Any new thoughts on the processional?

[Peter Rush]

I revisit this now and then as I'm rarely happy with my processional shots - especially last weekends as I had a good view from an end pew halfway down the aisle only for the priest to be a about a foot in front of the bride and her dad, them to be only a few feet in front of the bridesmaids and sandwiched in between 2 little page boys who no one (including me) could really see - it was like trying to film a moving rugby scrum!

Now there is no real position that can salvage that but I'm always trying to think where's best to position myself - front and centre is good but I end up in the shot from my other cams, end of a pew halfway down is good but only if there's a side aisle to scoot down afterwards.

One thing that has dawned on me is the place where the groom sits before moving to the front - I could crouch there and then move off to the side once the bride has made her way down - I might try this on Saturday!

How many of you use AF for this moment - I tend to but I might try picking a focus point and letting the bridal party move through it.

The processional and recessional shots are the ones where I always think I could do better.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Pete

We do so few Church weddings nowdays that I forget about how I did the last one, but usually I tuck into a pew space on the right, around 4 rows from the front and film them coming down the aisle ...as the bride and her dad pass me I spin around behind her and then follow them without treading on her dress and that's all on my handheld B-Cam which I hold until dad hands her over. I then step out of the way and let my main cam take over the shot ...It's already running of course so based on whether some idiot has blocked it or not I will also cut in the shots back to Cam 1 after each member passes me.

The thing that really bugs me is when the Church is dark but they leave the doors open for the bridal party and of course bright light streams into the Church and over-exposes everything.

Yep I use AF on the whole processional and have never lost focus.

PS: The real answer is to have a steel cable 8'-10' above the aisle and run a motorised flywire cam just in front of the bridal party ...that would be awesome!!! I could see the vicar saying "Sure thing Peter rig up a steel cable 100' long in my beautiful Church"

[Robert Benda]

Chris, I LOVE the fly wire idea.

As for me, in the U.S., we rarely have to deal with the exterior doors being right there. Would a 3/4 shot, on a high tripod, from up front on the side fix your issues?

I always kneel at the front of the aisle, semi-behind the pew, the opposite side of the groom. My rear camera is on the same side of the aisle as I am, so I stay out of that shot pretty well.

On a glidecam, so I kneel at first, then stand with the guests. This lets me retreat as the bride hits the front 1/3 of the aisle, and as she reaches the groom, I have a 3/4 shot of the B&G and the pastor, and can have parents in the shot, too.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Rob

It would be good IF it was allowed!! Luckily almost all our weddings here are civil ceremonies now ..open space and lots of room! We also have older Churches that have ridiculous narrow aisles where the FOB often has to walk slightly behind the bride so obvious little or no room for us at all. Your pics on the other hand show a very spacious aisle ..there is even a gap either side of the carpet!! My last wedding before Winter is in a beautiful Church but again with a narrow aisle but after that we are back to outdoor weddings (it's Winter next month down here with wet and cold weather so very few weddings until Spring arrives in September

[Steve Burkett]

I struggle with both as well; alas each one can be so different to make 1 solution not viable and I tend to wing it on the day. B&G coming out is easier as I just stand at the back with a camera at front on wide, so I rarely have issues there. The processional is influenced by the Vicar, Photographer, Groom, Best Man; all of whom can make sudden changes of position to block me. Sometimes the Bride walks first followed by Bridesmaids, sometimes the Vicar. I just hope with 4-5 cameras, and I make sure my front on wide doesn't capture me if at all possible; then I am covered if my main camera is blocked momentarily.

Focusing, I use manual, occasionally fixed on 1 spot, but with practise, I've gotten quite adept at following focus as each person walks down, only straying a little, in which case my other camera picks up the shot. With focus peaking, its pretty accurate.

[Peter Rush]

Do you zoom as well Steve or keep the FOV set to mid or wide?

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

Do you zoom as well Steve or keep the FOV set to mid or wide?

I tend to zoom in close, then go wide as the Bride gets midway down the aisle. I don't use the zoom out as part of the shot as I have enough hassle with focus to not worry about performing a manual zoom as well. Some of these Brides whizz down that aisle, dragging Daddy along by the arm. To say nothing of the Bride and Groom leaving down the aisle at the end. Occasionally me and the Photographer have to step aside quickly in their dash to escape the church.

I'd love to incorporate my gimbal in that shot and have done on a few occasions and it makes it so much easier to keep up. Especially if the Photographer decides he wants to walk back down the aisle with them rather than stay at the back. My shots have been royally buggered on many occasions for that little trick.

[Peter Rush]

Yeah last wedding the tog walked backwards with the couple - completely knackered it for me - also did the same with the confetti shot - got them to walk down the line of guests with him walking backwards in front of them