Shooting a wedding with a GL2

August 1st, 2002, 01:31 AM

Hey guys!

Glad to be part of this forum - I've been sitting on the sidelines, seeing what everyone has to say - and I've decided to take a plunge - I just ordered my GL2!

I'm going to do a favor for a friend and shoot their wedding. I was a film major in college, so I have the "shot stuff" down. But, since I'm new to the GL2, and everyone that has one seems to know tricks about low light and stuff...

Could you give me things to look out for while shooting their wedding? Should I use Frame mode (or not?), what about lighting?

Any and all help will be most appreciated. Thanks! :)

Rik Sanchez · August 1st, 2002, 06:22 AM

bay area, cool, I lived there for ten years, (berkeley, oakland, the mission district) I miss the taquerias on 24th and mission.

I shoot with frame mode when doing weddings, it gives it a nice look, just don't move the camera around too fast, things will get blurry, quick pans in frame mode look weird. most weddings are well lit so the lighting should be okay, be sure to white balance manually against a white card, and I usually wear a pair of headphones to monitor the sound, I shoot in all manual mode, exposure and sound.

some simple things, don't record in LP mode, I did that for awhile until I noticed my video started getting weird ripples through it, just bring along a lot of tapes and change tapes when the action dies down.

I have an XL-1 so I don't know much about the GL-2. The main thing is to get lots of practice with your camera, learn the where all the controls are so you can quickly adjust it while at the same time keeping an eye on the action. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Don Palomaki · August 1st, 2002, 12:36 PM

The GL2 does 1/30 shutter, so if light is bad you could use 1/30 shutter, just be careful of fast movement and pans. Don't use a bright light at reception - it can blind guests. Low watage is fine for most reception schots. Added lighting might not be permitted at the ceremony.

Check with the wedding czar (coordinator) at the venue, there usually is someone who is in charge of arrangements for the church, etc. Find out the local rules. Some churches are very fussy about what photogtraphers and videographers can and CANNOT do.

Know the plan of the wedding, what is going to happen when, so you are ready. At the reception keep in touch with the DJ/MC.

Keep in mind that generally speaking there are no retakes in a wedding. So be sure all your gear is ready and you e very familiar with using it. It is far easier to cut excess footage than to shot a scene you missed on the next day.

Maybe a tough assignment if it is a good friends wedding, but do stay sober for the event. There is not a lot of party fun to be had while shooting a wedding for a real deliverable - you are essentially a worker, not a care-free guest.

August 2nd, 2002, 01:14 AM

Super tips so far - thanks! How about some more? ;)

Barry Goyette · August 2nd, 2002, 09:01 AM

Congratulations on your gl2...I've been preparing some tests on the camera in comparison with the xl1s and pd150, and it is proving to be more than up to the challenge.

A couple of things specific to the gl2..

1. I would setup a custom preset with something close to the following settings

color gain +1 or 2
color phase +1 or 2 red
sharpness -1 or 2
setup +1 or 2

I prefer the more modest settings, although the more aggressive changes are a near match for the xl1s.

2. In low or moderate light situations, set the camera to manual and use the aperture to control exposure, leaving the shutter at 1/60 (or 1/30 if necessary), and the gain at 0 (or +6 if needed). If you are uncomfortable with using manual exposure...use the Auto mode rather than the AV mode. The AV mode will tend to kick up the gain if your fstop is set too high.

As Chorizosmells said...I think you will like the frame mode.

Two accessories are a real plus if you plan to do much hand held work during the wedding.

wd-58h wide angle attachment...I'd leave it on the whole time. Check the front element regularly for dust, debris.

Shoulder support...small cameras like the gl2 can be difficult to hold steady. A support like the image2000, or habbycam will make your handhelds look more like a full size ENG camera or xl1s, and relieve some arm fatigue.

Have fun

Barry

Steve Garfield · August 2nd, 2002, 09:34 AM

Mini DV Camcorder Shoulder Support
http://www.habbycam.com/minidvbrace.html

Chris Hurd · August 2nd, 2002, 11:06 AM

Consider the VariZoom VZ-LSP, in my opinion it's by far the superior shoulder support. http://www.varizoom.com/pages/lsp.htm

August 1st, 2002, 01:31 AM	#1
MacGuitar Posts: n/a	Shooting a wedding with a GL2 - HELP! :) Hey guys! Glad to be part of this forum - I've been sitting on the sidelines, seeing what everyone has to say - and I've decided to take a plunge - I just ordered my GL2! I'm going to do a favor for a friend and shoot their wedding. I was a film major in college, so I have the "shot stuff" down. But, since I'm new to the GL2, and everyone that has one seems to know tricks about low light and stuff... Could you give me things to look out for while shooting their wedding? Should I use Frame mode (or not?), what about lighting? Any and all help will be most appreciated. Thanks! :)

August 1st, 2002, 06:22 AM	#2
Rik Sanchez ChorizoSmells Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Osaka, Japan Posts: 424	bay area, cool, I lived there for ten years, (berkeley, oakland, the mission district) I miss the taquerias on 24th and mission. I shoot with frame mode when doing weddings, it gives it a nice look, just don't move the camera around too fast, things will get blurry, quick pans in frame mode look weird. most weddings are well lit so the lighting should be okay, be sure to white balance manually against a white card, and I usually wear a pair of headphones to monitor the sound, I shoot in all manual mode, exposure and sound. some simple things, don't record in LP mode, I did that for awhile until I noticed my video started getting weird ripples through it, just bring along a lot of tapes and change tapes when the action dies down. I have an XL-1 so I don't know much about the GL-2. The main thing is to get lots of practice with your camera, learn the where all the controls are so you can quickly adjust it while at the same time keeping an eye on the action. I hope this helps. Good luck! __________________ ChorizoSmells Video Barrio Tamatsukuri, Osaka, JAPAN

August 2nd, 2002, 09:34 AM	#6
Steve Garfield New Boot Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 21	Here's the Habbycam Mini DV Camcorder Shoulder Support Mini DV Camcorder Shoulder Support http://www.habbycam.com/minidvbrace.html

August 2nd, 2002, 11:06 AM	#7
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Consider the VariZoom VZ-LSP, in my opinion it's by far the superior shoulder support. http://www.varizoom.com/pages/lsp.htm __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

August 1st, 2002, 12:36 PM	#3
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,488	The GL2 does 1/30 shutter, so if light is bad you could use 1/30 shutter, just be careful of fast movement and pans. Don't use a bright light at reception - it can blind guests. Low watage is fine for most reception schots. Added lighting might not be permitted at the ceremony. Check with the wedding czar (coordinator) at the venue, there usually is someone who is in charge of arrangements for the church, etc. Find out the local rules. Some churches are very fussy about what photogtraphers and videographers can and CANNOT do. Know the plan of the wedding, what is going to happen when, so you are ready. At the reception keep in touch with the DJ/MC. Keep in mind that generally speaking there are no retakes in a wedding. So be sure all your gear is ready and you e very familiar with using it. It is far easier to cut excess footage than to shot a scene you missed on the next day. Maybe a tough assignment if it is a good friends wedding, but do stay sober for the event. There is not a lot of party fun to be had while shooting a wedding for a real deliverable - you are essentially a worker, not a care-free guest.

August 2nd, 2002, 01:14 AM	#4
MacGuitar Posts: n/a	Super tips so far - thanks! How about some more? ;)

August 2nd, 2002, 09:01 AM	#5
Barry Goyette Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: San Luis Obispo CA Posts: 1,195	Congratulations on your gl2...I've been preparing some tests on the camera in comparison with the xl1s and pd150, and it is proving to be more than up to the challenge. A couple of things specific to the gl2.. 1. I would setup a custom preset with something close to the following settings color gain +1 or 2 color phase +1 or 2 red sharpness -1 or 2 setup +1 or 2 I prefer the more modest settings, although the more aggressive changes are a near match for the xl1s. 2. In low or moderate light situations, set the camera to manual and use the aperture to control exposure, leaving the shutter at 1/60 (or 1/30 if necessary), and the gain at 0 (or +6 if needed). If you are uncomfortable with using manual exposure...use the Auto mode rather than the AV mode. The AV mode will tend to kick up the gain if your fstop is set too high. As Chorizosmells said...I think you will like the frame mode. Two accessories are a real plus if you plan to do much hand held work during the wedding. wd-58h wide angle attachment...I'd leave it on the whole time. Check the front element regularly for dust, debris. Shoulder support...small cameras like the gl2 can be difficult to hold steady. A support like the image2000, or habbycam will make your handhelds look more like a full size ENG camera or xl1s, and relieve some arm fatigue. Have fun Barry