My cousin is getting engaged in a few weeks and there's going to be a bit of a extended family get together for the ceremony.
She's asked me to be her photographer for the engagement because she likes the pictures I take (even though by my very own admissions I'm still in the amateur leagues).
My only other experience with any kind of 'ceremony' photography was a cousin's wedding a few years back - that was using a borrowed D3100 and a hired 18-20mm lens though I was pleased with a few of the pics from there indeed.
This time round I want to be a little more prepared and here I am to ask my fellow Nikonites for their advice
First of all the setting(s).
Mostly going to be indoors at the venue which from the two pictures I have got might be a nightmare for lighting (see below):
The colour theme (for outfits) for the engagement is black, red and champagne, and I've not had confirmation yet, but the stage may be setup in a combination of those colours too (I will try and get his information ASAP).
As you can see from the pictures, the lighting there is a mix of fluorescent lights and I think some kind of possibly halogen flood lighting to the stage (again I will get this confirmed).
To overcome this poor lighting, I'm thinking of using a pair of SB-700s to provide light from either side of the stage area.
These will be on Yongnuo YN-622N triggers and (controlled by the YN-622N-TX on my camera) and probably on light stands like Camlink Light Stand Small: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (which I am awaiting delivery of)
1. First question - should I use the diffuser supplied to soften the light a little or maybe even Fluorescent Filter SZ-3FL or just use the SB-700s without any filters on?
I understand that if I use the diffuser, I may have to stop down (open up the aperture) a little more to compensate (more on lens later).
If I need more lighting, I only have access to a SB-400 and a YN565EX flash, though both would need to be off camera otherwise I would not be able to use my trigger (and the later is my cousin's so he might be using it on his camera too!!)
Camera will be centre to the stage either hand held or on a tripod when it comes to the big family group shots.
The only other places I might need to shoot are possibly outdoors as my cousin arrives, and as she walks to the stage (but then I would just slide the SB-700 onto my camera for a short while).
If she wants any at home as she gets ready, again, would probably just use the SB-700 on camera
Lighting out the way, onto lens choice...
Without spending money on a new lens, or hiring one, the choices I have are;
50mm f/1.8
18-105mm f/3.5-5.6
55-200mm f/4-5.6
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
For the majority of the pictures of the stage area I was thinking of using the 18-55mm instead of the 18-105mm purely because at lower focal lengths I can open up the aperture more.
However, for just candid shots as I walk around I was hoping to utilise the 18-105mm as it means I can get those pics from further away at not have people stop/pose for the camera (I did think the 55-200mm might be useful for that, but then the IQ is not as good as the 18-105mm).
The 50mm I was going to use for those more bokeh rich shots like of the ring, the couple, or some portrait type head and shoulders shots - these will be far and fewer between though.
If I had to hire then I was thinking of;
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 for some really blurred out backgrounds of people as I walked around, but not sure how much I might use it (though I've not discounted the idea totally yet).
For group shots I'd have to close the aperture to around f/8 anyway I think so the f/1.8 of the lens would really only be utilised in the walk about scenario
24-70mm f/2.8 - I would love to use this lens, but I think given the stage is about 3m wide and the space I have to work with, to get a group in would mean I have to be 3m away from the stage and the lens at its widest. That might be a bit too far back and I don't know if I have that space to work with.
My assumption is I have at best 1.5m from the stage before I start bumping into people or coming in the way of them, or they start intruding into my shots.
So - any advice please
She's asked me to be her photographer for the engagement because she likes the pictures I take (even though by my very own admissions I'm still in the amateur leagues).
My only other experience with any kind of 'ceremony' photography was a cousin's wedding a few years back - that was using a borrowed D3100 and a hired 18-20mm lens though I was pleased with a few of the pics from there indeed.
This time round I want to be a little more prepared and here I am to ask my fellow Nikonites for their advice
First of all the setting(s).
Mostly going to be indoors at the venue which from the two pictures I have got might be a nightmare for lighting (see below):
The colour theme (for outfits) for the engagement is black, red and champagne, and I've not had confirmation yet, but the stage may be setup in a combination of those colours too (I will try and get his information ASAP).
As you can see from the pictures, the lighting there is a mix of fluorescent lights and I think some kind of possibly halogen flood lighting to the stage (again I will get this confirmed).
To overcome this poor lighting, I'm thinking of using a pair of SB-700s to provide light from either side of the stage area.
These will be on Yongnuo YN-622N triggers and (controlled by the YN-622N-TX on my camera) and probably on light stands like Camlink Light Stand Small: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (which I am awaiting delivery of)
1. First question - should I use the diffuser supplied to soften the light a little or maybe even Fluorescent Filter SZ-3FL or just use the SB-700s without any filters on?
I understand that if I use the diffuser, I may have to stop down (open up the aperture) a little more to compensate (more on lens later).
If I need more lighting, I only have access to a SB-400 and a YN565EX flash, though both would need to be off camera otherwise I would not be able to use my trigger (and the later is my cousin's so he might be using it on his camera too!!)
Camera will be centre to the stage either hand held or on a tripod when it comes to the big family group shots.
The only other places I might need to shoot are possibly outdoors as my cousin arrives, and as she walks to the stage (but then I would just slide the SB-700 onto my camera for a short while).
If she wants any at home as she gets ready, again, would probably just use the SB-700 on camera
Lighting out the way, onto lens choice...
Without spending money on a new lens, or hiring one, the choices I have are;
50mm f/1.8
18-105mm f/3.5-5.6
55-200mm f/4-5.6
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
For the majority of the pictures of the stage area I was thinking of using the 18-55mm instead of the 18-105mm purely because at lower focal lengths I can open up the aperture more.
However, for just candid shots as I walk around I was hoping to utilise the 18-105mm as it means I can get those pics from further away at not have people stop/pose for the camera (I did think the 55-200mm might be useful for that, but then the IQ is not as good as the 18-105mm).
The 50mm I was going to use for those more bokeh rich shots like of the ring, the couple, or some portrait type head and shoulders shots - these will be far and fewer between though.
If I had to hire then I was thinking of;
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 for some really blurred out backgrounds of people as I walked around, but not sure how much I might use it (though I've not discounted the idea totally yet).
For group shots I'd have to close the aperture to around f/8 anyway I think so the f/1.8 of the lens would really only be utilised in the walk about scenario
24-70mm f/2.8 - I would love to use this lens, but I think given the stage is about 3m wide and the space I have to work with, to get a group in would mean I have to be 3m away from the stage and the lens at its widest. That might be a bit too far back and I don't know if I have that space to work with.
My assumption is I have at best 1.5m from the stage before I start bumping into people or coming in the way of them, or they start intruding into my shots.
So - any advice please