Researching a new lens & external flash; need help hints and advice

Hi. I'm assuming Nikon here! I shoot a couple of weddings a year, so my comments are made from this perspective. Lighting is indeed the key. I use an SB600 and an SB800. I have tended to use a flash diffuser and flash bracket in the past, but am increasingly turning to using bounced flash as explained on the 'Planet Neil' website. Also check out 'A Better Bounce Card'.

Your lenses, like mine (except my 35mm f1.8), are slow and you will find things difficult in low light if you cannot use flash. Depending on budget, I recommend the 35mm f1.8 Nikon lens. This will work on Nikon bodies without built in motor (D3100, D5000 etc.). You could probably shoot all the formals with this lens. For large group shots, the 18-55 at 24mm should be fine (wider than 24mm and you will get edge of frame distortion effects). The 55-200 at f5.6 and around 80-100mm can be used to capture some nice head shots. The 18-105mm is as good as any other Nikon consumer zoom with that useful extra but of reach. However, the 35mm f1.8 will be of more use to you in a wedding situation

Which body are you currently using? Despite general Nikon reliability, you still need a backup. You need to master the controls so you can change them quickly and reliably.

Do you know anything about venues and their rules and regulations yet? This will help determine your needs.

There are other things to consider too: plenty of batteries (camera and flash), memory cards, post processing etc. I now use DxO Optics for RAW conversions (shoot RAW!) - excellent lens correction and noise reduction capabilities (I'm happy using my D300 up to ISO 1600 and D5000 to ISO 3200 for smaller prints).

On the poses front, it depends on how formal you want to be. You need to identify key people and groups of people and to minimise the amount of time taken to get groups together by maximising efficiency. Use the 'best man' to help with herding the wedding party and guests.
Hope this helps for starters!

Good Morning Bethany, and Welcome to Photo.net !
There are many great photographers here, with varying opinions and varying advice. Please take it all in and try to learn from it...don't get discouraged. There's also many threads about first time wedding photographers on this site...you'd do well for yourself to read many of them. They'll offer warnings and encouragement.

A few questions before I give any advice:

• What camera are you using?
• What experience, other than with Lifetouch, do you have photographing people?
• What experience do you have with weddings?
• Have you ever been a second shooter or wedding photographer's assistant?
• What is your plan if something goes wrong with your camera?
• What experience do you have shooting with on-camera flash?
• Indoor or outdoor wedding ceremony/reception?
• If the ceremony is indoors, is it in a church? If so, what are the church's rules regarding flash photography?
• How close are you to your friends that have asked you to photograph their weddings?

I believe that you have good intentions, but many of your statements lead me to believe that you are not prepared to do these jobs:

I don't have a spare camera. I don't really have an assistant.

You need one, but not the other. Assistants are not necessary - you'll find many of the photographers in this forum that do not shoot with assistants. You DO need a second camera - one you're familiar enough with to shoot under high pressure situations and make sure you get the shot. Do you know anyone that you can borrow a camera from? Preferably the same system you are currently using. You need a second camera - even if you don't shoot with it - just in case something goes wrong with your camera. (You'll also need spare batteries for both cameras)

I have researched poses and what to do since I was asked about four months ago.

Research is not the same as practice. Over the past four months have you practiced with real people? Have you been to a few weddings to see the basic flow of the day? Have you shadowed a wedding photographer, worked as a second shooter, or assisted? You can't learn everything from reading - you need to practice, practice, practice. Wedding photography is high pressure and there's no do-overs. Have you done everything in your power to really get prepared for the day?

I'm thinking about purchasing the 18-105 zoom lens. I have the 18-55mm and 55-200mm, but I don't want to keep changing lenses.

The 18-105mm, much like your 18-55 and 55-200, are not the best lenses for low light. They're fairly slow, and unless you're very proficient with flash photography or have a set of studio strobes you can set up at the wedding and reception, you'll be wanting for more light or shooting at very high ISOs. Faster glass is usually recommended for weddings, but with the right flash setup, they aren't necessarily needed. Stick to your two lens setup for now and change lenses when necessary. You'll likely be finding yourself shooting the 18-55 more often than not.

Do you guys think that lens would be ideal for the weddings I will be photographing?

No - I don't think the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 is even close to ideal. Everyone has their own opinion of what is ideal. Mine is a 17-50/55mm f/2.8 (DX) or 24-70mm f/2.8 (FX) and 70-200mm f/2.8 with a selection of fast primes (choose between 24mm/35mm/50mm/85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8) for really low light. My personal favorite is two cameras with 35/85 combo and a the zoom in case I have limits on my movements.

Also, what flash should I consider purchasing? I have been researching and researching and can't seem to decide.

Again, research doesn't tell you everything. Are you comfortable with manual flash or do you want something with TTL metering? Not knowing if you shoot Canon or Nikon I don't know which flash to suggest, but I recommend sticking with your camera manufacturer's brand for full compatibility and ease of use.

Finally:

Just recently I have been asked by two friends to shoot a wedding in May and July of this year. I accepted the offer knowing that it would be a challenge.

I'll ask again how close you are to your friends. Are you 100% sure you are up for the challenge? Are you prepared to lose your friends if things don't go well? (I ask because it has happened - search these forums) Have you prepared your friends for the results you can give them without setting their expectations too high?
You have five months to prepare (and have already had four according to your post). Do everything you can to get an assisting job and maybe even a second shooter position with a local photographer. Go to as many weddings as you can to learn how the day progresses. Keep an eye on what the photographer is doing and try to learn everything you can.

Nine months is a long time to prepare for your first wedding...you've got five left - start getting ready now!

RS

Hi again. Sound advice from Richard. Being a 'people person' is important. My former day job as a university lecturer meant I was used to dealing both with individuals and large groups on a professional level. If I was to summarise a desirable approach, I would say it is to be 'politely assertive with a smile'.

I've had another thought..... On the lens front, a used 18-70mm Nikon (no VR though, but see later) would give you 2/3 stop advantage at the long end over the 18-55mm and give you sufficient reach for some nice head and shoulder shots without lens changing issues. In the UK, that would set you back less than £150 for a good one. There's also a DxO optics module for this lens.

I'd not worry too much about having VR. At weddings people can be quite animated and you will need highish shutter speeds or flash to freeze subject motion, unless you are looking for creative blur (read up on 'dragging the shutter', but for a first time play safe unless you practice the technique). Outdoors in May / June, ISO 400 on an average day will allow 1/250th second at around f8 to f11. F4.5 at 70mm would allow for a bit of background blur (DoF of about 7 inches at a distance of 6.6 feet and a subject height of about 2 feet).

I'd also not get hung up on the 'one lens solution'. I used to have the 18-200mm Nikon. It was pretty hopeless above around 80mm. My 16-85mm + 55-300mm combination is far superior for general photography - but slow in low light situations and where I want less DoF.

If you are a college student, have a go at some college event photography - indoor and outdoor - to practice and refine your technique. Sports, drama, debates, dance etc are all good opportunities. It will also boost your people skills, regardless of how good they already are.

Did your friends pick you because they like your work or because they can't afford anything else, or because they want to help you move your career forward as a photographer? Working for a portrait studio is very different from the fast paced world of wedding photography where you don't get any do-overs.

As I've suggested to people before in this type of situation, if it was because of money concerns, is that you help them find a budget wedding photographer instead. Possibly even pay the person's fee as your wedding gift to them. If you are trying to break into the wedding business, you could ask this person if you could 2nd shoot at your friend's wedding with them.

There is just sooooooooo much more to being a wedding photographer than most people think of. Like how were you going to do the processing on your images? Are you shooting in RAW or JPG (you absolutely should be shooting at a minimum of RAW+JPG or just RAW). How much memory do you have? What body are you shooting on? How well will your body perform in low light if the reception is in low light (which most are). Do you know how to drag the shutter? If not, you will definitely need to learn to to that, there are good links to that on this site. Like Simon said, how are you at dealing with large groups, posing them, and doing it very quickly? I don't mean to sound like debbie downer, just being realistic.

But bottom line, at a minimum you need to have 2 camera bodies on you. You can always rent a body for a wedding. It should preferably be the same body you normally shoot on so all the controls are normal to you. If you have the two bodies, you don't have to worry about changing lenses, just have one body on each shoulder. But if you plan your shots right, switching between lenses shouldn't be a big deal. It seems silly, but practice that your lens switching technique so that you get it fast and quiet.
Also, in the mean time, do an engagement shoot with them. This will give you some experience and will set their expectation levels on the basis of the product you provide them with.

Hope that helps! =)

I meant to put in my post that I have a Nikon D5000... sorry! I really want to upgrade to the D90 since I used that camera on my last job before Lifetouch. I probably could have made my post clearer than I did. I came upon this website really late and wanted to create an account and ask a few questions before forgetting the next day
The first wedding I am shooting in May is in Ohio, so I don't have the capability to bring an assistant with me. The number of people she is inviting is 100 and it is located in a country club. I will call the country club today and see what their rules are for flash. The other wedding is within driving distance from my house. It's in my church and flash is permitted. I do have an assistant for that to help me carry bags etc.

I've talked to other photographers and they told me to have a backup in case something goes wrong. Hopefully I can save enough money to get a body, flash, and the batteries & memory cards before the first wedding. If not, than hopefully I can conjure up the money before the July wedding.

I do have outside experience outside of Lifetouch. I made a photography website to use as a portfolio. I have photographed countless of couples wether they were engaged or celebrated an anniversary. I was hired to photograph a large birthday in a hotel, so that gave me an idea as to what to photograph for a reception. I was also hired to photograph a piano recital in the same church the July wedding will be in. That gave me an idea as to what I will do for the ceremony.
My friend recently got married and I attended it. I couldn't stop watching the two photographers there as they photographed. I talked to the head photographer and she gave me her card so I can contact her about helping her photograph a wedding. I know what the main vocal points are that I need to capture: wedding party walking down the isle, the bride's entrance, the look of the groom, the wedding party all together, the exchange of rings, the kiss, etc.
I worked for Disney World on their College Internship program as a PhotoPass Photographer. They had the D90 to work with and the 18-105mm lens and some other lens for specific locations. We used the SB-700 AF Speedlight and the SB-900 Speedlight regardless of the time of day. I rarely used the SB-900, so I know how to operate the 700. My question about lighting is this: should I stick with the SB-700, or should I get a completely different flash like the SB-400 Speedight?

My relationship with these people is definitely an issue. I told them when they asked me that I have never photographed a wedding before and told them that it is a very precious moment that I don't want to ruin. I was told by them that they don't like other people's work, or if they like me and another person they will be charged an arm and a leg. They really want me to photograph their special day. I spent a week before telling them that I would do it so I could think about the idea of photographing a wedding. I have been researching for the past five months, and I will continue to research until the night before, haha. I am a very dedicated photographer in the Studio and out. I strive to bring a magical touch to every photograph that will be taken.

Question: So, you're saying not to use the 18-105mm lens even with a flash? I've been playing around with that lens for awhile and I love how far it zooms. I don't want to have to keep changing my lenses and risk missing something for the Ohio wedding and the local wedding.
Would you recommend the D90 as an upgrade from my D5000?
Thank you both for your input! I will be take everything into consideration and do as much research as possible for the proper lens and body. I know once I purchase a body I will have the D5000 to use as a back up.

@Vail I took a Digital Photography class and was taught out to shoot in RAW and change the settings. I am very comfortable with RAW so I can manually edit the photographs. I have a Mac so I will be using iPhoto to edit the photographs. I really want Photoshop... but I am a poor college student. haha. I know Pixelmator is the next best thing to Photoshop for around $30. I'm saving for that photo editing software, too.
I definitely agree that wedding photography is a big deal. I want to do this as a career one day, so getting this experience is greatly needed. Both of my friends told me they want me and know that I can handle it- I just hope they're right. haha. I mean, I'm not doubting my abilities, but I just don't want something to happen.

You should consider the following in addition to the above recommendations: 1. Get a Nikon flash and practice 2. Consider renting second body and or lens you can't afford now 3. Read the excellent Wedding Forum on here, great advice from many experienced pros 4. Check out www.borrowlenses.com for rentals 5. Scope out the venues in advance to take some trial shots and check lighting 6. Consider a tripod or monopod for church or low light situations 7. Consider renting or borrowing flash trigger to get your flash off camera - or a flash cable 8. Read the into to wedding photography under the Learning tab

Hello again. OK, I have the D5000 as well (as back-up to my D300). The D5000 has better high ISO capabilities than the D300 (about half a stop) despite having a very similar sensor. The SB400 will be underpowered and lacks swivel capability for off-wall bounce. The SB700 is OK, although the SB900 has about 2/3 stop more output.

I would do the RAW conversions in Nikon Capture NX (download a trial when you are ready to process - fully functional), View NX (free) or DxO Optics (free trial available again) - although for Mac things may be different. Alternatively, PhotoShop Elements is cheap and gives you the same raw converter as full photoshop.

Both the D90 and the D300 / D300s have the ability to use the built in flash as a commander to a remote SB600/700/800/900 (hand-held by an assistant to bounce the flash from a suitable direction might be useful). I personally like the D300 handling (apart from the pesky AF switch) as changing settings is very fast.

On the lens front, depending on your findings, the 18-70mm Nikon will give you fine results for the money and will work well on the D5000. Renting a 17-55mm Nikkor is an alternative. That together with the 55-200mm on the back-up body with back-up flash for candids will be all you need, provided you don't need an f1.8 or f2.8 lens for low light. Just beware the lack of focusing motor in the D5000 body.

The image below was at ISO 3200 on the D5000, f5.3 (wide open), 1/30 second hand held, no flash, 16-85mm VR lens at around 65mm, processed in DxO Optics RAW converter. Not a wedding, but low light with an animated drummer!