| So - you love photography and have been asked by | | | | 400 all day and end up with beautiful, grain-free |
| a friend to take pictures at their wedding. Why is it | | | | results. If needed, I can go up to ISO 520 or 640. I |
| that it seems like every professional photographer will | | | | try to avoid ISO 800 - but will do it if needed (there |
| recommend you don't do it? Are they a bit biased? | | | | are tons of Photoshop plug-ins, free and paid, that |
| Maybe they don't want to be blamed for encouraging | | | | can be used to lessen the grain). |
| you to take the photos if you make mistakes and | | | | #2 - Do you know what shutter speed you can |
| ruin the wedding photos... | | | | comfortably shoot at without taking blurred photos? |
| I'm a wedding photographer that realizes every | | | | The first bit of advice is to hold the camera as still as |
| professional started out by photographing a "first | | | | possible while taking photos. Sound simple, but it's |
| wedding" at some point. While I will still recommend | | | | important! Don't jam the button down, press it gently. |
| you give the couple a monetary gift so they can hire | | | | Second bit of advice is to use a tripod whenever |
| a professional photographer, if you are going to go | | | | possible. I almost always use a tripod during wedding |
| ahead and do the photography yourself, I want to | | | | ceremonies that are indoors. Most of the time it is |
| help you do the best job possible! | | | | the only way I am able to get natural-lit shots of the |
| I remember spending more than a hundred hours | | | | wedding ceremony (due to the slow shutter speeds |
| working HARD to prepare for my first wedding. | | | | and dim lighting). |
| Learning as much as I could online. Buying wedding | | | | Third bit of advice is that, if you can't use a tripod, |
| photography books. Taking practice photos (indoors | | | | try to brace yourself on whatever is handy. Lean |
| and outdoors). Visiting the church and reception site. | | | | against a wall. Set the camera on the back of a pew |
| Taking more practice photos. Begging people (family | | | | as a stabilizer. |
| members, relatives, friends) to pose for me so I | | | | The fourth bit of advice is the industry-wide rule of |
| could practice arranging... | | | | thumb regarding shutter speeds: you generally |
| IT IS possible for an amateur to successfully | | | | shouldn't shoot at a shutter speed "faster" than the |
| photograph a wedding - but you have to be willing to | | | | zoom of your lens. If you have a 50mm lens (don't |
| work really, really hard. And be willing to dedicate a | | | | forget about digital magnification factors) you would |
| lot of time to preparing for the wedding! And make | | | | want to shoot at 1/50th or faster. A 200mm zoom |
| sure the couple knows it is your first wedding so | | | | would be best shot with 1/200th of a second or |
| that they have low expectations. Then you can blow | | | | faster. But this is why PRACTICE is so important: |
| them away with your good results! | | | | over the years I have found I can shoot with a |
| LEARN ABOUT LIGHTING | | | | slower shutter speed if I am using flash (to find out |
| Do you know how to take well-lit photos in a variety | | | | about my flash lighting techniques, visit my web site |
| of settings? Can you take nicely-lit photos that | | | | which I link to below). I've successfully taken |
| primarily use natural light while indoors? Or do you | | | | non-blurred images while indoors with extremely dim |
| use "blast-flash" on all your subjects? | | | | lighting using ISO 520, f2.8, 1/30th of a second |
| There are three basic settings on the camera that | | | | exposure with a 70mm lens and some bounce flash. |
| control exposure. Do you know what those three | | | | #3 - Do you know what aperture setting is best for |
| are? If you are a student of photography you should | | | | indoor photos? For outdoor photos? For achieving a |
| immediately know the three I am referring and | | | | blurred-background effect (yes, shooting "wide open" |
| should know how they interact! | | | | - which means a low-numbered aperture - with a |
| #1 - Do you know what ISO refers to and what | | | | zoom lens is all that is needed)? For having as much |
| settings work best for various lighting conditions? If | | | | of the photo in focus as possible? |
| you stepped outside for some photos at a wedding, | | | | This is the first in a series of articles that are |
| what would you move your ISO to? If you are | | | | designed to help amateurs as they prepare to |
| indoors, what ISO setting will give you a good | | | | photograph their first wedding. I have a significant |
| mixture of quality and light capture? At what ISO | | | | amount of additional information on my web site, and |
| setting does your camera begin to take grainy | | | | also link to other web sites that have information to |
| photos? On my Nikon D1x I will shoot indoors at ISO | | | | help you out! |