am a little nervous. I won't have an assistant actually, so maybe i should leave the lighting stuff home. Do you think i should bring the disks though (and have a family member hold them for formal shots after the ceremony)?

Heather knows that I have done weddings as a back-up and never on my own. She's cool with that. She loves the photos i took at the other weddings i've been to. My site is down or I'd show you all some stuff.

what scares me the most is the harsh sunlight!!!

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

01/10/2005 05:37:50 PM · #6

Shooting in sand is like shooting in snow. The surface is very reflective and will fool your camera's meter into under exposing. As suggested, take some test shots before the ceremony.

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

01/10/2005 05:41:41 PM · #7

Since you have the memory I would strongly recommend taking advantage of Raw format so that you can make changes after the shoot. I have never shot a wedding in full sunlight either but it has got to be easier than trying to do it in a dark church without being allowed to use a flash. I agree with using lots of different angles and using your filters to kill some glare. Good luck and hope to see some of the finished product if she lets ya.

Canon EF 28-90mm f/4-5.6 II USM (Black)

01/10/2005 05:46:48 PM · #8

I am so thankful for all of your advice! I will shoot in RAW and I will use my polarizer :) Should I also use any other filters?

I will try to get someone to pose for me real quick before the ceremony to have some time to work out exposure. The family is taking me to the ceremony site (as I will not have a car). So, i won't have too much time, but I know my camera well, so that helps!

:) I am excited!

phraid2002

Canon EOS-10D

01/10/2005 06:38:31 PM · #9

My suggestion to this white balance bit:

Bring a white piece of material and take a picture of it at the begining. than go thru the menu and set it as your custom white balance. (the 10D has it the 20D must have it.) Still shoot in RAW has a back up and flexibility. Depending of the light, shoot with flash and without flash, the outcome will be different.

I just shot a few pic on a overcast day in the snow, the lighting was my worse fear. This combination did work well for me and I think sand should do the same. Make sure you stand your white reference has if it was a person in order to balance for the reflection of the sand. Shooting in raw enable you to go back and make it sunny, cloudy . . .

Good luck, and if you need help I 'll fly down from the snowy Canada to help you on the warm beach of Florida.

I guess the beach is on the east coat or the west coast, if it's a sunset wedding the sun will set at see or inland or maybe it's a sunrise wedding (for the pic's only???)

Good luck

Fred

01/10/2005 07:05:46 PM · #10

So, i should put the white sheet on the ground and take a photo? I am not sure i follow you.

As for help, please! Come down to FL for the wedding :)

We will be on FL's east coast near or in Ft. Lauderdale. I am hoping she'll choose a late afternoon or early morning wedding, but we'll see. I'd love to get some sunset shots if i could find an inlet somewhere. We'll see :)

01/10/2005 07:13:16 PM · #11

She said 4:30pm

TLL061

Canon EOS-5D Mark III