Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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What is the best ISO to use on a Nikon D40, with Nikon SB-800 speedlight, without a tripod for a wedding in a register office and outdoors? ISO 200 or ISO 400? And what is the best aperture to use? I photographed my other 2 weddings with a fully automatic film SLR, so my next wedding will be my first with my new camera.
Edited by Coz (28/03/2008 22:52)
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d123
Reged: 10/11/2004
Posts: 122
Loc: UK
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Quote:
What is the best ISO to use on a Nikon D40, with Nikon SB-800 speedlight, without a tripod for a wedding in a register office and outdoors? ISO 200 or ISO 400? And what is the best aperture to use? I photographed my other 2 weddings with a fully automatic film SLR, so my next wedding will be my first with my new camera.
My opinion? The lowest you can safely use. If the light/flash allows 200, use 200.
I haven't done a digital wedding, but in the old days of film that was always my motto. When it comes to enlargements the lower the ISO the better.
Oh, and if you are using the kit lens and it's in a church or old registry office the chances are more likely that your choice will be using ISO 400 or 800 inside, not 200 or 400.
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Dave
Edited by d123 (29/03/2008 00:36)
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Thanks. I think I'd better use 400. I always used to get ISO400 films for my old camera and they were ok.
So what about aperture? A largish one for inside and smallish one for outside?
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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian
Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 3800
Loc: East Yorkshire,
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Thanks. I think I'd better use 400. I always used to get ISO400 films for my old camera and they were ok.
So what about aperture? A largish one for inside and smallish one for outside?
If the lighting conditions allow, I would use ISO 200 with fill in flash, for indoor I would go for f2.8 or larger if you have access to the kit.I use my Sigma 18-50 f2.8 (fixed) EX lens for the indoor/some outdoor shots, and the Sigma 10-20 for larger outdoor group shots.
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Old Photographers never die,They just go out of focus.
Jet Noise - The Sound Of Freedom
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4117
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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So what about aperture? A largish one for inside and smallish one for outside?
Sorry, but if you need to ask questions like that, perhaps you'd be best using the camera in full auto mode. Learn manual or semi-auto operation on something more repeatable than a wedding, when it's all second nature you won't need to ask the question and stand a good chance of coming away from the event with usable images.
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Intermanaut
member
Reged: 13/12/2007
Posts: 165
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Quote:
Quote:
So what about aperture? A largish one for inside and smallish one for outside?
Sorry, but if you need to ask questions like that, perhaps you'd be best using the camera in full auto mode. Learn manual or semi-auto operation on something more repeatable than a wedding, when it's all second nature you won't need to ask the question and stand a good chance of coming away from the event with usable images.
Hear, hear, and stop shooting weddings until you've figured this out.
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GeoffR
Reged: 31/05/2003
Posts: 3527
Loc: Bucks
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I photographed my other 2 weddings with a fully automatic film SLR, so my next wedding will be my first with my new camera.
I take it that it is not your own wedding? We have discussed that recently.
Aperture is used to control depth of field, at one wedding I went to the professional photographer used f11. Everything was sharp! The results were dreadful. At the same event I was using between f4 and f5.6 and achieved the required result, sharp bride and groom and out of focus background. What you are trying to do is focus attention on the couple, not the venue.
The advice given above is excellent, learn about depth of field control elsewhere and then apply your knowledge to weddings.
I suspect that you will be "expected" to produce photographs and not doing so is not an option. With your camera set at ISO 400, f4 to f5.6 should give you suitable shutter speeds in most registry office conditions but, unless you can use flash, you may need to open up further to prevent camera shake form affecting your pictures. I doubt you will be taking many shots inside at the register office and those that you do take will be in circumstances where you can use flash. Do NOT be tempted to use a smaller aperture than f5.6 with flash indoors, every blemish on the walls will be crystal clear! If the camera tells you that the image will be over exposed, reduce the ISO.
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Quote:
Quote:
So what about aperture? A largish one for inside and smallish one for outside?
Sorry, but if you need to ask questions like that, perhaps you'd be best using the camera in full auto mode. Learn manual or semi-auto operation on something more repeatable than a wedding, when it's all second nature you won't need to ask the question and stand a good chance of coming away from the event with usable images.
I'd rather not use it in auto mode. My old camera was fully automatic and I want to get away from that. When my new camera arrives, I will have 3 months to practice with it before this wedding. I'm not being hired with the expectations of professional standard. I'm not even getting paid.
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
So what about aperture? A largish one for inside and smallish one for outside?
Sorry, but if you need to ask questions like that, perhaps you'd be best using the camera in full auto mode. Learn manual or semi-auto operation on something more repeatable than a wedding, when it's all second nature you won't need to ask the question and stand a good chance of coming away from the event with usable images.
Hear, hear, and stop shooting weddings until you've figured this out.
Stop shooting? Thanks for the encouragement. How can you judge me when you haven't even seen my photos? I just thought I'd come here and get some friendly advice, then I can practice and try and get some decent photos with my new camera. I've only done 2 weddings with a fully automatic film camera. I only got hired as a friend/relative because I had a decent camera and for my talent for taking good photos, which they were very pleased with as it happens.
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Quote:
Quote:
I photographed my other 2 weddings with a fully automatic film SLR, so my next wedding will be my first with my new camera.
I take it that it is not your own wedding? We have discussed that recently.
Aperture is used to control depth of field, at one wedding I went to the professional photographer used f11. Everything was sharp! The results were dreadful. At the same event I was using between f4 and f5.6 and achieved the required result, sharp bride and groom and out of focus background. What you are trying to do is focus attention on the couple, not the venue.
The advice given above is excellent, learn about depth of field control elsewhere and then apply your knowledge to weddings.
I suspect that you will be "expected" to produce photographs and not doing so is not an option. With your camera set at ISO 400, f4 to f5.6 should give you suitable shutter speeds in most registry office conditions but, unless you can use flash, you may need to open up further to prevent camera shake form affecting your pictures. I doubt you will be taking many shots inside at the register office and those that you do take will be in circumstances where you can use flash. Do NOT be tempted to use a smaller aperture than f5.6 with flash indoors, every blemish on the walls will be crystal clear! If the camera tells you that the image will be over exposed, reduce the ISO.
Thanks Geoff. My own wedding? 
I do understand about apertures, but I just bought my camera and am waiting for it to arrive next week. I suppose I should have just waited and discovered what aperture to use myself, but I just thought I'd ask everyone what they would do while I'm waiting.
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Monobod
'Phantom' of the forum!
Reged: 03/04/2003
Posts: 5639
Loc: Just West of Norwich, Norfolk
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The big problem you will have to address is getting the wedding dress detail without blown highlights. The bride will not be pleased, even if she says she is, if the photos show her in a bland white nothingness. If you get the highlights under control you will be able to lift the shadows easily in Photoshop.
Remember that digital cameras have less dynamic range than film and this can be disasterous at a wedding. You will have to experiment with a white sheet or something similar in the garden before the big day to see how it works out. You may be suprised at how easily the whites can be lost with less than top of the range digital.
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David.
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Photos hosted by Flickr.
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I see the world thro' a viewfinder, but the world watches me via CCTV!
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d123
Reged: 10/11/2004
Posts: 122
Loc: UK
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You may be suprised at how easily the whites can be lost with less than top of the range digital.
I would disagree slightly with that, I would go further and say how easily the whites can be lost with any digital camera unless the user is extremely experienced.
Back to to the original question and with regard to aperture, I really don't think it's possible to say one aperture for indoors and one for outdoors, it really depends on the picture, something like head and shoulders will look better at around f5.6, or even perhaps f2.8 if you only want the faces in focus, while a large group photo will need at least f8, perhaps f11 to make sure everyone is sharp.
Using flash, and it all changes again.
If you have the time, have you considered a trip to the local library, there are some pretty good books available on Wedding Photography.
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Dave
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GeoffR
Reged: 31/05/2003
Posts: 3527
Loc: Bucks
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My own wedding?
Quote:
My other 2 weddings
We had a visitor recently who wanted help with shooting his own wedding, I merely wanted to ensure that wasn't what you were doing. Thanks for pointing out that you were "hired" because the couple like your work.
As soon as your camera arrives go out and play with it to get familiar with the controls and performance. I am sure you will get the hang of it soon enough and with a bit of effort you will produce a decent set of images of the wedding.
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beejaybee
Marvin
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 4117
Loc: Really Here In Name Only
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I'd rather not use it in auto mode. My old camera was fully automatic and I want to get away from that.
I understand.
Quote:
When my new camera arrives, I will have 3 months to practice with it before this wedding.
So, go practice...
The more you do practice, in similar conditions, the less you will need to ask questions and the more chance you have of getting usable images on the Big Day.
I've loads of experience of photography but next to none with flash gear. If there was a one-off event requiring flash photography in 3 months I'd want to spend every available instant working on my flash technique.
As has been pointed out, white dresses are A Problem. Get a mockup - a linen sheet or something - and practice on that ...
... and FWIW my advice would be to shoot in RAW and underexpose slightly, if you don't blow the highlights out then the image will be recoverable but once the highlights have blown you've had it. The point about shooting in RAW is that there is extra depth in the shadows due to 12- or 14-bit resolution as opposed to only 8 in RAW, so you can lighten the image up by a stop or two and still have some bits to work with. At a wedding you may in any case need them, you will likely need curves (gamma and/or contrast) adjustment to get detail in both white dresses and dark suits.
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Intermanaut
member
Reged: 13/12/2007
Posts: 165
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Stop shooting? Thanks for the encouragement.
Who said "stop shooting"? I said "stop shooting weddings", which is different. That you've done two on full-auto reinforces my view.
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Monobod
'Phantom' of the forum!
Reged: 03/04/2003
Posts: 5639
Loc: Just West of Norwich, Norfolk
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You should be aware that it is a very risky business. You leave yourself wide open to being sued for damages if you get it wrong. There is nothing more dangerous than a woman who has had her wedding day spoilt because the photographs turned out to be a failure. I am not saying yours will, just be aware. I understand that most sensible wedding photographers will carry insurance.
If you are not being paid you are still bound under a verbal contract if you accept an invitation to do the work.
I photographed my Daughters wedding and I know how stressful it can be. With digital at least you do have the chance to review the image on the back screen and take it again if it is in doubt.
One other tip is to use the Auto Bracketing feature and take three images of each shot if the lighting is dodgy.
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David.
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Photos hosted by Flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/monobod/
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I see the world thro' a viewfinder, but the world watches me via CCTV!
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Rhys
Sasquatch
Reged: 15/01/2004
Posts: 2654
Loc: York (home of the speedbump)
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Have you got a stofen or similar diffuser for you flash? Just a thought.
It's been nearly ten years since I did my last wedding so I'm not that clued up anymore.
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NRIPN (Officially Nuts..)
RGMP.co.uk (My Website.. well early stages anyway)
Benchinistas.org.uk The home of Benchism
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Quote:
We had a visitor recently who wanted help with shooting his own wedding, I merely wanted to ensure that wasn't what you were doing. Thanks for pointing out that you were "hired" because the couple like your work.
As soon as your camera arrives go out and play with it to get familiar with the controls and performance. I am sure you will get the hang of it soon enough and with a bit of effort you will produce a decent set of images of the wedding.
Oh I see what you mean. No, when I said "My other 2 weddings", I just meant the ones I was shooting.
Edited by Fen (30/03/2008 16:02)
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Who said "stop shooting"? I said "stop shooting weddings", which is different. That you've done two on full-auto reinforces my view.
Yeah, I know you were telling me to stop shooting weddings, I just didn't understand why. If a friend or relative asks me to shoot their wedding, I'm not going to say no. They know I'm not a professional and aren't expecting professional photos. And if it was that important to them, they would hire a professional photographer.
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Coz
Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 395
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Quote:
You should be aware that it is a very risky business. You leave yourself wide open to being sued for damages if you get it wrong. There is nothing more dangerous than a woman who has had her wedding day spoilt because the photographs turned out to be a failure. I am not saying yours will, just be aware. I understand that most sensible wedding photographers will carry insurance.
If you are not being paid you are still bound under a verbal contract if you accept an invitation to do the work.
I photographed my Daughters wedding and I know how stressful it can be. With digital at least you do have the chance to review the image on the back screen and take it again if it is in doubt.
One other tip is to use the Auto Bracketing feature and take three images of each shot if the lighting is dodgy.
Thanks. You're right, it is stressful. And I don't think I'll ever take it up properly. If I knew there was a chance I might get sued, I wouldn't do it, lol.
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