Shooting weddings or similar pressure situations with Hasselblad film backs

[rorye]

Did you all only use one type of film? What ifu wanted to shoot bnw and colour?

sent from tap-a-talk

When I shot my first weddings in '86 the studio would charge more to shoot it in colour!
I was given 5 rolls and a Yashica D and 60 correctly exposed images were expected.
I would be sleepless for days beforehand.
Now I shoot the occasional digital wedding and it just seems so easy.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

At my cousin's wedding about 15 years ago, the photographer was an old guy with a Hasselblad, no assistant. I watched him work and noted he didn't have the rapid wind lever, just the normal circular knob - it didn't matter: to wind film he would tip the camera body up while winding the knob forward. That was probably equally fast. He may have used a spare back at one point - or maybe not. I doubt my cousin and his wife would've wanted more than a half dozen photos total.

 

[Nokton48]

with a bit of practice, changing film in a Hasselblad back takes only a few seconds but if you get paid well, you should have enough in the budget for an assistant!

Oh I beg to differ. Sometimes Assistants get in the way and slow you down, Not always but frequently in my experience.
Dude, it takes more than a few seconds. I've asked for a ten minute break before (laid back gig) so I could reload five or six 120 Hasselblad magazines. That was stressful!

 

[Nokton48]

Does anyone still offer perforated black and white? /QUOTE]

Rollei in Germany sells 100' rolls of 70mm type II perforated. And once a year Ilford offers HP5+ in 70mm double perf.

I have dozens of rolls of ouitdated stock and they are all fine.

Suggest you get involved here as not many use 70mm:

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161383&highlight=70mm+fun

 

[Johnkpap]

Wedding Photographer tricks I picked up in the film era.....When shooting weddings in both B/W and Color we always used film with the same ISO eg TMAX 400 and Portra 400, this was so you did not have to think about changing any camera settings or flash settings. The flash of choice would be a Metz CT/CL 45 you would have about 4-6 Batt packs with you as well as about 4 .film backs The other thing was normal practice was to tape some of the camera settings with black Gaffa tape so settings were not changed by accident.

It was normal practice to unwrap all films and store them in a zip bag to save time and yes 220 film was the go when it was Available, having B&W in 220 was great you could just use one back for it, and yes you would reload during the slow wedding bits sometimes you would dump the last frame or 2 on a back and reload, this was sometimes necessary if you had the important bits about to happen.

Johnkpap

 

[Steve Smith]

I doubt my cousin and his wife would've wanted more than a half dozen photos total.

That seems about the right number. I don't understand the hundreds that people get now.


Steve.

 

[Tim Stapp]

The last wedding that I shot, the couple wanted a half dozen formals, a few "fun shots" and weren't interested in any of the reception. I still gave them the shots of the first dance, father/daughter, mother/son, bouquet toss/garter toss, etc. Essentially all of the "obigligitory" reception shots.

They weren't interested in any from the ceremony, ring exchange, etc. Really odd couple.

 

[foc]

Back when weddings were shot on 120 film and cameras had changeable backs, it was normal to have just 2 or at the most 3.

Remember that the number of photos and poses on offer were more limited than now. It was usually a more formal affair with posed photos making up most of the shot (unlike now) and people didn't mind waiting a minute or two while the photographer changed backs or loaded one.

It was also common for the photographer to get each 120 roll developed and printed straight to 10x8 size as the album and prints were included in a package. So a 20 page album could be made from just 2 rolls of 12 exp (at a push) or 3 at the most. Remember this was the time of "make every shot count"

If the client wasn't sure about an album (didn't want/ afford) then often the photographer got the film developed and a contact sheet made or a set of proof prints (4x4 inch).

If a wedding photographer wanted to offer some photojournalist style shots (the unposed shots), then it was shot on 35mm.

 

[tezzasmall]

Back when weddings were shot on 120 film and cameras had changeable backs, it was normal to have just 2 or at the most 3.

If a wedding photographer wanted to offer some photojournalist style shots (the unposed shots), then it was shot on 35mm.

Not when I helped out a pro. EVERYTHING was shot on a TLR, posed and unposed.

Terry S

 

[Eric Rose]

When I had a studio my partner did all the weddings and family stuff. I did only advertising, commercial and industrial. When he went out to do a wedding he would take at least 3 if not 4 backs and an assistant. If the couple was cheap and didn't want to pay the price that would include an assistant he would blow them off. That was back in the 70's and 80's. Today it seems that all couples want is PJ style run and gun shots and then flip them a DVD with unretouched photos. Lots of moms with cameras doing it.

 

[Chan Tran]

At a wedding back in 99 or so a photographer used the Hasselblad but she had 2 assistant to load her film, set up the light and even make meter reading for her.