shooting a candle lit wedding
- Thread starter jrod81
- Start date
djkarn105
Well-known member
You're going to need an effing lot of candles to get an exposure from the balcony. One thing I've learned about shooting weddings is you really need to be realistic with the client. It's ok to tell them something is not possible otherwise people think you have the "fix it in post" button.
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
Do you have any choice on the lighting?
Double or triple wicked candles produce more light output.
If you do not have the ability to influence such decisions, you must get a faster camera. The HVX is a slow little guy. 320iso/asa is not very sensitive.
2/3" chip cameras tend to have superior low light capabilities and cleaner sensors.
Like djKarn said, you need to be realistic. Tell them what you need to do the job right, especially under their unusual circumstances.
PS: remember the HVX lens slows down as you zoom through the focal length range. If you are far away, don't be depending on the HVX minimum f/1.7.... more like a f/2.8 or f/2.5
Double or triple wicked candles produce more light output.
If you do not have the ability to influence such decisions, you must get a faster camera. The HVX is a slow little guy. 320iso/asa is not very sensitive.
2/3" chip cameras tend to have superior low light capabilities and cleaner sensors.
Like djKarn said, you need to be realistic. Tell them what you need to do the job right, especially under their unusual circumstances.
PS: remember the HVX lens slows down as you zoom through the focal length range. If you are far away, don't be depending on the HVX minimum f/1.7.... more like a f/2.8 or f/2.5
prototype! and rent a HIGH ISO cam.
prototype! and rent a HIGH ISO cam.
rent some time in the space, before hand, and bring a bunch of candles, and shoot some pics with a 5D II, or something, so you KNOW what ISO you're gonna need, according to some repeatable reference, and then...
go and find some camera that can give you that level of performance, or
discover you can't, and go to the couple, and tell them, beforehand, that they're going to have to have a light over 'em, or they're going to have to do without.
Do the tests!
prototype! and rent a HIGH ISO cam.
rent some time in the space, before hand, and bring a bunch of candles, and shoot some pics with a 5D II, or something, so you KNOW what ISO you're gonna need, according to some repeatable reference, and then...
go and find some camera that can give you that level of performance, or
discover you can't, and go to the couple, and tell them, beforehand, that they're going to have to have a light over 'em, or they're going to have to do without.
Do the tests!
If it's a wedding and you have no other choices... shoot with a 24 shutter... the light you gain will be better than the blur you gain... do a test at home you'll see.
Try to get some DVX's or 200A's,, they are better with low light but the "no money" solution is slow the shutter.... the "money" solution is to change cameras.
Or... have special candles made with double wicks... like Barry Lindon... have those as the "key".. just around and near the couple... and yes.. let the client know that the light setup is challenging... show them tests with candles at your house so they know what to expect.
Try to get some DVX's or 200A's,, they are better with low light but the "no money" solution is slow the shutter.... the "money" solution is to change cameras.
Or... have special candles made with double wicks... like Barry Lindon... have those as the "key".. just around and near the couple... and yes.. let the client know that the light setup is challenging... show them tests with candles at your house so they know what to expect.
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
Not that this means ANYTHING, but for some fun trivial comparison:
Barry Lyndon shot on 100asa film with a specially made lens from NASA which was f/0.7....
(for those who do not know the f/stop scale below 1.4 it goes f/1.4, f/1, f/0.7, etc)
If I did the math in my head right, the HVX200 and it's most open aperture (un-zoomed) of 1.7 is still about an entire stop slower then the 35mm camera setup.
(HVX is about 1.5 stops more sensitive then the 5254 filmstock, but the lens (1.7) is 2.5 stops slower then the f/.07.