I’m not usually one to blog weddings or customer work but as this one is for friends and models with whom I regularly work I thought I’d share a few of my photographs with you.
There was a time at the turn of the century when a mixture of black and white and colour images were often shot at a wedding. The process continued into the first few years of digital photography partly because getting pleasing skin tones in some mixed poor lighting conditions was a difficult task. It was far easier to ‘bang em into mono’ especially as the jpeg files we all shot with were so unforgiving.
These days we supply all our wedding images in colour and we don’t have to rescue any more. Better Speedlights, cameras with excellent sensors and RAW file processing have given us the ability to breeze through any wedding scenario.
With a mirrorless camera like the Fujifilm X-T1 you can preview the exposure and white balance then adjust it to taste before you press the button. This means there are no ‘test’ images on your card. Just expertly exposed images with lovely colour to boot. In the days of SLRs we used to shoot and hope. Then we pressed playback and adjusted exposure or exposure compensation and had another test shot. After a second review we were usually ‘nearly there’ with exposure, flash power and white balance. Without the review steps it was ever so easy to end up with under flashed orange looking pictures that were near impossible to repair without resorting to black and white.
All these pictures were taken by me using the Fuji X-T1 and whizzed through Lightroom. They look pretty much as they did in camera. I shot using the 14mm, 23mm, 35mm and 56mm lenses. I had the 60mm macro for the first few frames of the day then I left it in the car with my back up kit (Fuji X-E2 with 18-55mm zoom). I own a Fuji X-Pro1 too but it is not really suitable for shooting a wedding because there is a slight delay with the EVF and LCD plus the AF is too slow for the faster moving moments.
I shot the wedding alongside Gemma Williams. A professional wedding photographer from the West Midlands. Julie, my wife and I had the pleasure of training Gemma a few years back and I must say her photographs sparkle. Gemma wasn’t second shooting, she was principal shooter for a lot of the day covering all the bridal preparations and details right through to the wedding breakfast. I sneaked the couple of bridal prep shots you see here when I popped in to see how Gemma was getting on and I’ve included them to show how good the Fuji is in mixed light. Gemma shoots her weddings on a pair of Canon 5D mk3 cameras and the image quality she achieves in camera is fabulous. If you are getting married in the UK or know someone else who is then I can whole heartedly recommend Gemma. Cool, calm, professional and a super photographer.
Are you shooting weddings on the Fuji X-T1? Has moving from an SLR made your life easier too?
Hello Damian. I hope you find yourself well. I need help. I mainly shoot weddings & have always used a Canon 5D3. I also own the XT10 for fun and am really enjoying the dials of the Fuji system.
I am interested in going all in with a Fuji XT2 but concerned about AF in low light. With Canon, they have the awesome IR focus assist beam from their speedlites. And when I don’t need the on-camera flash on, I can turn the flash off & utilize only the IR focus assist beam.
1. Can the focus of the XT2 match that of a Canon DSLR or come close?
2. Will it constantly hunt for focus making the lens pump?
3. When you shoot real weddings, not workshops, which Fuji body are you using, what lighting system are you using (strobes, speedlites around the room, on-camera flash?)
4. With the battery grip, are you good all day without having to swap batteries?
Thank you Sir! Best regards! Paul (Austin, Texas) : )
Hi Paul.
The X-T2 is a great focussing camera. It’s way more sensitive than the X-T10. It doesn’t pump or hunt with the fast f/1.4 lenses. I’ve not shot a wedding since this one you are commenting on. I’m retired from weddings. I would however use an X-T2 or X-T20. I’d use three batteries throughout the day and not use the grip. I’d change batteries just before the ceremony and then just before the speeches. Don’t wait for a battery to run out. You could shoot the whole day on two batteries but three is belt and braces.
I hope this helps,
Damien.
Hello Damien,
it’s a bit off topic, but hence I want to ask about weddings and Fuji a placed my comment here.
I have recently switched to Fuji (as I have seen how much your work freed up since you change from Canon). I have to say I enjoy using my x-e2 so much I sold my Canon.
I just kept my speedlights I was using with Canon. I was never a big fan of ttl (specially my Nissin was inconsistent in results even when nothing more than a blink of an eye changed in the scene). I wasn’t shooting weddings. I felt every time so intrusive and bulky with my Canon. But now I’d like to give it a try with Fuji.
I am going to photograph my friends wedding. They have two hired photographers so I can be quite relaxed about spoiling anything. I’ll be just messing around playing with my camera. But I have seen your f4 1/60 iso 800 formula with ttl flash. How would you shoot in such situations today with Fuji, especially when you have only flash with manual capability? I am a bit worry using iso more than 1600 as it seems to me that after that a lot of noise came up. Sure you can have decent image even on 6400 (which is so incredible for me) but is it a picture for quality album?
Sorry for long comment. Looks I was in writer’s mood today…
Thank you for sharing so much of your knowledge a for incredible mentoring.
Cheers!
Ondrej
Hi Ondrej,
Thanks for your extensive comment :) I must say that my old formula of ISO 800, 1/60th at f/4 doesn’t work now because hotels use these low wattage replacement lamps and are lit to 1 stop less light than they were three years ago. So it’s now ISO 1000, 1/80th at f/2.8 on the Fuji. The Fuji has one more stop of depth of field than full frame cameras. It needs a hight shutter speed too and is better in low light so Fuji ISO 1000 is better than my Canon at ISO 800. I use the Nissin on a Canon compatible coiled lead either on ttl or manual. Either way I adjust the flash power with my thumb on the big wheel.
I hope this helps, Damien.
Hello Damien. Just discovered your site while looking for info on the xt1. I am actually happier finding your work! It is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
A quick question, if you have the time: I photograph weddings and switched from the Canon to Nikon because of Nikon’s faster autofocus in low light. I saw your recent wedding post (fab photos btw) but I was wondering how the camera performs in low light such as during a dimly lit processional or on the reception dancefloor. If you were still photographing primarily weddings, would you use the xt1 for the full day’s coverage or would you want/need to use an slr for a portion of the day for a particular reason?
Thank you!
Cheers
Ernst
Thank you Ernst,
I’d use whatever camera I was currently up to speed with. Of the 400 or so weddings I’ve shot some were on manual focus and I’m also happy to hold off camera flash with a Sto-Fen in one hand and the camera in the other. It all comes down to camera skills at the end of the day. I’d never try and use AF for a processional because the stained glass window between the couple at the back of the church is like a focus magnet. I always use manual focus, give the AFL button a blip then maintain my distance to the bride and groom by walking backwards etc. I practice, practice, practice until it all comes together with the kit I’m using. Try shooting a wedding on a manual focus Hasselblad and a Nikon F3 or worse still a Leica ;)
I hope this helps in some way,
Cheers, Damien.
I shoot wedding now with two Fuji XT-1’s and a trio of primes. It suits me way more than the DSLR’s ever did, I find it way more intuitive and fast to shoot. The Canon’s stay in the back of my car now and haven’t come out in a while.
I’m with you Paul,
Except I’ve sold my Canons :)
Cheers,
Damien.
I am shooting a wedding exclusively with my Fuji XT1 and XPro1 oh and the X100 in a weeks time.
This just reinforces my Fuji confidence
So much so I have the new Fuji polo shirt!!
Haha, Mark, Just get out there and get the pictures. I’m not sure the Polo shirts come in my size ;)
Kind regards,
Damien.
Hi
Very nice pictures i intend to use my X-T1 at my daughters wedding at the weekend , I’m encouraged by the quality that you got so looking forward to the same , the lightness of the kit an ease of use is so appealing
Keep up the good work
Kind Regards David
Thanks David,
I hope you weren’t taking pictures all day at your daughters wedding. The X-T1 really is a great bit of kit :)
Kind regards,
Damien.
Beautiful work!
Thank you Gary :)
Cheers,
Damien.