 Janessa L. Taber-Webb |
Wedding Shoot in a Dark Chapel I have shot a lot of weddings, and have always used my 420 EX flash. It works great in dark chapels. Now, I just booked a wedding that is in September. Problem is, it's in a dark chapel and there is absolutely NO FLASH allowed. What would be the best way around this and still get great photos? I have tried using my internal meter on my camera to take photos in a chapel without flash, but I don't like how they turn out. They look really bright and sunny (weird). I have a lot of time to practice this, so please, anyone, if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I am already assuming I am gonna need a light meter and a tripod, but expert advice would be great!
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Craig Paulsen |
high iso's or recreation
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Janessa L. Taber-Webb |
I figured a high ISO, but with the internal meter, shouldn't it set it to a high ISO??? Or do I have to shoot on "M" (manual)? How high of an ISO?
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robert G. Fately |
Janessa, one approach could be to get as fast a lens on the camera as possible. If you don't already have an f1.4 lens, maybe it's time to try one. Of course, you may still need to set the ISO so high that the shots will have a lot of noise, which you can then try to remove later with Noise Ninja or some other similar software. Of course, if there is no flash allowed and it is simply too dark to get shots, even with a 50MM f1.2 lens, then the only other option is to see if the no-flash rule is permanent or only during the actual ceremony. If the latter, you will have to explain to the bride and groom that they may need to return to the chapel after their ceremonial exit just to take shots with flash (or with some lights on). Perhaps this has been done for others before - after all, if there's not enough light, then no wedding could be shot, and I imagine that previous newlyweds' photographers have grappled with the same realities. While a tripod would help for static shots of the interior, unless you can get the people to freeze for multiple seconds, it won't help capture live subjects.
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Janessa L. Taber-Webb |
I swear ... weddings in chapels are so complicated. There should be a law on it!! If they don't allow flash, why bother even having a camera with a photographer running around interupting the "reverence" I just don't understand it! I was married in a mormon chapel and they did not allow my photogapher in there at all, even without flash. IT's just so complicated. Maybe I should just give them their money back and have them hire someone else. I do alot better when I can use my flash!
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Christopher A. Vedros |
I wouldn't recommend going over ISO 800 with the Digital Rebel. I've gotten some usable images at 800, but shots at 1600 are usually so noisy they are hard to salvage. That's just what I've experienced, at least. If you have a chance to practice in the chapel, you might find something that works. Like Bob said, if you don't already have a fast lens, now would be the time to try one. Fast zooms are pretty expensive, but you can get a fast Canon prime lens at a reasonable price. The Canon 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, or 100mm f/2 at $305, $335, and $375 are all good choices. Although many people like the 50mm f/1.8, it is $80 for a reason. Its build quality is on par with the 18-55mm kit lens. The others I listed are all very good quality lenses. Good luck.
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x |
Consult with the couple and explain the situation. Say you'll do what you can, but don't expect much. Put pressure on churches who do this. The couple should be leaning on the church to bend, not on you to perform miracles. That's my opinion. Shoot on very high ISO and explain to the couple that they will be pixely, but that's how it is. That's life and the science of photography. I used to routinely shoot with ISO 3200 BW film. It was cool. I have seen some great shots that are pixely that have the same effect. People are starting to get used to the pixels at high ISOs. I predict that this will become an artistic look.
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Janessa L. Taber-Webb |
Thank you all so much for helping me out. I will be going to pardees camera very soon to get a fast lense. Thanks alot everyone!
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Debra Weisheit |
Hi Janessa - As a veteran, full time photographer I shoot about 60 weddings per year and have for about 10 years. This situation is exceptionally common and it's one that is going to separate you from the other photographers if you can learn to handle it properly. HONEST Janessa, it's really not all that difficult!!!!! You CAN do it! We shoot with MarkII's, although our assistant uses a Digital Rebel and her shots are really good even when she can't use a flash. We use all Canon "L" series lenses and I promise you that those lenses make all the difference in the world. They're all fast lenses, f2.8 and the 50mm prime is f1.8. You cannot get anything that better than the guy down the street if you aren't using pro quality lenses. You can actually get the 50mm f1.8 for about 50.00 from B&H and although it's not in the "L" series, that little lens has saved my butt on more than one occasion, and the images it produces are fine even though it's not "L" glass. For your church, first find out what they mean EXACTLY about not using flash, and I'm referring to the TIMING of using the flash. It's my experience that you can use flash as the bridal party and the bride come down the isle, but you'll need to turn it off as soon as the bride reaches the top of the isle. You'll need to keep it off until the first kiss, which I've always captured with the flash turned back on. The ceremony itself is generally the problem. Here's my suggestions: 1. Use a tripod. I do, and I'm 5'2, female and not the worlds biggest person. I carry it to where it needs to go and use it like crazy. It will remove all the camera shake and you'll just have to deal with subject movement. 2. If you can, pick up the 50mm f1.8. I don't know how fast of a lens you're using now, but it's going to multiply the available light that's reaching your digital sensor, which in this case can only be a GOOD thing! 3. After the bride reaches the top of the isle and you have to turn off the flash, increase your iso to 800. NO the camera will NOT do that automatically, you must manually set that. BIG PROBLEM for me is remembering to set it back to 400 (what I usually shoot at) just before I turn the flash back on. BUT do whatever it takes to remind yourself to go back to 400, but shoot at 800 when you can't use the flash. I wouldn't go over 800 with a Rebel, the images will be WAYYYY to noisey. 4. IMPORTANT that you explain the situation to the couple. Tell them that you are able to do a lot of things to make sure their images are good, but that shooting without a flash is not the ideal situation, and that you MUST respect the churches rules. REMEMBER . . . THEY choose to have their wedding their, it wasn't your choice and from the questions I've seen you ask it appears to me that you care enough to worry about this, so I'm sure you'll work on it, practice, and things will be fine. 5. Do you shoot raw? We shoot 100% raw, even the Assistant with the Rebel. I insist on it. Raw files contain all of the image information and multiple times more information than if you let the camera convert the files to .jpgs. If you shoot raw you can correct for white balance, shadows, brightness, contrast, and exposure in your editing. It will make a big difference when conditions are less than ideal, like this church is. Check out my website - www.weisheitphotography.com - and if there's anything I can do to help you, please ask! Debra
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RICK Summers |
Janessa I just want to second what Debra just said. I just finished a wedding New Years weekend with similar circumstances. It was held in a historic converted barn with the service in the basement (low ceilings and almost no light) and the reception was upstairs with 60'barn ceilings (making it hard to bounce flash) and again little light. Thank God for Canon L series lenses and the MarkIIn. There was no flash allowed once the minister started talking so the wedding party entrances were flashed at 400ISO and then the service was shot on a tripod at 800ISO. I used the 50f1.8, 24-70L f2.8, 16-35L f2.8, and a few shots with the 70-200L f2.8 from up in a loft. The benefit of RAW is primarily not having to worry about your white balance in a variable light source environment and is imperative.(you can always set your WB to the wedding dress) Oh and don't forget if you don't have all the lenses you can always rent them and roll the cost into your fee!
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anonymous A. |
Unless I misread Janessa's question, the problem isn't getting a faster lens or higher ISO: the pictures turned out too bright and sunny. They should have looked dimmer and more "atmospheric". Try shooting a stop or too lower than indicated; if your camera indicates (say) 1/100 at f2.8, go to f4 instead. Experiment a bit with exposure compensation like this and you'll quickly get back to the stage where the lovely, dim lighting is properly represented in your photos again.
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Roy Blinston |
The popping of flash can be annoying and not conducive to a quaint old church. My advice is... 1. Ask if you can place some small floods in the Church (which are less annoying and can be placed strategically and give you that extra light you need) 2. Some Chapels have side doors, that when open and give you some extra light. 3. If you can't afford a fast lens.... hire one for the day! 4. I use the Canon 20-D which even at ISO 1600 has very little or no visible grain/noise due to in-camera noise reduction. It's fantastic. Hire one for the day.
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Aaron Reyes |
the 20d does barely better than the 300d with noise. (the 300d is basically a stripped down not so good bodied 10d) check out dpreview.com to compare noise with those cameras. if you don't want to shoot RAW to save space, set your WB manually, and check to see how they look. you can always set the white point, maybe gray point with levels in photoshop or maybe curves depending on the situation. (obviously not ideal, but will at least save you if the wedding dress looks yellow) I like to shoot jpeg for everything but the portraits. even with my 1.5gb of cards and laptop to download during downtime, it's still not enough card space. the canon 50mm 1.8 is sweet. there are comparisons on the web between the 1.4 and the 1.8 (neither are L glass anyways) I don't think the extra money for the 1.4 is worth it since it's more for the metal mount instead of the plastic. put the extra money toward another lens. maybe with IS? hope I helped out...
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Aaron Reyes |
forgot. keh.com sells great used lenses as well as new. there is the 1.8 50mm lens with a metal mount if you want. I think it was the original lens (mark I?) then they went plastic mount on the mark II I think. a little more expensive though, but still not $300 like the 1.4...
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