I have a D7000 and an SB700…
I am new to the flash and need help for what to do when I photograph weddings, mainly the reception. I have seen photographers at school proms and they have something attached on top of their flash? Do I need to have something along those lines, or will just my SB700 work? Are there settings that will work better in the dark/moving environments?
SB700 and wedding receptions
(15 posts) (11 voices)-
Posted 9 months ago #
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There are a ton of sites on the web that explain flash photography, and it's not something that can be explained here in a few posts, other to say that photography is ALL about light.
Try *LINK REMOVED* for starters.
Oh and the thing many photographer place on the flash is a bounce device or a diffuser. It re-directs the light to bounce off a ceiling or softens it so the subjects look less like a deer in the headlights.
Posted 9 months ago # -
One more thing:
Carefully read the manual to the D7000 and the SB-700, it will tell you all about using the flash off-camera with Nikon's CLS control. The D7000 and other Nikon flashes play very well together.
Posted 9 months ago # -
The attachment you saw on the flash is most likely a diffuser. The idea behind a diffuser is to get softer, more evenly distributed light. There are thousands of different brands and styles of diffusers. Gary Fong makes some popular ones that you may have seen an event photographer using. I personally have a Gary Fong Whaletail Studio (it is big and obnoxious at times, everyone asks what in the world it is, but does the job great). A more portable solution would be something like the Lightsphere Collapsible (I have seen multiple photographers using these at clubs/concerts/events walking around taking pictures in the crowd).
I have a D7000 and SB-700, and while I am no expert, here are some of my general settings I use on indoor events. I usually leave my flash on TTL and set the camera on M mode. You will almost have to take some test shots and play with the settings a little. Depending on how dark the venue is, you will want your ISO around 1000 to 1600 to keep the background from turning black and shutter speed at least about 1/125 to prevent motion blur from people moving. If you are doing a lot of group shots, the aperture probably needs to be in the f/4 to f/8 range to make sure everyone stays in focus. ISO 1200, 1/125, f/8 should give you a good starting point to start adjusting from.
Posted 9 months ago # -
A popular misconception is that a diffuser (like the one which came with your sb-700) will soften light. This is wrong.
There are three properties of light which will affect your photos.
1. Strength
2. Direction
3. Size in comparison to subjectA diffuser changes the basically uni-directional flashgun light into a multi-directional lightsource. This MAY soften the light if some of the light then hits a large surface (eg. a wall or ceiling) and reflects back onto the subject. The diffuser is not emitting a softer light. The soft light is coming from the reflection off the large surface (the larger the light source in relation to subject, the softer the light). If you use a flashgun with a diffuser where there is nothing for the light to reflect from, the diffuser will not soften the light whatsoever (eg. outside). If you use a diffuser in an area with many different coloured surfaces to reflect from you will end up with many different colour casts in your photo.
Essential wedding kit would be an sc cable (pref the one with the af) a small flashgun softbox and a flash bracket.
Learn how to use them.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Basic rules:
1/ R.T.F.M.
2/ If 1/ Hasn't answered your questions, visit Amazon and type SB-700 in the books section and buy a book on the CLS. That should get you heading in the right direction.
3/ DON'T do any weddings before you have rehearsed and mastered the best techniques for the job.
I may not need to say this - but I will anyway - you should not be doing wedding photography as 'the' photographer unless the quality of your work is going to make your client completely happy. The fact that you are asking pretty basic questions tells me you are not yet proficient enough to photograph weddings as the main photographer. For your own and (mainly) the happy couples sake, wait until you have everything from posing to techniques right. If you aren't the main photographer or assisting the main photographer, try not to get in his/her way, while you watch and learn. The problem with wedding photography is there is no second chance.
Sorry if that reads harsh, I didn't mean it to be it is just that there is a world of difference between being a wedding photographer and wanting to be one.
The short answer to your question is never use flash bare out of or in your hot shoe. There are many ways to use it that change the final image vastly. Buy and read a book to get the picture. Go to the strobist site too.
Hope I helped!
Posted 9 months ago # -
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spraynpray said:
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I may not need to say this - but I will anyway - you should not be doing wedding photography as 'the' photographer unless the quality of your work is going to make your client completely happy. The fact that you are asking pretty basic questions tells me you are not yet proficient enough to photograph weddings as the main photographer. For your own and (mainly) the happy couples sake, wait until you have everything from posing to techniques right. If you aren't the main photographer or assisting the main photographer, try not to get in his/her way, while you watch and learn. The problem with wedding photography is there is no second chance.
...OUCH! So true though. I don't like weddings at all-there are great photogs out there so I let them take all them.
Considering the wording of the OP leads me to guess at two things;
One just getting going &
Two, either a family or family friend is getting married and they are allowing them to shoot at the reception along with a primary photographer or the primary is just doing the formal shots and they are getting ambient shots of the reception.If you are shooting along side a primary photog, Make sure the couple getting married lets the photographer know who you are and they (the paid photog) are ok with it. Some contracts open the couple who hired them and you to be sued. I just had a friend pull that cr@# on me when I was asked to get some shots (non formal) at mutual friend's child's wedding. And that was a friend (photog) I went to school with and knew for 15 years. Some photographers do get really paranoid about it. Hadn't seen that particular contract before, but it was rock solid,very threatening and particular. She downloaded it from somewhere. Most photographers are fine with it as long as you are not formally posing people, etc. Everyone has been at the beginning point and has had those opportunities granted to them. If you are polite and ask, it shouldn't be a problem.
Once that is settled (may not happen to the day of the wedding) or if you are just shooting the reception, and/or to be prepared, do a google search on wedding receptions and copy some photos you would like to take as a reference and then look at the Strobist site above and learn how they took them and then see how you can use cls, and different modifiers to create something similar. The Gary Fong stuff is good (I use the collapsible pro kit), as well as a LumiQuest ProMax System that I like as well.
If you just want to get started and play, shoot indoors with the camera set to manual, aperture @ F/8, 1/15 shutter, ISO 200 (auto iso off), and flash at 1/1. Then start varying all the settings. F/5.6, 11, 16, 3.5, whatever your lenses can do) with the same shutter of 1/15th. Then leave the aperture at f/8 and do the same tests with different shutter speeds. Do test shots on a single subject at 6ft-ish away. Then you can move the light around, bounce it off of walls, etc. Buy a pack a batteries first though. :)
Many people trying to describe flash photography just plain stink and get overly technical for a beginner - or hell even me, and I think I know what I'm doing. When it really comes down to it, we all learn by trying a ton of settings and see what we like. Just because you are shooting in your basement with with a stack of pillows with a hat, doesn't mean you aren't gaining experience.
Oh, and read the manual - it really is quite good and not all that boring - well kind of.
Posted 9 months ago # -
@TaoTeJared +1
My experience suggests discussing with the "official" wedding photographer who you are at a wedding, and asking the photog to let you know if you are interrupting. I usually shoot some of the photog as well. And, finally, I rarely let my photos out of the bag until I have seen the work of the hired photographer.
I think the "nonofficial" photog should avoid flash. This is my personal preference as it will then in no way interfere with the other person's work. Also, no direction giving except in an isolated local away from the official shooter.
My approach to wedding photography is based upon Fonville Winans who taught me wedding shoots in the early1960's at a PPA school in Elkhart, Indiana. I do not remember if he was shooting Nikon, Leica, or other, but it was 35mm B & W. And, he was so phenomenal.
And as TTJ has suggested practice, practice, practice....
Posted 9 months ago # -
msmoto - I certainly agree.
Also, if you are a friend of the family photographer (not the official photographer), DO NOT take photos of the people the offical photog has posed until he is finished. Nothing more aggravating than having posed a group and to have another photog walk up near me and lift his camera. Even if he doesn't take a picture until after I do, guess what .... one of the people I've just posed will invariably be looking at the other photog, even when I repeatedly ask them to look at me, or look to the left, whatever. Grrrrrr.
Posted 9 months ago # -
+1 for spraynpray & TaoTeJared
@ mhphoto: With all do respect...proceed with caution. This task takes lots of skill (and equipment) to get done correctly. Given what you have shared with us..you are not ready.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I typically only shoot senior and family pictures, obviously I am new to weddings and I know the only way to become a wedding photographer is to practice and learn what the heck I am doing! They wedding that I will be the main photographer at is not in until one year from now and I plan to use that time to do what I need to in order to preform my best, both for myself and the couple.
All honesty appreciated and thank you for the tips so that I can begin practicing and experimenting over the next year
Posted 9 months ago # -
Thanks for the up mhphoto
Out of interest, how do "light" your senior and family pictures,
Posted 9 months ago # -
OK, another note....for mhphoto.... go to a couple weddings you are not invited to and just watch from afar ( with permission). Or, if someone is getting married, and you are a guest, maybe you could help, as a volunteer, the official photographer. Like carry a backdrop or something. I do not let anyone be my grip unless they understand exactly what I want and can work like a surgical nurse. Hang around and ask questions when the photog is packing up...NOT during the shoot. If you can attend some weddings and just watch with permission, you can observe the sequence of events which takes place and is orchestrated by the photographer. And, if there is a wedding planner in your area, see if you can talk with them and ask how they like to have the photographer interact. Sometimes this can be a turf war and this you do not want. Allow the wedding planner to give you some ideas as to what they expect from the photog.
And then after learning about the horrible conditions you will be forced to shoot in, do a simulation or two of a wedding and shoot photos of the janitor, or any others who may be in the church or other...
Weddings seem so easy, yet you will need IMO, three bodies, two on you and a third within reach, all mounted with lenses. If flash is your game, three flash units all with new or charged batteries. Memory cards. Every system needs to have a redundancy. And, I would shoot a lot of exposures with the group photos as folks tend to look the other way, close their eyes, or whatever.
The wedding party is going to do this only once. And you have to get it right the first try.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Are there settings that will work better in the dark/moving environments?
Posted 6 months ago #
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