# HELP! Shooting my first wedding tomorrow!!!



## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

Hey everyone!

Any advice on gear or general pointers for shooting my first wedding tomorow? Luckily, the bride was on a super low budget so she is not expecting much from me as I am working pro bono (it's her wedding gift). I am an enthusiastic amateur photographer (not my main line of work), but I have started to get a couple of of jobs in the last month. 

I have listed my gear below and I won't be buying anything new since the event is tomorrow. 

5D II
35 1.4 L
24-105 L
70-200 2.8 II L
430exII
Tripod


I use LR4, Photoshop 6 beta, and DxO 7 for post work. I plan on using blurb to put a book together for the couple at the end. 

I really appreciate and calue any advice from the CR community and thank everyone in advance! I really take pride in my pictures and hope to capture the day well for my friend. 

Cheers!


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## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

... A couple more gear items and details

I also will have my Lowepro fastpack 250 and a CustomSLR strap
I will have 3 CF cards and a battery grip on the 5D with extra batteries. 

My wife will also be shooting with a Sony NEX 5n ( I know it's blasphemy! But actually a pretty neat little camera)


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## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

*Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

Hey everyone!

Any advice on gear or general pointers for shooting my first wedding tomorow? Luckily, the bride was on a super low budget so she is not expecting much from me as I am working pro bono (it's her wedding gift). I am an enthusiastic amateur photographer (not my main line of work), but I have started to get a couple of of jobs in the last month. 

I have listed my gear below and I won't be buying anything new since the event is tomorrow. 

5D II
35 1.4 L
24-105 L
70-200 2.8 II L
430exII
Tripod


I use LR4, Photoshop 6 beta, and DxO 7 for post work. I plan on using blurb to put a book together for the couple at the end. 

... A couple more gear items and details

I also will have my Lowepro fastpack 250 and a CustomSLR sling strap
I will have 3 CF cards and a battery grip on the 5D with extra batteries. 

My wife will also be shooting with a Sony NEX 5n ( I know it's blasphemy! But actually a pretty neat little camera)

I really appreciate and value any advice from the CR community and thank everyone in advance! I really take pride in my pictures and hope to capture the day well for my 

Sorry for double post, I was not sure which category to post under. 
Thanks!!


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## eolson (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

I recently shot my first wedding as well and found the following:

-Lenses that are f/4 or slower are all but useless indoors without flash
- Having a "shot list" is very helpful and keeps things on track
- Wide angle shots of the reception are great and really capture the feel of the room
- You can never have enough CF cards, i went through 25+ gigs for mine

thoughts on your gear:

- the 5DII should be good, you may have some issues focusing in low light depending on the venue
- 35 1.4 will be a god send
- the 24-105 will need flash as will the 70-200
- tripod might just weigh you down, might want to consider leaving it behind unless you have an assistant or something to help carry stuff

best of luck!


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## dericcainphoto (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

I am a wedding photographer and I have a similar setup. I would shoot mRAW, so that you do not have to worry about filing up cards too quickly. You can print a 20x30 with great quality out of mRAW. Shoot as much outside as possible, if the weather permits. For your portraits, use the 70-200mm 90% of the time. You cannot beat the look of the 70-200mm on a full-frame camera.


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## EYEONE (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

I had some thoughts.

*5D II* - Perfect
*35 1.4 L* - Again perfect. For everything but the actual ceremony (assuming you can't get close) I'd use this. I've used a 35L for 90% of a wedding before.
*24-105 L* - I'd still take it but you probably won't use it
*70-200 2.8 II L* - Perfect for the ceremony if you get stuck in the back.
*430exII* - Not sure I'd use a flash.
*Tripod* - Shouldn't need it.

Also, I'd take another camera that you can mount EF lenses on. Even if it's just a Rebel it'd help. You could put a second lens on it, or use it incase your 5D fails for some reason.


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## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



eolson said:


> I recently shot my first wedding as well and found the following:
> 
> -Lenses that are f/4 or slower are all but useless indoors without flash
> - Having a "shot list" is very helpful and keeps things on track
> ...



Thanks for sharing! I think the list is a great idea. 

I bought a 32gb 400x card to go with the 2 16gb 600x CF cards I already had so hopefully no storage issues. The 24-105 will only be for outside wide angle shots of the couple and ceremony. I think the 35 will be glued on after dark!


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## prestonpalmer (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

You are going to love the 35 1.4! That's a great wedding lens! The 24-105 works pretty well too so long as it has a little assistance from a flash. Don't be afraid to push the 5D2 to 3200ISO. Its better to get a crisp wedding photo with some noise rather than motion blur. Most the noise can be mitigated in LR during post processing. If space is an issue mRAW will produce a high enough quality image for 99% of wedding uses.

Let us know how it goes!


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## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



dericcainphoto said:


> I am a wedding photographer and I have a similar setup. I would shoot mRAW, so that you do not have to worry about filing up cards too quickly. You can print a 20x30 with great quality out of mRAW. Shoot as much outside as possible, if the weather permits. For your portraits, use the 70-200mm 90% of the time. You cannot beat the look of the 70-200mm on a full-frame camera.



Agreed about the 70-200 / 5d combo! It rocks and I will use it for almost all my portraits and ceremony shots. Hopefully the 32gb card will be ok for standard raw but thanks for the idea.


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## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



EYEONE said:


> I had some thoughts.
> 
> *5D II* - Perfect
> *35 1.4 L* - Again perfect. For everything but the actual ceremony (assuming you can't get close) I'd use this. I've used a 35L for 90% of a wedding before.
> ...



Thanks for positive feedback on the gear. 6 months ago I was shooting with a 350D and a nifty fifty. Then I fell down a rabbit hole!!! Amazed my wife hasn't left me!

I am going to try and convince a buddy who also shoots a 5d2 to let me borrow it in case of disaster! Hopefully won't need it


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## yellowkamper (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

I did my first Wedding in the mid 1960s then up till the early 2000 and like all photographers of that time we used a medium format camera. Bronica , Hasselblad, Rollie with just one lens a standard 75mm f2.8 and 8 rolls of 120 film 12 exposures.
Why do todays wedding photographers have to carry 5 lenses and take 2000 pictures, how many of those pictures get into the Brides album, how many hours are spent at the computer sorting them all out. We perfected our technique with leaf shutters and shooting with both eyes open every shot was perfect no shut eye pictures of the bride. 
Use a standard lens and perhaps a wide for a group inside, Have two bodies the same and two flash guns, spare batterys. Concentrate on the posing of the people not on how many lenses you can use, be able to adjust your camera and flash with out looking at them so you can do it in the dark if need be.


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## PixelReaper (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



prestonpalmer said:


> You are going to love the 35 1.4! That's a great wedding lens! The 24-105 works pretty well too so long as it has a little assistance from a flash. Don't be afraid to push the 5D2 to 3200ISO. Its better to get a crisp wedding photo with some noise rather than motion blur. Most the noise can be mitigated in LR during post processing. If space is an issue mRAW will produce a high enough quality image for 99% of wedding uses.
> 
> Let us know how it goes!



Thanks for the reply! I do love the 35!! I almost look for poorly lit environments for an excuse to shoot with it. 

Agreed on the 3200 ISO. Between LR and DxO most of the noise can be eliminated, where as adobe has yet figured out how to fix motion blur ;D


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## Lloyd (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

I was in the same position recently, but was doing a video as they had just enough funds to hire a professional photographer, but also wanted a video. My advise is to get to the event early enough so you are familiar with the layout and can plan your movement to capture the event without disturbing the ceremony. Look out for all trip hazards. You may want to use your wife as a model to test lighting and range. In my case, the minute the audience was seated and just before the minister and groom entered, they lowered the lights. There went my exposure settings. You also want to have time to organize your equiptment. Talk to the bride and her mom to see what is important to them. For example they may want photos in the dressing room which may require you to get there even earlier. Talk to the minister/officiant to make sure he/she has no restrictions. If you did not go to the rehearsal get someone who did give you a run through. In my case their was a professional photographer so I made sure to coordinate with him in advance to make sure I did not get in his way. I set up a video camera in the balcony for a fixed shot and used a dslr on a tripod on the side 5-10 rows back. I would not have used a tripod for stills.


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## vuilang (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

You gears are very good.. just focus on technique.. but MOST important OF ALL:

BE THERE EARLY....


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## JR (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



vuilang said:


> You gears are very good.. just focus on technique.. but MOST important OF ALL:
> 
> BE THERE EARLY....



So funny! My photographer was late to my wedding, but that is a different story! Just found your comment funny!


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## agierke (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

if you are going to be doing weddings more in the future i would advise you to stay away from larger capacity CF cards. 16GB+ scares me....

i shoot on 8GB cards only with the mRAW on a Mrk2. i take 10x 8GB cards with me to a wedding and generally use up 4 to 5 of them. the reason behind this is that i dont want too much of any part of the day on a single card in the case something bad happens to it or it is lost. losing a part of the day vs losing half the day can be the difference between "i can recover" and complete disaster.

weddings can be murder on your gear as well. be prepared for your new shiny stuff to get dinged and worn looking. 1 wedding wont be too bad...but 30+ weddings a year and you just cant avoid it.


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## KyleSTL (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

I became an unexpected wedding photographer this past weekend. A very close friend of my wife's got married and did not have a photographer (it was a simple reception, as they had the ceremony a couple weeks earlier abroad) and asked if I could take pictures of the family and during the event (I had my 30D and all my gear with me, luckily). I do not envy wedding photographers, it was certainly not something I'm accustomed to, or talented at. I think I did a decent job, though. Hopefully they are happy with the results.


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## Mike Ca (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*

Your equipment sounds fine. 

First thing to remember is things happen quickly at weddings and there is usually no opportunity for a do over.

You need to know where you are allowed to take pictures from during the ceremony and make sure you are in the best location for each part of the ceremony. Most venues do not allow flash during the ceremony, so you are going to need to use high ISO. Some venues allow flash during the bridal procession, but if you haven't practiced doing flash under those conditions before, I would forget it and just use high ISO.

Most venues restrict the time after the ceremony for group photos with 30-45 minutes being typical. Make sure you know how much time you have. When taking large group photos, it is important to make sure the people are spaced far enough apart so no one is hidden behind someone else.


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## VishVR (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



yellowkamper said:


> I did my first Wedding in the mid 1960s then up till the early 2000 and like all photographers of that time we used a medium format camera. Bronica , Hasselblad, Rollie with just one lens a standard 75mm f2.8 and 8 rolls of 120 film 12 exposures.
> Why do todays wedding photographers have to carry 5 lenses and take 2000 pictures, how many of those pictures get into the Brides album, how many hours are spent at the computer sorting them all out. We perfected our technique with leaf shutters and shooting with both eyes open every shot was perfect no shut eye pictures of the bride.
> Use a standard lens and perhaps a wide for a group inside, Have two bodies the same and two flash guns, spare batterys. Concentrate on the posing of the people not on how many lenses you can use, be able to adjust your camera and flash with out looking at them so you can do it in the dark if need be.



According to Darwin, my ancestors used to hop around trees and beat their chests for entertainment. Thank god, I don't have to do that anymore.


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## nikkito (Apr 13, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



vuilang said:


> You gears are very good.. just focus on technique.. but MOST important OF ALL:
> 
> BE THERE EARLY....



Haha I had to laugh when reading this ;D


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## vuilang (Apr 14, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



nikkito said:


> vuilang said:
> 
> 
> > You gears are very good.. just focus on technique.. but MOST important OF ALL:
> ...



... glad you have a laugh..
but, i mean...for real. Doesnt matter how hard you're prepared, once you're late, you missed it..


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## prestonpalmer (Apr 15, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



agierke said:


> if you are going to be doing weddings more in the future i would advise you to stay away from larger capacity CF cards. 16GB+ scares me....
> 
> i shoot on 8GB cards only with the mRAW on a Mrk2. i take 10x 8GB cards with me to a wedding and generally use up 4 to 5 of them. the reason behind this is that i dont want too much of any part of the day on a single card in the case something bad happens to it or it is lost. losing a part of the day vs losing half the day can be the difference between "i can recover" and complete disaster.
> 
> weddings can be murder on your gear as well. be prepared for your new shiny stuff to get dinged and worn looking. 1 wedding wont be too bad...but 30+ weddings a year and you just cant avoid it.



This statement is not necessarily true. You are far more likely to loose data from a memory card that you routinely fill completely or almost completely. Cards use advanced algorithms to keep data cells rotating. If you fill smaller cards to capacity, your probability of data corruption or complete card failure goes up exponentially. With this in mind. You are statistically safer using one huge 32GB or 64GB card, and only filling it half way, before pulling it and putting in a new card. As long as you are using professional grade, NAME BRAND cards, your probability of data loss with this method is significantly less than filling multiple 8GB cards to the brim. This is one of those things photographers are not generally very educated about. If you are going to use 8GB cards, avoid filling them all the way. Fill them to 6gb or so before putting in a new memory card. Now, if you are using the 5D3 we have DUAL CARD SLOTS! YAY!


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## echojs (Apr 15, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



dericcainphoto said:


> I am a wedding photographer and I have a similar setup. I would shoot mRAW, so that you do not have to worry about filing up cards too quickly. You can print a 20x30 with great quality out of mRAW. Shoot as much outside as possible, if the weather permits. For your portraits, use the 70-200mm 90% of the time. You cannot beat the look of the 70-200mm on a full-frame camera.



Kind of wanted to jump in here as I would like to get the right gear for wedding photography as well. I did one last year with some rented equipment to add to my own. I currently have a 5D Mark III, 24-105L, 20-700 f/4, and just sold my 10-22 efs and hopefully will be selling my efs 60mm macro. I'm looking at the 50 1.4 and possibly the 100 2.8 macro so I can have a macro for FF, though I like the looks of the 100mm f/2 as well. But I want to make sure the lenses are fast enough, granted I can now push the ISO way more than before with my old Rebel. Do I NEED the 35 1.4, 24-70 2.8, 135 2.0 or 70-200 2.8 (nonL)? Funds are limited, so I can only do just one or two lenses for now in the higher price range, but which one, if any? So many experienced individuals here that any advice would be so appreciated

D.Cain - like your bio. Right there too.


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## Z (Apr 15, 2012)

*Re: Gear / shooting recomendations for first wedding tomorrow!!*



yellowkamper said:


> I did my first Wedding in the mid 1960s then up till the early 2000 and like all photographers of that time we used a medium format camera. Bronica , Hasselblad, Rollie with just one lens a standard 75mm f2.8 and 8 rolls of 120 film 12 exposures.
> Why do todays wedding photographers have to carry 5 lenses and take 2000 pictures, how many of those pictures get into the Brides album, how many hours are spent at the computer sorting them all out. We perfected our technique with leaf shutters and shooting with both eyes open every shot was perfect no shut eye pictures of the bride.


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## PixelReaper (Apr 16, 2012)

Hey everyone!

Well I am glad to report the wedding went off without a hitch and I ended shooting about 1800 exposures throughout the day. I used the 70-200 and 24-105 on 2 5D mark IIs around my neck during the ceremony, environmental and portraits at about a 2-1 ratio in favor of the 70-200. (I could feel it in my wrists and shoulders on Sunday) I actually really enjoyed the 24-105 (the wedding was outside on a bright sunny day) but you can't beat the 70-200 2.8 II for the portraits!! The background just melts away. 

During the reception I just glued the 35 1.4 L on the 5D and occasional bounced a flash for more light. Most were available light shots and the 35mm was a godsend. It's like the lens creates light!!

Anyway, thanks to all for the advice and posts. 
+1 to all


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## prestonpalmer (Apr 16, 2012)

Good work!


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## PixelReaper (Apr 16, 2012)

prestonpalmer said:


> Good work!



Thanks Preston! Btw I really like your work. I checked out your website. Great stuff!

Take care


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## Tcapp (Apr 23, 2012)

Even though your wedding has come and gone, I'll still share my two cents. 

Most important thing to do is bring back up camera. God forbid something happens to your camera you'll sill be operational. 

And I have to disagree about checking with the minister before hand about restrictions. If no one imposes restrictions on you without you asking them, then just do what you need to do to get the best photos you can. You know the old saying "its better to seek forgiveness than ask permission"? Its better to GET THE SHOT and piss someone off, than be a good boy and miss your opportunity. You are the photographer. So what if they get mad?? (the officiant, not the client). They are not going to make you delete that great shot you took against the rules. And I'm sure your client will thank you for it. I know *I* would rather hire a photographer who is willing to do whatever he has to to get the shot. Thats the difference between a pro and an amateur. Pros go above and beyond. Yes, I realize your not a pro, but in this situation you are taking on the role of the pro, so it still applies 

Remember, the awkward situation is temporary, the photo lasts forever. 

Plus, ive NEVER shot anywhere that didn't let me use flash. NEVER. ever. I've been shooting professionally for over 5 years. I don't know what these people are talking about who say MOST venues don't allow flash. So do what you must to get the photo and plea ignorance to get the angry venue workers to go away. 

And if you do get harassed by a venue employee, just ignore them. They don't know your workflow or style. I was "yelled at" by an employee at a venue for eating at the same time as the guests. She wanted me to let the guests eat first because it is more "professional" to let them go first. BULL. I need to eat first so im not stuffing my face when everyone else is done and things are starting to happen that I'll miss if im eating. Venue people are not photographers and dont know what really is best, so ignore them if you can. (Just don't get yourself kicked out)


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## Z (Apr 23, 2012)

Tcapp said:


> ... You are the photographer. So what if they get mad?? ...


I like your style.


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## Tcapp (Apr 23, 2012)

Z said:


> Tcapp said:
> 
> 
> > ... You are the photographer. So what if they get mad?? ...
> ...



Heck yea.


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## jgiamma (Apr 24, 2012)

I really enjoy this thread. I'm an amateur with a new 5d mark iii, and I'll be occasionally asked to do events, family things, etc. I've always been in awe of you wedding photographers, so I really appreciate your sharing your experience and trade secrets with the rest of us. I will never photograph a wedding (because I'd be a nervous wreck... more than the couple themselves!), but things like class reunions, my nephew's Eagle scout court of honor, etc. would all greatly benefit from my taking your advice and practicing the tips you dispense. Thanks to all of you.


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## prestonpalmer (Apr 24, 2012)

Three very important things to know as a wedding photographer.

1. The law of the lesser pisser. That is, if you ever need to choose between who gets pissed off, you or someone else. Always choose to piss off the others. Instead of yourself. (clients excluded. This applies to everyone trying to tell you what to do) A perfect real world example of this is cutting in line for the airport check-in. (which I just did 5 min ago). I would rather piss off an entire line of people rather than be pissed off for missing my flight after an epic 3 day documentary video shoot with the new 5d3's. 

2. It is always easier to get forgiveness than permission. 

3. Smile, nod, agree. Then do whatever the heck you were gonna do anyway. 

Good luck with your wedding career!


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## Tcapp (Apr 24, 2012)

prestonpalmer said:


> Three very important things to know as a wedding photographer.
> 
> 1. The law of the lesser pisser. That is, if you ever need to choose between who gets pissed off, you or someone else. Always choose to piss off the others. Instead of yourself. (clients excluded. This applies to everyone trying to tell you what to do) A perfect real world example of this is cutting in line for the airport check-in. (which I just did 5 min ago). I would rather piss off an entire line of people rather than be pissed off for missing my flight after an epic 3 day documentary video shoot with the new 5d3's.
> 
> ...


So glad you agree!  I felt like I might be the only one here who followed that mantra.


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## picturesbyme (Apr 24, 2012)

Tcapp said:


> Remember,* the awkward situation is temporary, the photo lasts forever*.



Haha, I think I've just found my new motto )



http://atlanticpicture.com/


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## Tcapp (Apr 24, 2012)

picturesbyme said:


> Tcapp said:
> 
> 
> > Remember,* the awkward situation is temporary, the photo lasts forever*.
> ...


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## RLPhoto (Apr 26, 2012)

PixelReaper said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> Any advice on gear or general pointers for shooting my first wedding tomorow? Luckily, the bride was on a super low budget so she is not expecting much from me as I am working pro bono (it's her wedding gift). I am an enthusiastic amateur photographer (not my main line of work), but I have started to get a couple of of jobs in the last month.
> 
> ...



GET A SECOND BODY! Borrow, buy, or plead someone but have a backup! Plus its great to have two lenses on seperate bodies.


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