My last wedding of the year. I have to say it probably was my best. It wasn’t like any of the weddings I have attended in the past. This was very unique. Family oriented, warm hearted, joyous and united are some thoughts which come across my head. It began on Friday with a casual shoot. We (my boss and I) met the couple at Dumbo and snapped a couple of images. It was a great time to meet them and get to know them. They were very sweet and even took the time to remember my name.
Next was a pre-wedding dinner somewhere in Maspeth Queens (on Saturday). It was very cozy. Everything was set up by the family. Of course they did purchase food and the rights to the location, but the decorations, photo booth, cake, and even wedding was arranged by the family. They were genuinely very sweet and caring. Even the grandfather knew my name. During dinner, we got the chance to sit at a table with guests who attended the wedding and even got to chat. We (2nd photographer and I) received some advice since we were both young. It is great to see strangers attempting to communicate and care about our opinion. They were a bit concerned that we were not pleased with the food, but I assured them that Polish Kielbasa was definitely something on my list of loved foods. As I was walking out the door they were chanting my name and gave me a gift box. What great people.
The wedding took place the next day (Sunday) in Central Park. It was a bit chaotic but as a family they managed to work everything out. Everything was a bit impromptu. The bride was unaware of where to go, the radio holding person did not know when to start the music, there was no seating or formality of walking down a designated path. With the cold and unscheduled events, the wedding was great. Their friend was the “priest” and placed many jokes in his speech. But I loved them. This is probably one wedding I am not going to forget.
Another different thing for me, was the fact that I shot video during this wedding. I did not snap a single picture. To some degree I felt a bit more comfortable shooting video rather than taking pictures. Though I have never done it before, I felt as though there was no standard and therefore nothing to worry about. I did have one problem though, Since I was using a class 6 SD card, the video would “automatically” stop. This made me miss certain parts of the ceremony. I was also interrupted from recording at certain times. It was a bit inconvenient, but I managed to get through it.
Isn’t recording like a completely different dynamic than shooting?
Are there settings to shooting video that you have to tamper with like photography?
Are you taking the F train anytime soon?
Why, I’m glad you asked. Yes, there are many things to tamper with. Regarding F-stop and shutter speeds, they still exists. You still need to control the light hitting the sensor. The most annoying thing with video (Using a DSLR) is focusing. If you are using a lens which isn’t quiet at focusing, say the 18-135 then there will motor noises while focusing. Therefore, I needed to use manual focus (since I used that lens). Also, if the lens does not have IS (image stabilization) then your cold hands will not help to keep the camera stable. But aside from these things, I feel that video recording is quite enjoyable. To answer your third question, yes I am taking the F train sometime soon. Maybe to Shake Shack. Wanna join? Maybe a weekend?
1) Do you control the light in real-time? As in, as you are recording you are changing shutter speeds etc.?
2) Can you clarify the “using a lens which isn’t quiet at focusing” part?
3) exists* from* jesus John haven’t you coded a program to autocorrect yet
4) Regarding shake shack next weekend would be perfect. Don’t you love my numbered thoughts? So organized…
Answers:
1) No, I left the exposure settings on Auto since moving the knobs will make annoying clicking noises.
2) Yes. Take the 24-70 for example. It has a USM (ultrasonic motor) which ensures focusing to be a bit more quieter (does not produce as much noise). Since the wedding was in central park, I decided to use my 18-135 so get a wider angle of the entire scene. The downside to the 18-135 is that its focusing motor is quite noisy. Therefore, I needed to use the lens in manual focus mode. Also, I was forced to use the 18-135 since it is the only lens I have with auto focus (compensates for my shaking hands).
3) Beat it! I didn’t read the comment before I replied. But I think this reply is flawless 😛 . I should invest in a proofreader.
4) I do like the formality and order in your comment. Thank you for reading and replying. About Shake Shack (nouns should be capitalized mister!), which sounds better; weekend or weekday? If it’s on a weekday then we will need to go around 6:30pm or 7:00pm. Since you are an evening person I guess it should be okay. Let me know.