Portra 800 for shooting wedding

[Spektrum]

You wrote that you have no experience and this is why I allow myself to be a bit of a smartass.

Between 1997 and 2001, I photographed over a hundred weddings using analog film. There was no room for error in exposure settings. The films were sent to a local lab for development and prints. The standard C-41 process, no push.
Back then, in church you could add extra light with flash, but you had to be careful, because the difference in exposure between the groom's very dark suit and the bride's white (or ecru) dress was colossal and impossible to fix in Photoshop because I didn't scan it. The prints were made directly from the negatives.

As I mentioned earlier, the most important photos were the wedding ceremony photos in the church. We usually had two photographers working in the church. A few days before the ceremony, I spoke with the priest who was the host, and a lot depended on him. I could negotiate to have him turn on additional lights, because not all the lights in the church are usually on. I remember that sometimes this also cost extra money, and I was the one paying for it. Of course, the pay for this work was so high that it was worth it.

First of all, if I didn't know the church, I went there at least a week in advance, asked them to turn on the lights that would be used during the ceremony and took test photos.

I remember that at first, I would take friends dressed in black and white with me and do exposure tests. Later, I perfected it, and by seeing a given scene, I knew which camera settings to use to avoid overexposing or underexposing. The camera was always in full manual mode. No automation that could ruin an extremely important photo if the camera went crazy.

 

[st1]

For the conditions you describe, the lighting, especially inside a church could be beautiful, a 50mm will feel fairly wide from the congregation, so more environmental than portrait, and portra 800 at box speed should look great.

If you were shooting a longer lens portrait then maybe underexposure on the couple and camera shake would be a worry.

Flash inside the church would only be effective if direct, and therefore not very flattering, aside from being very intrusive. But outside after the ceremony, with a bright high sun, the flash could be very useful.

 

[BrianShaw]

I´m just a guest, so I just want to be unnoticed. This post started asking for advice of how to shoot, box speed or pushed. When the moment comes, I will do what the circustances force me to do. Thank you for all your comments. I am not a professional, this is the reason for asking in this forum. People know more than me, for sure. Experience is what I lack.

You have the right attitude. Circumstances will either force you to make decisions, or they may inspire you to make decisions. No matter, the choice(s) of what to do will be yours so going into the situation with a variety of opinions and shared experiences is a good thing. Enjoy yourself!

One other thing to consider. If/when you choose to take photos outside the church, where the opportunity for photos different and more unique from those of the “official photographer”, the 800 film may become a significant impediment if the day is bright. The reason I mention this is personal experience doing exactly what you are doing, plus in my own wedding one of our favorite (and displayed for 30 years) photos was taken by a friend using some kind of instinctively-type camera. The pro photos are stunning; that photo from a friend captured a very special moment that we remembered for decades. Not that we didn’t remember the entire event…

This sounds like a formal wedding in a church. These can be very different from smaller and/or less formal weddings.

Enjoy yourself.

 

[arturo_rs]

You have the right attitude. Circumstances will either force you to make decisions, or they may inspire you to make decisions. No matter, the choice(s) of what to do will be yours so going into the situation with a variety of opinions and shared experiences is a good thing. Enjoy yourself!

One other thing to consider. If/when you choose to take photos outside the church, where the opportunity for photos different and more unique from those of the “official photographer”, the 800 film may become a significant impediment if the day is bright. The reason I mention this is personal experience doing exactly what you are doing, plus in my own wedding one of our favorite (and displayed for 30 years) photos was taken by a friend using some kind of instinctively-type camera. The pro photos are stunning; that photo from a friend captured a very special moment that we remembered for decades. Not that we didn’t remember the entire event…

This sounds like a formal wedding in a church. These can be very different from smaller and/or less formal weddings.

Enjoy yourself.

Thank you.

 

[pentaxuser]

This sounds like a formal wedding in a church. These can be very different from smaller and/or less formal weddings.

Enjoy yourself.

Absolutely. Mine was a very informal affair at a place called Gretna Green in Scotland, just over the English border and out of the way of interfering parents. The guy who married us took time off from his daytime job of Blacksmith. The Clydesdale horse, his first customer of the day, had to wait for his new shoes

pentaxuser

 

[Paul Howell]

Are you shooting an SLR or rangefinder? It is hard to go unnoticed when shooting a 35mm SLR, mirror slap and shutter can be noisy in a quite moment.

 

[arturo_rs]

Are you shooting an SLR or rangefinder? It is hard to go unnoticed when shooting a 35mm SLR, mirror slap and shutter can be noisy in a quite moment.

My “problem” is the amount of light, not the noise. By the way, SLR

 

[MattKing]

FWIW, when I did this regularly to either supplement my income or permit continuing attendance at University, my customers were often as interested or even most interested in the photos I took of the people at the wedding.
Shots like the bride and groom engaging with the somewhat mythical Aunt Frida who travelled from Majorca just to help the bride and groom celebrate their day - plus to see her sisters!
If I were you I wouldn't hesitate to try a shot or two in the church light during and around the ceremony, but I would recommend concentrating on capturing the joy of those who are there. You actually will have an advantage if you have existing personal relationships with some of the people there - when I did this for people who were essentially strangers before they were customers, I often needed help identifying the "Aunt Frida" that everyone wanted to be sure to remember from the day.
And if you are enjoying yourself, it will show in your photos.
I really enjoyed doing this when I did it for hire. It really is a young person's task.

 

[pentaxuser]

FWIW, when I did this regularly to either supplement my income or permit continuing attendance at University, my customers were often as interested or even most interested in the photos I took of the people at the wedding.
Shots like the bride and groom engaging with the somewhat mythical Aunt Frida who travelled from Majorca just to help the bride and groom celebrate their day - plus to see her sisters!
If I were you I wouldn't hesitate to try a shot or two in the church light during and around the ceremony, but I would recommend concentrating on capturing the joy of those who are there. You actually will have an advantage if you have existing personal relationships with some of the people there - when I did this for people who were essentially strangers before they were customers, I often needed help identifying the "Aunt Frida" that everyone wanted to be sure to remember from the day.
And if you are enjoying yourself, it will show in your photos.
I really enjoyed doing this when I did it for hire. It really is a young person's task.

Oh dear, doesn't your last sentence exclude all of us on Photrio, Matt?

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

Oh dear, doesn't your last sentence exclude all of us on Photrio, Matt?

pentaxuser

A lot of us - but note that I'm saying "for hire".
I recently attended the wedding of my my niece and her now new husband.
The professional photographer - a woman in her late 20s or maybe early 30s I would guess - had a second shooter with her.
The two women were both using recent, high end cameras and lenses - almost no flash, and different systems. One used Canon, the other Nikon. They were clearly taking full advantage of the high ISO performance built into the advanced equipment.
I got a chance to observe them a bit, and nearer the end of the reception to chat with the main photographer.
I mentioned that back when I was doing this, I would typically expose about 144 frames for a wedding of that size.
She asked what I thought she would end up with, and after thinking about what I had seen, I guessed 4,000 - she said I probably guessed right.
Within a couple of weeks, my niece and her new husband had an early, preliminary selection of images to choose from - 400 or so. Which they could look through at their leisure while on their honeymoon in Europe.
From what I had seen, I expect there were volumes of really good results. Certainly the engagement photos I had seen previously were impressive.
When asked, the photographer confirmed that she really enjoyed wedding work, and I expect it will show in the results.
So yes, a young person's task.

 

[BrianShaw]

My “problem” is the amount of light, not the noise. By the way, SLR

.. and choosing a seat with the best unobstructed view will be another problem. God help you if you stand up and block Matt’s Aunt Frida’s view.

 

[MattKing]

From my Gallery images here:

Preparing for the ceremony

• MattKing
• Aug 21, 2007
• 2

I attended a wedding this weekend, and of course brought a camera. It's a bit of a strain, when...

Everything set up before the ceremony to help keep some of the guests (little ones) entertained and well behaved
Taken by me - on film - while my wife and I were guests at my wife's, cousin's, son's wedding
Look for the little snippets of fun and humanity that the "official" photographer might miss.

 

[BrianShaw]

Did you use Portra 800 at box speed or pushed?

 

[MattKing]

Did you use Portra 800 at box speed or pushed?

If you are asking me Brian, my answer is that I always metered and exposed either Vericolour (initially) or Portra at box speed, and had my lab process it normally.
Whenever possible, I took advantage of either high overcast or open sky lighting.
I did regularly use flash though - sometimes as a subtle fill, and sometimes diffused or bounced.
Mostly Metz 60CT flashes, but earlier on Vivitar 273/283 models.

 

[halfaman]

I did a wedding for friends years ago with a Mamiya RZ67 and a Metz flash. Ceremony photos were shxx, heavy underexposed and needed tons of photoshop. I optically print (RA4) the two less underexposed, my friends were kind enough to say they liked it all. I use from then on a digital compact camera for test photos and to adjust the flash.

The best photos were during the dinner where I was really wasted... so try to relax and enjoy.

 

[foc]

You have been given some great advice here.

Since you are not the official photographer then maybe concentrate on off-the-cuff and people's reaction type photos. The professional will have the main shots covered in the church.

From the sound of the thread, it appears that it will be a Catholic church wedding. My advice is, before the ceremony, to introduce yourself to the celebrant/priest in the sacristy and explain what you are doing and that you will be discreet.

Most Catholic weddings have a mass booklet, listing the prayers and music. Have a read of this. It outlines what happens where, like a script, so you can be prepared for the vows, the exchange of rings and the first kiss and the offertory procession, where usually both mothers bring up the offertory gifts and hand them to the newly married couple. Another opportunity for emotionally filled photos.

If you wish to get photos of the bridal couple as they sit in front of the altar, you may be able to find a seat in the north transept (to the left of the altar as you look up the church.) This also gives you a view of the bridesmaids and the bride's family, and an opportunity to take emotional casual shots. IE. Mammy's tearful reaction to her daughter making her vows, Daddy's proud smile etc.

If you do have to move about during the ceremony, then do so quietly and as discreetly as possible. And finally, don't stress over this. Enjoy the wedding and the experience. It will show in the finished product.

 

[st1]

My “problem” is the amount of light, not the noise. By the way, SLR

are you able to attend a service beforehand, to scout the light?

if it's a mid morning service in a traditional catholic/moorish church then the light by design ought to be extraordinary, with all the action happening right in the sweet spot, and the hazy god rays over the high contrast environment look great on pretty much any film.