Cathedral Caverns State Park

Out of the blue a couple of weeks ago I got a message that someone had seen some photos I had shot here a couple of years ago and really liked them. She is getting married in the cave later this year and wanted to know if I would shoot the wedding shots for them. I told her I would think about it. So today I traveled to the cave and did a few tests. This is the area where they will have the ceremony and I attempt to see if I am happy with the results.



There are 10 people in the wedding party so this should cover the area.
So yes or no?

Here are the other shots I did for me.

Nice stuff Don...

Good thing with caves is there is heaps of places to bounce flash. I just did a reception in a cave last weekend.

My main setting used for the reception were

ISO 1250 - 1600 depending on the shot
F2.8 to F4.0 depending on the shot
Shutter 1/100th
Flash SB-900 on TTL FP BL with -1 on the dial.

I never pointed the flash at the people - often it was aimed behind my head to bounce off the ceiling behind me.. if that was too far away then side bounce or even front bounce if required with the flash head angled 2 or 3 clicks, again depending on the ceiling, walls distance.

First dance image.


The thing I would struggle with is that when I use a flash I generally don't go any longer than 70mm... this means you need to stay close to your subjects. I try and stay back for ceremonies so as not to get in the way of the guests...

Hope that helps.

Ceiling way to high here. I used my Gary Fong LightSphere pointed up here after several tries but it seems to work pretty good.

Bad thing is I don't have much room to shoot there. The shot was using a 14mm but I think with the numbers I got there I can use my 24-120 F4 and get the results I need. f4 @1/60 at ISO 1600 I think will give me the results I need I have until October so I plan to go back one more time and test out the numbers. That is If I get the job. I plan to charge a premium to do it.

Went to a different cave today with another photographer friend. This cave is another in the Alabama State Park system but not really as nice as the cave last week.

Wow... both are very cool Don. Thanks for sharing those.

Great pictures. I need to make a trip there. It's about an hour's drive from home (Huntsville)

Don Kuykendall said:

Ceiling way to high here. I used my Gary Fong LightSphere pointed up here after several tries but it seems to work pretty good.

Click to expand...

It's difficult to see just how high the ceiling is especially since the images were shot with a 14mm lens. A few weeks ago I took some photos of choir members at church bouncing the flash off the ceiling. Used my SB-910 as my SB-700 was pushing full power and not quite cutting it. I did a few test shots ahead of time to narrow down the exposure needed. The ceiling comes to a point at the top with slanted sides and is over 3 floors tall at its highest point. What I didn't anticipate was the amount of glare that still hit some of the choir members' glasses. :cower:

Are you using a powerful flash? About how high are the ceilings in the areas you want to photograph?

hark said:

It's difficult to see just how high the ceiling is especially since the images were shot with a 14mm lens. A few weeks ago I took some photos of choir members at church bouncing the flash off the ceiling. Used my SB-910 as my SB-700 was pushing full power and not quite cutting it. I did a few test shots ahead of time to narrow down the exposure needed. The ceiling comes to a point at the top with slanted sides and is over 3 floors tall at its highest point. What I didn't anticipate was the amount of glare that still hit some of the choir members' glasses. :cower:

Are you using a powerful flash? About how high are the ceilings in the areas you want to photograph?

Click to expand...

The is the point with the flash modifier I used You point it up even if there is no ceiling and you get a extremely diffused light going forward back front all around. You have to be close enough to the subject to get the results you want.

Don Kuykendall said:

The is the point with the flash modifier I used You point it up even if there is no ceiling and you get a extremely diffused light going forward back front all around. You have to be close enough to the subject to get the results you want.

Click to expand...

Thanks kindly, Don!