I was also going to point out John Lind's tutorial on covering weddings
since it's very good and fairly through. But, having shot quite a few
weddings professionally, I am also amongst those who would suggest that
you not do it. Not that you can't do a good job at it... it's just that
it's extremely difficult to be both a conscientious photographer and
also a participant in the wedding... you may end up not enjoying either.
My son's wedding was handled by a pro hired by the bride's family and my
daughter's wedding was handled by a pro hired by me. For an even
simpler event (my father's 80th birthday party) I still hired a pro
(Gary Reese, a former member of this list) not because I couldn't handle
it but because I wanted to enjoy the party. Also, hiring a pro doesn't
have to cost thousands of dollars. It shouldn't be too hard to find
someone who will do all the shooting digitally and provide you with a
set of images on CD without the expense of a professional album. Just
be sure the CD or DVD is gold or else copy it to multiple gold discs
very soon to be sure you get something of archival quality. Someone who
will readily sell you all his images is probably more likely to be an
amateur rather than experienced wedding photographer but you can still
find one; you just have to look a little harder and deeper. I have one
friend who would never shoot a wedding this way and another friend who
will only do it this way.
If you still decide to do it yourself you need to decide not on one
camera but which two of the three SLR's you're going to take. Likewise
the flashes. You'll need both. The reason is that weddings always
demand backup equipment. That means backup everything including
batteries, cables, etc. etc. Anything that can fail just might fail.
Since it's a once in a lifetime event you can't afford to have your OM-1
suddenly come down with wind problems because it has greasy latches.
You need to have an instant backup.
I would suggest that you take the OM-1 as the main camera since I think
you'll find the 35-105 the most useful lens assuming there's good light.
Then take whichever other camera you're most comfortable with as a
backup and equip it with a 50mm lens. In fact I would take a 50mm for
both cameras because either one can serve in a pinch as the only lens
and also provides you with a faster lens in the case of low light. If
you take the Nikon you could also take the 70-210 but I would suggest
that you not worry about that if it ends up staying in the bag. You
might get a chance to use it, you might not. But changing lenses will
be something to be avoided unless there's a real lull in the action.
You might want to keep the 35-105 on the OM-1 and a 50 on either of the
other cameras and carry both and shoot with both.
Got to run to an appointment right now knowing that I haven't covered a
lot of stuff and particularly flash. You also need to run a few rolls
of film through these cameras to test them out and be sure they're
working properly. Sluggish shutter or lens diaphragm is not to be
discovered an hour ahead of the ceremony.
Chuck Norcutt
Geilfuss Charles wrote:
> Jerry,
> I've done two weddings; one knowingly and one not (long story,
> so don't ask). My advice is to keep everything as simple as possible,
> especially the equipment. The single best thing you can do for an
> outdoor event is to *pray* for a bright/cloudy day. I don't know much
> about the other cameras you own but the OM is not going to be of much
> use with a flash if the setting is sunny (synch speed is too slow). On
> the other hand if the event were indoors the OM/ Vivitar flash would be
> fine. I would recommend either the 35-105.
> As for the details I refer you to a (former) List Member's
> webpage with some sage advice:
>
> http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/
>
> Good luck and have fun but don't drink too much.
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Jerry
> Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 1:00 PM
> To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [OM] My Very 1st Wedding
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
>
> Hi, my name is Jerry and I'm going to be shooting my youngest son's
> wedding in July. This is going to be my very first wedding and I'm a
> little nervous about it. I'm seeking some advice, tips, suggestions,
> etc. First of all, this is not going to be a high cost wedding. The
> wedding is going to be in southern California, on a grassy ledge
> overlooking the beach, under a gazebo, sometime during the afternoon.
> Attendance has to be limited due to restrictions by the land owners. I
> suspect the head count to be between 50 and 75.
>
> Now, for equipment I don't own, nor can I afford to buy a DSLR. I still
> live in the Dark Ages. Cameras I have that I could use: 1) OM1n, 2)
> Nikon FG, 3) Pentax KX/KM, 4) Olympus XA2, and for a digital P&S, a
> Kodak DX6340. I know this is funny, but please don't laugh; at least not
> so loud that I can hear you. :)
>
> For flash, I have a Metz 45-CL4, and a Vivitar 283.
>
> For lenses I have: for the OM1n I have a 50, a 35-105 and a 75-150
> lenses. For the FG I have a 70 - 210 plus a 50. For the Pentax I only
> have 50mm lenses. Between now and the wedding I could, if need be, buy a
> lens or two.
>
> My first inclination is to use the OM1n, with Winder 2, and the Zuiko 35
> - 105 lens, with the Metz 45 flash for the outdoor shooting. With this
> setup and ASA 200 film, I can still reach out to 35 to 40 feet, which I
> *think* will be far enough. After the wedding, there will be a dinner
> indoors at a nearby restaurant. Will the 35-105, at 35mm, be suitable
> indoors, or should I get something wider? I will probably also use the
> Kodak for some of the indoor shots. For a cheap P&S, it takes very good
> photos. Is there any other low cost equipment that I absolutely must
> have?
>
> I do have a motor drive for the FG, but the only flash I can use with it
> is a Nikon SB-15. Not enough power, I'm afraid.
>
> So, there you have it. My mediocre equipment list and the task at hand.
> Please recommend a film to use, color and/or black & white. I will most
> likely be sending the film out to some lab (recommendations?) that can
> also produce CDs. Also, please advise as to what shots to be sure and
> not miss. So please advise away, I really want to get some good photos
> for these kids.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Jerry
>
>
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