What equipment do you essentially need to photography a wedding?

Question

I've been asked to photograph a wedding for a friend. I've done portraits and flowers. But never a wedding. I currently have a Nikon D80 (b/c everyone I knew had huge probs with their D90) and the 18-55, 55-200, 1.8 50mm. If I do it - I know I'll purchase an extra flash. Maybe the SB-400? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I'm well aware of the lighting issues, posing, etc. Not just sure my equipment is enough. Thank you.

Answer 1

I have recently started my own wedding photography business after being an assistant for 3 years.



Your kit sounds very ample indeed. You have a wide range of lenses good enough to get what you need, the most important is a wide angle for group shots but your 18-55 Kit will do that and your 55-200mm is good for informal shots and close ups from the back of the church. The 50mm prime will be good for close portraits but you know what your doing there and the 18-55mm will be good again for macro (Cake and Rings).



You would benefit from a Speed-light and the SB-400 will do the job but the internal flash would do just fine, i recommend turning it down a couple of notches in the in-camera menu as it can be harsh or make a diffuser at home to stick over it so it's a touch softer.



I strongly recommend a 2nd battery as you'll be snapping loads and you don't want it to die on you, a tripod for formal shots as you want them crisp and a second memory card to back everything up just in case.



You may want to invest in a Cokin P-Series filter kit to use so you can add some effect to the arty shots or you can do that in post-production if money is tight (You may find them handy with your flower shots in future though?).



Have a chat with the vicar/priest or registrar before hand to see what you can photograph and what you can't and i recommend casing the location of the wedding and the reception venue at the time the wedding/reception will be beforehand to see the best place to take photos this is also handy as you'll know where you can take snaps if it rains!!



Dress smart, be punctual and polite and you will glide through the day, don't be scared to ask the groomsmen to help you where possible, that's their job!



Good Luck!

Answer 2

If you're a good friend, you should tell your friend to please hire an experienced wedding photographer. People seem to assume that good portrait or general photographers can do great weddings, and that's seldom true. It's a totally different - more stressful - more technically demanding ballgame.



That's not to say you can't take some shots and just get some practice in, but a wedding is a once in a lifetime event, and you REALLY don't want to be the person that mucks it up.



Your equipment shouldn't be an issue. The issue is knowledge and experience in the wedding photo business. I've known way too many people, and seen way too many on here, who've done what your friend is asking you to do only to majorly regret it in the end.



Remember, there's a reason wedding pros make the money they do - it's a VERY hard thing to do.

Answer 3

If you can swing it at all, get the SB600 or 900, or a used SB800 rather than the SB400. They are more powerful, and swivel and tilt which you will need, and they will work off camera with the D80's command mode. Also check into the various types of diffusers available. Stofen, Demb Flip-it, Better Bounce Card, Lightscoop and the Gary Fong Lightsphere are a few.



Your lenses are fine, use the 50 f/1.8 for portraits and low light, and the WA kit lens for the most part. You do need a backup Nikon body. If possible, check into renting a D300 or D700.



Here is my favorite link for first time wedding shooters:



http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Wedding101-page1.html



Make sure to control expectations. Shooting a wedding is different from flowers or even portraits (although if you are good at portraiture, you have a big advantage when shooting the formals and the "romantic" B&G portraits.) Get a list and go over with the B&G detailing what shots are "must-haves" for them. Spare batteries. Lots of memory. I prefer several smaller cards of 2-4GB rather than one huge card.



Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 4

Equipment is the least of the worries.



Absolute knowledge on how to use your equipment, light, poses and an idea on the wedding 'must-have' shots are all #1. You'll need a spare *everything*. If a body dies, you must be back up and running within seconds. Same with strobe units. Think Murphy's law!



Then, for every hour you shoot, you'll be spending post processing the images.



Certainly let your friend know that you've never photographed a wedding before and that you'll do your best to capture this once-in-a-lifetime day. It's a big responsibility but if you plan, plan, plan, practice and make sure you've got fail-safes available - you'll do fine.

Answer 5

From photo.net:

http://photo.net/learn/wedding/equipment



Do you "need" all of that equipment, maybe not. I'm sure people shoot weddings with a single D80 and a few kit lenses all the time. The wife of a friend of mine decided to go cheap and found someone with a digital rebel to shoot their wedding -- lets just say the results were less than acceptable. He regretted not hiring another friend of ours who shot the wedding casually, with his canon 5D and 24-70 2.8L. You can't argue with results, though. Just looking at wedding and event shooters like Ryan Brenizer, you probably won't acheive the same results with a D80 and its companion kit lenses. But, and I hope, if you're not accepting any money for the job - I suppose your gear will do the job. If however you do expect compensation, do try to study technique -- perhaps that will fill the gap in your equipment.



Ryan's website:

http://www.ryanbrenizer.com/

Answer 6

The question scares me. I suggest you become a wedding crasher just to scope out the photographers. Become an apprentice. I would hate to have that burden without the experience to go with it.

Answer 7

Sorry, no equipment ideas, however:

One hint - take at least one roll of black & white. Our photographer (a friend who we paid) did that, and his wedding present to us was one of the black&white photos of my husband and I done in sepia tones. It is such a classy looking photograph.

We gave our photographer a check list of the photos we wanted - all my family, all his family, etc. It helped a lot.