Shooting My First Low Key Wedding

One year ago, I knew nothing about Photography and I have been teaching myself ever since. I've been asked to photograph a low key wedding at a registry office on 31st January. It will consist of the bride, the groom and 2 friends. I haven't done a wedding before, they know I am inexperienced but I will be getting paid. They will ask the registry office if flash is allowed and will let me know on Tuesday.

I own the following camera and lenses:

Nikon D5100
Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR Nikkor (Currently in a repair shop!)
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G
Tamron SP AF 70-300 F/4-5.6 Di VC

Below is my lighting equipment:

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight
Gary Fong Lightsphere Collapsible (with dome kit)
Westcott 43-inch Umbrella (with removeable black cover)
5-in-1 42" Light Reflector
Lightstand with Interfit STR117 Umbrella & Hotshoe Adapter

I also have a Vista Voyager Tripod with W/FZ10 Head.

I've done a few small jobs and taken family photos using flash. These jobs have always been with my SB-700 on my camera and for most cases, using the Gary Fong Lightsphere. Here is my portfolio if you would like to see (Apologies if this is not allowed, call me a fool if you like but I cannot seem to find the forum rules ). I recently discovered I can trigger my SB-700 using my popup flash. Using the Aokatec A-N1 IR Panel, it stops the pop-up flash from affecting the exposure and only lets Infra-Red Light through. I've tested this with good results.

So out of my equipment, which would you use? Assuming the 16-85mm lens is repaired in time, this is my lens of choice. My only concern is it's not that fast, but if flash is allowed, then this shouldn't be a problem right? I don't have the money to buy/rent faster glass. Would you suggest I hand-hold my camera and use the Gary Fong Lightsphere? Or would it be better to bring along the tripod, and fire flash off camera into an umbrella/reflector? If so, shoot-through or reflective? I'm planning to visit the registery office before the 31st so I can do some test shots.

Thanks for any advice you have.

Are they friends of yours....If you stuff it they probably wont be...

No, they aren't friends of mine. I don't know them at all

So by low key you mean small, informal wedding. At first I thought you were going to shoot the whole wedding as low-key underexposed. I guess if they don't let you use flash then that might be the case!

Just kidding. You might want to find out how much prep time you will have. Some registry weddings don't give much time between services.

Oops, you thought I meant low key lighting? Sorry for the misleading title. I haven't learnt low key lighting but I know of it. Yeah, if I am not allowed flash, I'm pretty much done for. I will get to that when I hear back from the couple. I do have a 1.8G lens but at 50mm,not sure how useful it would be.

Thanks for the prep comment, that's something I would definitely need to ask!

Did they ask you based upon viewing your other work with family portraits and the such? If so then do what you have always done and don't worry about it. I'm guessing they have seen some of your work where you used the Gary Fong stuff with your flash...so just do what you know how to do and don't worry about any advice other than shoot a lot of pictures and make them a nice wedding portfolio.

Look at this as a prime opportunity to put some wedding stuff under your belt.

Agreed... and I suggest shooting in RAW to give you some latitude with your edits..

So leave the tripod, light stand and umbrella at home and just go hand hold, bring a few lenses and use my lightsphere? This is what I have a bit of experience with. Yes, the couple viewed my portfolio and liked what they saw. Whether I can produce shots like those on the day is another question and if flash is not allowed, then I'm in trouble. What lens of mine would you use for the ceremony?

I always shoot in RAW... Saved me many times.

If it's a small wedding with a few people, you might want to take the umbrella and the tripod with you for the group shots.....maybe outside the registry. Everything doesn't have to be shot inside, right? (hopefully it's a nice day)
You don't want blurry photos for such an auspicious occasion!
Nothing wrong with using a 50mm lens for a wedding. I've shot lots of weddings with just a 50 and an 18-55! It's how you compose the shot that matters. I even used a 55-300 lens on one wedding, all done outside, and the couple loved every one of those shots!

Just one thing I question after reading your original post. You mention: "Assuming the 16-85 is repaired in time". What if not...? You have to get another for sure. I don't see how you can do wedding pictures with only a 50mm and a 70-300 on a cropped sensor. You absolutely need something in the 18-55 range if you want to get any kind of group shots.

So my advice is either you make sure your lens is repaired, or you rent one.

This is my advice.

Mono pod would be in my kit too - incase I got to the venue and had the shakes but didn't have room for 3 legs of a tripod.

Also for my first shoot, i'd go to the venue on a simular time to the event itself on both a sunny and an overcast day and look for the potentiel for props/stages, where the light is coming from etc etc. - even light through the windows inside the room.

That said i've never done a wedding, its just somethings I would do just to help myself out a bit.


I have just recieved my D7000, am due my first niece/nephew in a few days and have a wedding early April of some close friends (they will have a pro photographer I can perhaps befriend). Wedding Photography interests me, I will get there one day - but given my skill I don't think that will be for a while.


Best of luck with it all, maybe post a few of your master pieces on here?

Having shot 40 uk weddings this year I can tell you that you wont be using flash at the registry office and you would not want to as the registrar would realize you were taking maybe 100 photos during the service....You need a 18-200 VR zoom ..you cannotshoot fast enough on a tripod... and one photographer at the back and one at the front and you need insurance for when they sue you for making a bog up of it ..or it costs you £20,00 when you get to court. This is UK and dark at 4 pm ..Personally I would get a pro in to do it until you have the right gear and experience....

if it wont go in your pocket dont take it .
camera with 2 chips in it
spare camera lens flash battery

pistnbroke said:

Having shot 40 uk weddings this year I can tell you that you wont be using flash at the registry office and you would not want to as the registrar would realize you were taking maybe 100 photos during the service....You need a 18-200 VR zoom ..you cannotshoot fast enough on a tripod... and one photographer at the back and one at the front and you need insurance for when they sue you for making a bog up of it ..or it costs you £20,00 when you get to court. This is UK and dark at 4 pm ..Personally I would get a pro in to do it until you have the right gear and experience....

if it wont go in your pocket dont take it .
camera with 2 chips in it
spare camera lens flash battery

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No offence, you started somewhere and its likely this guy isn't on your turf . I do understand the pros being upset with amateurs but everyone's gotta progress somehow. - that said I've interpreted your msg as a scare post, may just be being brutally honest.

If these clients are happy with the shooter then go for it.

Opinions are what makes a forum such a goldmine for info and you can then forge your own. But will never know unless try.

If I managed to get to a good enough standard for wedding photography I would contact pros (not on 'home' turf) and offer to be a 2nd shooter for free to see how it all went.



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You must be totally confident with the equipment and have it set right so you can forget it and it becomes an extension of your arm ..photographing weddings is not done with a camera is done with your mouth getting what you want in front of the camera is done with your mouth..go to a few weddings at the office anyone can go in they cannot stop you and you might see a pro in action but to be fare all I see at weddings is slow moving old farts with no style or control and the wrong equipment. Over 5 hrs at a wedding we tend to shoot about 200 per hour so I hope you got the right software to edit it... yes I videoed about 200 weddings before I took up the still camera..but if you are shy and dont want to take control forget it ...

Sounds like if light is low that the 50 1.8 will be your friend. That said, if you can borrow/rent a second camera (preferably the same model since you know it) so you don't find yourself switching lenses during the ceremony (which can be distracting and cause you to miss something) it might make life easier. And if you're renting, see if they've got a 28 1.8 as well since you're shooting DX and depending on the size of the office and how close you might be the 50 may keep you from getting some everything you want in some shots.

all this advice you are getting is bad advice ..howmuch depth of field will a 50mm f1.8 give you standing 15 ft away and at 45 deg to 4 people....its not bokeh we are looking for !!! The only lens for this job is an 18-200..VR zoom at f11

pistnbroke said:

...and pompous... all this advice you are getting is bad advice

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That's right, I forgot, you're the only one who knows squat.

50mm f1.8 at 15 ft DOF 1.8ft will not cover 4 people ..witness.groom.bride,witness in a line at 45 deg ...its not rocket science.....big close ups of the ring finger ..oh yes with a 50 mm...all I am saying is that this guy does not have the background and techical knowledge to tackle this job let alone jelling with the bride and groom to gain there confidence and do a good job.

pistnbroke said:

50mm f1.8 at 15 ft DOF 1.8ft will not cover 4 people ..witness.groom.bride,witness in a line at 45 deg ...its not rocket science.....big close ups of the ring finger ..oh yes with a 50 mm...all I am saying is that this guy does not have the background and techical knowledge to tackle this job let alone jelling with the bride and groom to gain there confidence and do a good job.

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But doesn't it look amazing when you get them at 90 degrees and the couple is in perfect focus but nothing else is?!

Yet, who are we to compete with your omniscient genius? You seem to already have an intimate knowledge of the venue, where people will asked to stand, where the photographer will be shooting from, and that he apparently has no concept that a f/1.8 lens can also shoot at f5 or, gasp, even f11 - magically capturing everyone in focus all at the same time!! Perhaps you should just contact the lovely couple and offer to shoot it yourself for free so they can compare and see what a real photographer can do?

well you are in the good old USA and all english registry offices are set up the same ....4 people across the front and you shoot from the grooms side in at 45 deg ..and you are not usually allowed to move ... a 50mm is not wide enough for some shots and too wide for any close ups even if yu use it at F11 ..why suggest an F1.8 if you are not assuming its dark?? I say if you can read the book its light enough and no flash is needed ..you just dont understand what is required to shoot 100 shots in the 15 min of the service without flash and in silent mode.....

any way let the guy get on with it and see if he gets paid ....