We may get our knuckles rapped for straying from gear to technique, but
after all we ARE talking about using Nikon gear.
The last wedding I shot (using my F4), I used -- at the recommendation
of the local pro shop) NPS 160. Think finally I shot about 8 rolls.
I used my old 70-210 f4 to shoot the actual wedding ceremony. I knew I
couldn't use flash during the ceremony so I set up my tripod and shot
the ceremony through a clear glass window beside the door to the
sanctuary. Got some good shots there.
I also shot the bride's procession as it formed in the narthex. Used my
24-50 and 35-135 Nikkors with my SB 25 flash, using a Lumiquest Pocket
Bouncer (because the ceiling was very high). Later, I used the SB 25
with the head tilted and the bounce card extended when I shot the
reception, because the hall had a relatively low ceiling.
I used a lot of flash and had to change batteries one time (thank
goodness I thought ahead and had with me extra batteries for both the
camera and the flash).
The biggest disappointment I had with gear was a Stroboframe flip flash
thing that is of course intended to let me mount the flash high to avoid
red eye and also to flip the camera/flash rig when I went to vertical
format to keep the flash in the same position relative to the camera
body.
This requires the SC 17 cord as well. The SC 17 cord is expensive but a
good investment.
The flip flash was a big waste of money. The rig that was supposed to
attach the SB 25 to the flip flash would not stay straight -- the weight
of the SB 25 caused it to twist in the socket. Apparently there is an
even more expensive version of this thing that resolves this problem but
I couldn't find it.
Also the SC 17 cord kept getting tangled in the flip mechanism. I
watched a pro shooter use another Stroboframe model since shooting the
wedding and was interested to see that he had the flash cord taped to
the flipflash in strategic places.
The alternative is to hold the body with the SC 17 attached with the
right hand and hold the SB 25 with the other hand, positioning it when
and where you need to. The drawback to this is that the weight of the F4
with a lens gets a bit much for one hand after a while.
A good working flipflash unit would be a good idea; I just haven't found
it yet.
I made the natural light shots on manual, setting exposure to suit the
situation. For the flash shots I just put the camera on matrix metering
and P mode and let the flash unit do its thing. I figured any problems
with exposure would probably within print film range, and I was right.
The bride was older and had been married before, so she didn't wear a
big white dress, which helped with exposure. Otherwise I might have
dialed in one stop of additional exposure.
The biggest problem with this wedding for me was isolating groups of
people in good compositions. I came quickly to understand why
professional wedding shooters use set-up group shots. People don't
normally stand in groups facing outward; they face inward toward each
other, so the shooter gets lots of the backs of peoples' heads.
I tried to isolate individuals and small groups facing one direction; I
also tried to get some traditional shots like the bride and groom
cutting the cake
Hope this helps.
--
John N. Wall
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
WWW: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/j/jnweg/html
We are not revitalized or transformed as often by a change of
circumstances
as we are by a change of perspective.
