Shot a Wedding with the Fuji's

[entropic remnants]

Bit of a mixed bag. Had some great fun pre-service, and during the service -- but they turned the lights down REAL far at the reception and the story doesn't have a happy ending. Unfortunately, Fuji's low light performance isn't good enough unassisted for that environment, and the EF-42 provides no illuminator support.

Rico (flysurfer) suggests it's deliberate on Fuji's part since the flash from another manufacturer they put their name on has an IR illuminator designed for DSLR's that will not work on the Fuji's. It's a silly thing for Fuji to do and I was literally HATING my cameras at the reception. I was envying the DJ with like a Nikon D3000 and SB-600 -- he was popping off paparazzi style and I'm sure his pictures are hot-flash-flared but he got shots I missed.

Basically, I brought a knife to a gun fight, lol. It's a very sharp knife, but not the weapon I needed. I had an X-E1, and X-M1 and an X100S. Seemed to me the X100S did best in low light, followed by the X-M1. The X-E1 seemed to struggle the most. All cameras are up-to-date firmware wise.

So, as I find some favorites in what is really just a bunch of photos primarily of interest to the wedding folks, I'll put them here. So far I've just two I really like enough to feel like posting.

First one was fooling around with the groomsmen in a corn field with the X100S and EF-42 flash. I said, "Man, you guys look like the children of the corn at a formal dance..." and that set the theme for the processing of this picture.

Coming Soon: Children of the Corn - The Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

The next one is a capture from the actual wedding service with the X-E1 and the 55-200mm. It's an awesome combination when there's enough light for sure.

Nica-Hoover Wedding: The Bride by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Might post a few more. The whole set is growing on my facebook artists page linked by my signature if you want to go through them at all.

 

[Armanius]

Loved both photos John. But particularly the second one. It was a very interesting angle.

 

[Lightmancer]

I like what you have done with both of these, John. Weddings are tough - don't ever let anyone say otherwise. I shot a three day event in Spain last year - I didn't speak either of the languages (Basque or Spanish), knew only one of the other guests, plus the bride and groom, and had to deal with a North African Jertig, a wedding on the beach, a reception for 300 in a big hotel and a hooly at a Sidaria - every possible lighting condition and an awful lot of other challenges. I used a Nikon D700 with 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8 lenses and shot 2500 frames over the three days which were then edited down to 70-odd for a book, which was sold for charity.

I learned a few lessons.

1. Don't take on something like that again without an assistant
2. There are some things that an SLR - particularly one with sophisticated flash capabilities - is essential for
3. Wear decent footwear
4. A smile and a winning wave gets you anywhere...

 

[entropic remnants]

I like what you have done with both of these, John. Weddings are tough - don't ever let anyone say otherwise. I shot a three day event in Spain last year - I didn't speak either of the languages (Basque or Spanish), knew only one of the other guests, plus the bride and groom, and had to deal with a North African Jertig, a wedding on the beach, a reception for 300 in a big hotel and a hooly at a Sidaria - every possible lighting condition and an awful lot of other challenges. I used a Nikon D700 with 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8 lenses and shot 2500 frames over the three days which were then edited down to 70-odd for a book, which was sold for charity.

I learned a few lessons.

1. Don't take on something like that again without an assistant
2. There are some things that an SLR - particularly one with sophisticated flash capabilities - is essential for
3. Wear decent footwear
4. A smile and a winning wave gets you anywhere...

WOW! Now that's a wedding. I've done a fair share of them but never anything like that!

Usually for small weddings I'm okay without an assistant, but I will rent better gear. I could very easily live with that small kit you mentioned -- in particular I've owned that 85mm when I shot Nikon and love that lens.

I'm sure those photos were fabulous and at the end you were fabulously tired! I'm exhausted after a 7 hour wedding, lol. Thanks for sharing your experience and I do consider this a painful learning experience.

 

[entropic remnants]

Here's a few more high keys I did of shots I took during the service. I also updated the processing of the first shot of the bride (it's changed in the first post, not repeated here).

As I'm working my way through the set, I'm finding some better shots than that first one. The different angle these are taken from of the bride are due to me begin crouched at the base of the steps in the center aisle that lead up to the altar. Glad my knees still work well, lol.

Nica-Hoover Wedding: More High Key Work by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Nica-Hoover Wedding: More High Key Work by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Nica-Hoover Wedding: More High Key Work by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Nica-Hoover Wedding: The Groom by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

 

[Lightmancer]

I really like those, John. The unusual angle and the high key works well. Not so sure about the first, though - looks like she is going to sneeze...!

 

[entropic remnants]

I really like those, John. The unusual angle and the high key works well. Not so sure about the first, though - looks like she is going to sneeze...!

Ha ha! I think she looks like she's "dreamy" (or maybe about to faint, lol), but I suppose it might be a sneeze, ha ha.

Thanks!

 

[juangrande]

The bride has the right nose to pull those shot's off. I've shot photos from that angle that weren't exactly flattering....

 

[entropic remnants]

Here's some more, various processing.

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

Sica-Hoover Wedding by Entropic Remnants, on Flickr

 

[Phoenix]

Awesome shots John.

 

[flash]

John,

Have you tried the CAF trick, in low light. Put the focus into continuo when SAF starts to fail. I'm seeing a dramatic improvement in locking on, especially with the zooms. It's still slow but it does lock on in low light.

The downside is you'll need to be hyper aware of battery life as the AF always runs in that mode. That could be fixed by a firmware update to make the AF lock button an AF on button. But for now you just have to turn the thing off when not shooting.

Gordon

 

[entropic remnants]

John,

Have you tried the CAF trick, in low light. Put the focus into continuo when SAF starts to fail. I'm seeing a dramatic improvement in locking on, especially with the zooms. It's still slow but it does lock on in low light.

The downside is you'll need to be hyper aware of battery life as the AF always runs in that mode. That could be fixed by a firmware update to make the AF lock button an AF on button. But for now you just have to turn the thing off when not shooting.

Gordon

I haven't, Gordon, but I will. Only thing is, people are moving and what not so much, like the dancers, that it's hard to keep it what you want it focused on no matter what, lol. But I'll see how it works.

Yes, I can be aware of the battery life. I have 6 batteries across the two cameras (X-E1 and X-M1) so I have plenty of power -- it's just keeping track of it. Routinely I change batteries with the change in "state" of the wedidng: a battery for the pre-ceremony, a battery for the ceremony, then one for the reception. The first two are typically not totally spent and represent contingency spares later on.

Thanks for the advice.