Last Wedding

On Friday I shot my last commercial wedding. Driving home it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I realised just how stressful the whole thing was. To full time Wedding Photographers, you have my unqualified respect. To anyone who is considering doing this as a job, all I can say is that this is the hardest photographic work I have ever done, the most concentrated and the most nerve wracking. 


Firstly its hard physically. You are on your feet for the majority of the time. This can be 6 hours +.
You're carrying a fair amount of equipment, which even if you don't use it, is hanging round your neck. 


Secondly - its the responsibility of it all. There's no second chance. You are recording a piece of unrepeatable social history. This is one of the most important days of many peoples lives and you have one go at it. You can't mess up, you can't be ill. I've done these on various forms of medication, with a bad back, with chronic stomach ache. My co-photographer B did one a few days after a bout of swine flu! 


I would have a knot in my stomach for days before each wedding, the morning of which I would emerge from the duvet with a swarm of wildebeest running around in there. Butterflies is far too mild! Once there I was able to kick in to "pro mode" and appear "in charge" and full of confidence and unflappability.  Not quite what was going on inside.


You may conclude from this that I probably wasn't cut out to be a wedding photographer, and you're probably right. However it does have its rewards. It's almost the ultimate social documentary photography. You are recording a historic event, the joining of two families which will have implications for generations to come. You could be photographing the parents of the first astronaut to land on Mars, a future Olympic gold medallist, the scientist who found a cure for cancer. The destiny of these two families will never be the same. 


Weddings are also celebrations and you are a part of that. People are for the most part happy and also in these suspicious times, happy to be photographed. 





For this final wedding as a team the two of us got a bit carried away. 2700 + images between us! Part of the reason for this was the bride and groom. Certainly the nicest couple I think we have photographed and a good end to our photographic journey. It was also a nice place to work. The whole place, a hotel, had room for us to move freely. There was a friendly relaxed registrar who didn't impose draconian conditions on us and the people there were relaxed and uninhibited which helped us get some great shots. It was also the first time that I was working together with another photographer. B is usually in charge of the video, but as this was a stills only wedding for us, he had his first opportunity to work as a full-time photographer instead of grabbing the odd snap from behind his GH1. I could almost be tempted to carry on doing photography only together, as it worked so well, but I feel that my aching back and nervous system will persuade me to remain as a "retired" wedding photographer. 


In terms of the practicalities I used a Canon 7D. Part of the reason for so many pictures is the speed of this thing. Just touching the shutter button results in a burst of 3 or 4 shots. Handy to avoid closed eyes but a bit disconcerting to someone used to more sedate behaviour from his cameras. I only used two lenses. Both primes. A 28mm f/1.8 which I used for the vast majority of pictures and an 85mm f/1.8. I also used my Leica X1 for shots when quietness was required. B used the Canon 550D with 50mm f/1.8 mostly and his GH1 fitted with either the 20mm f/1.7 pancake or the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 MF lens which I had for so long but now resides elsewhere. See http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/panasonic-gh2-blurring-of-boundaries.html





So its been an interesting 18 months that I've been doing this. The wedding work has been a small part of what I (we) do, and to a certain extent it was an experiment to see how we would react to it. I think that we can say that we have a done a good job and I'm certainly very proud of the photographs and video that we have shot. Whether B will carry on I don't know. Another member of the family has been with us on previous occasions and the two of them might wish to carry on, but certainly I'm calling it a day. Its too hard on both my body and my nerves and in terms of financial reward has not been very successful. 


Photographing a wedding is one of those things all serious photographers should do, as its something that we are all linked with in the eyes of everyone else. Almost every time I tell people I'm a photogapher, the first question back is "Do you do weddings?" so its something we are permanently associated with. If it does nothing else, it will demonstrate the level of skill and professionalism that the vast majority of wedding photographers bring to their craft. Next time you hear people complaining that they charge too much or that they are just "hacks" imagine yourself in their position, with the responsibility of recording "THE Day" for posterity.
From one who has been there, albeit briefly, I certainly applaud the efforts of these often underestimated members of the photographic profession.


D

Panasonic GH2 - The blurring of the boundaries?

The above is from the 43rumors site. The following is written on the assumption that this is true.


Of all the new camera announcements and rumours before the upcoming Photokina show, the one that excites me the most is this one. As an enthusiast for micro four thirds and having used it extensively for all my work over the last 18 months, this camera, if the rumours are true, is pretty close to a perfect camera for me. 


It could well signal the end of DSLR's for me. Particularly after hauling a Canon 7D around a wedding yesterday.

My co-photographer was carrying a GH1 as a second camera and produced some great images with it.

All above images - B

We've been using m4/3 cameras as video cameras and back-up still cameras at all our weddings for the last year. They work just fine. With the rumoured GH2 improvements, 16MP > 45MB files, improved AF speed, burst speed of 5fps, high ISO up to 12,800, this is top of the range DSLR performance from not so long ago. Its also a further blurring of the distinctions between cameras. After all, the reasons these cameras are so small and light is the lack of a mirror, not because they are inferior in terms of image quality, something their critics seem to overlook. Sure m4/3 has a smaller sensor, but look what Canon can do with APS-C, there's no reason why Panasonic can't do the same. 

If the GH2 does what 43rumours claims it will, then I have no reasons left to torture my back carting around 1.5-2kg of DSLR equipment. I only use this stuff for events anyway. A pleasure its not! To become my primary camera for this kind of work m4/3 needed to improve a few things, it seems that may just have happened. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Tuesday. Hoping that the 43rumours intelligence network has done its job. 

Just to finish off by saying that if people are happier and more comfortable using a DSLR then there's nothing wrong with that. Its just that personally I'm desperate to shed this bulk and weight from my photographic life. I've eliminated it from my stock and landscape work and to have this lighter, smaller yet quality option available for my commercial and event work would be bliss. 

I await the GH2 announcement with anticipation and optimism. Don't let me down Panasonic.

D

Wedding

For those photographers who have never shot a wedding and are contemplating it - be warned. Its stressful and very tiring. Three of us yesterday shot stills and video for one and all of us ended up exhausted.


Its a one-shot scenario, miss it and its gone. The preparation is extensive and the post-wedding work, particularly if you're shooting video as well as stills, is time-consuming and difficult.


I have enormous admiration for people who do this full-time and anyone who underestimates what they do or complains about the money that they charge has no idea of the work involved.


It can be very rewarding and often a quite moving experience to be part of the history of two families and to have the responsibility of recording social history for future generations. That responsibilty can be overwhelming at times and the relief when you realise that you have the images is enormous.

All images shot with Canon 7D.

Wedding Rehearsal

Wedding rehearsal with GH1 + 20mm (for video)

Plus Leica X1 (in silent mode) for stills.

Today is the real thing.

Just how good is the gear we use?

Two things I saw yesterday made me realise just what has been happening to the tools of our trade. To the question "Just how good is the gear we use?" The answer seems to be "Very good indeed"

As a relative newcomer to video, I get all the help I can. I make a lot of visits to the site of Phillip Bloom. Phillip is a cameraman and director of photography, and a great advocate and user of video in DSLR's. He was recently invited to the Skywalker Ranch, home of Star Wars creator George Lucas to put a Canon 5D Mk II & 7D through their paces to assess their usability in future film projects. There is an account of his experiences here:- http://philipbloom.co.uk/2009/12/12/the-tale-of-lucasfilm-skywalker-ranch-red-tails-star-wars-and-canon-dslrs/

Its a fascinating piece and I recommend you read it. The end result is that Lucasfilm were very impressed & were happy that the footage shot would stand up alongside the cameras they use already.

So, sitting on my shelf is a Canon 5D MkII. A camera I now know is capable of shooting a Hollywood movie !!! This made me really sit back and think about just how far image-making equipment has come in recent years, and the true impact of the digital revolution.

birmingham university chemistry department from soundimageplus on Vimeo.

Shot on a Canon 5D Mk II. Next stop - Hollywood!

To an extent I'm not surprised. This has already happened in music. For many years I worked in recording studios, running one and also teaching recording technique and music technology. I saw the digital revolution change everything in that world - to the extent that I now have a multi-track recording facility sitting on my iMac. Artists and producers now turn out best selling singles and albums from their bedrooms, garages and lofts. No longer is the ability to make quality recordings restricted to those who can afford to hire expensive recording studios. The music business has been turned on its head and in the process become much more accessible. No longer do bands and singers have to rely on the unreliable and patronising taste of a record company. They can record their music, shoot the HD video & post it on the internet. The laptop album & movie is already a reality.

To someone who grew up in the analogue world and looked on enviously at the creative possibilities that the successful could enjoy by having the money to afford the best equipment, this has been a revelation. Photography was different, in that the gear required to shoot a Vogue front cover cost nowhere near as much as what you would need for your concept double album. However film-making for the beginner was restricted to the grainy world of super-8 or second hand 16mm.

We now take for granted the ability to shoot high-resolution images and movies and even complain that the advances come too slowly. We expect to be able to do more and more with gear that constantly reduces in price. By constantly looking for the next innovation we often forget what we have already and just how good it is.

The second thing I saw made this point very strongly to me. The two albums that I had printed from the recent weddings we shot as a company came back from the printers yesterday. We don't produce conventional albums with prints but make digital story books, which give more freedom in terms of layout. The A3 books that arrived yesterday were just stunning. Most images were shot with the Canon 5D Mk II, though many were heavily cropped. Some were shot on a Panasonic G1. All the images looked really good. The images shot at higher ISO's were no problem and there was no discernible difference between the Canon & Panasonic shots.

So how many more pixels do we need? There are rumours about the future Canon 1Ds Mk 1V having 35MP or thereabouts. There is a Hassleblad MF digital camera + back that offers 60MP.

Just what form of media is it that can make use of this size of file? 48-sheet billboard posters use A3 size files, something a 12MP sensor can provide. For the majority of commercial use we already have more than enough MP. The problem is now the quality of the media that we view our creations on. Can print get any better? Is there more to be got from HD TV?

It strikes me we may be at a watershed. I certainly couldn't handle a larger or sharper HD TV screen. Do we really want to read an A3 sized magazine with A2 double-paged spreads. Just how close do we want to get to our computer screens and how big do we want them to be?

A lot of future development will be in terms of size (smaller) and portability. The gear we can use at the moment is only limited by our imaginations. I for one am determined to use and appreciate it more.

D & B

G - Series wedding (part 2)

Some images taken with the cameras.

Anecdote 1

At one point I was walking around taking some stills with the G1 + 20mm lens + Metz 48 AF-1 flash, when I was approached by a photographer. When he began with "I've been watching you..." I wondered what was coming next. However the conversation was about the Lumix cameras & he was asking me how they performed "in the field" He too was getting pretty fed up with bulky heavy DSLR's & was also looking for alternatives.

Anecdote 2

The second from top picture is taken with a 45-200 zoom at full zoom. (200mm F/5.6 ISO 400 1/13th sec Tripod) This is a 400mm in 35mm terms. The still image was taken from the back of the church and there was no other way to get the shot. As is usually the case, we as photographers were required to respect the ceremony & not go roaming about at will. There's no way that we would ever consider carrying a 400mm lens around for the occasional shot.
This is where the 2x crop factor of m4/3 comes into its own. Its a picture that was very important to the clients & one they asked us to get, if possible.

G - Series wedding (part 1)

In keeping with my plan to use my G - Series Lumix cameras in a more "professional" capacity - we used all three cameras extensively at a wedding yesterday. The video was shot on two GH1's & a GF1 & I used both a G1 & a GF1 to shoot some stills.
All performed really well and it was a pleasure to work with such small & light cameras. My Canon 5D MkII was my primary camera for stills, but after a few hours of carrying that plus grip + flashgun I was beginning to flag & ended up using the smaller cameras.

Wedding

Some recent wedding images. Shot with a Canon 5D MkII.

Nice piece of news that Canon are going to add 24 & 25fps to the camera with a firmware update next year. This is great news for video shooting with this camera. At the moment I'm just shooting stills with it at weddings and events where my company is booked to do both. I use it for video when we are hired to do that & its truly amazing quality.

Wedding Video

Wedding Video shot with extended use of a Canon 5D MkII.



I composed the music specially and its called Forward Together ©David Martyn Hughes and its available on Istockaudio at:-
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-audio-8945970-forward-together.php

Wedding with Nikon D3X and Canon 5D Mk2

Wedding with Nikon D3X and Canon 5D Mk2

Sunday, 8 February 2009

A recent wedding gave me the opportunity to to try out both cameras. I was using the Canon to shoot mostly video alongside two colleagues (My nephews and partners in the business) who were using conventional video cameras. I also decided to take the D3X out for a spin to shoot some stills.

CANON 5D Mk2

This was a video only wedding so we used our two video cameras. I normally shoot the stills at weddings but since I bought the Canon just before Christmas it seemed an ideal opportunity to test it out. The idea was for me to have a relatively free role to shoot what I wanted & to see what the potential was.

We had discussed the problems of no autofocus while shooting, zooming being very shaky and the time limit on takes being dictated by the camera. I would therefore be working exclusively from a tripod and taking “moving photographs” with little or no camera movement.

This was a very different experience for me. Used to flying around taking photographs, being anchored in one position for long periods of time was strange.

I was focusing the camera manually using live view & the 10x magnification. For example for the Brides entrance I pre-focused on the part of the floor upon which she would be walking & then re-framed.

I used 2 Tamron zooms. A 28-75 f/2.8 and a 28-200 for the majority of this. I shot footage of the guests entering, the ceremony, the wedding breakfast and the speeches. One time I was jammed into a corner of a narrow (and very dark) corridor behind the tripod with my Nikon fit Zeiss 18mm fitted to the camera with an adaptor. This was the line-up with all the guests filing through. An 11 minute take. It consumed 2.2 GB of compact flash space.

How did it perform?

Very well - though I had no indication of that during the day. I was unsure of the focusing, using my experience to judge depth of field. As it happens I needn’t have worried. There were only a few small errors and the bulk of the footage was sharp and in focus.

The line up worked very well. I managed to get the whole line in and even though I was working at ISO 3200 with the lens wide open, the whole sequence looked good.

The quality was excellent & we noticed that the images from the Canon were much more saturated than the video cameras. This had to be dialed down for the finished DVD. The low light performance was incredible - the line-up example given would have been impossible with our other cameras. The ultra wide-angle lens and the low-light performance achieved results that our other cameras couldn’t.

The main problems came from the operation. Because of the previously mentioned limitations, there were things that I wanted to do but couldn’t. Not being able to move with the camera & me personally being a little hesitant about my panning skills meant that my footage was somewhat static. We are looking into the possibility of buying a Steadicam Merlin as I’ve seen astounding results with a Canon 5D Mk2 mounted on one. All in all it was a useful addition to what we can offer and it will certainly give us options that we didn’t have before. Low light performance & the ability to use more extreme lenses being the two most important.

However it will never replace our conventional video cameras for this kind of work. The simple fact of having to record a non-stop event shows up its limitations. With a fluid head and a steadicam however it would become more useful.

I also shot a few stills with it. Again these demonstrated brilliant low-light performance, very close to my D3 and D700.

NIKON D3X

As this was a video only wedding for us, I only had a chance to use the Nikon for some general stills. I only took my 85mm f/1.8 with me and got some shots of the cake, tables & decorations etc. Once again I was very impressed with the results. I had the opportunity to compare it with the Canon and while at the higher ISO’s it is noisier than the Canon, at lower levels and either tripod mounted or with my SB-900 flash it is simply incredible. The “3-D” effect makes the images jump off the screen and the sheer quality and resolution allows for both huge prints and some severe cropping.

This is not to suggest that the Canon isn’t up to the job. It is. If Nikon hadn’t brought out the D3X I would probably now be working with two 5D Mk2’s and feeling very happy about the “tools of my trade” Its just that extra quality that the Nikon provides that makes it such a special camera.

Posted by davidmartynhughes at 08:32