Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/5.6 ISO 640 1/60th with Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeMy friend and colleague Pedro contacted me on Friday asking if I could help him out with a sudden wedding he got himself for Saturday. I already had my own wedding Saturday evening, but as luck would have it Robin and Ryan's ceremony started and finished just in time for me to be able to still comfortably make it to my wedding. Also, I had already asked Pedro to help me out with a wedding in September for a couple that requested a second shooter for their ceremony. So it all worked out very neatly.
Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/8 ISO 200 1/800th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeBeing the second shooter at a wedding, as long as the main photographer is cool, is one of the cushiest gigs one can get in professional photography. Pedro is cool, hence I felt cushy and free to really look for peripheral and closeup shots as he was capably handling the main action. The above shot was made in the middle of a large group shot. Using my Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens I was able to get in close to highlight the bride's ring and bouquet, without interfering in Pedro's wide shot of the group.
Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/5.6 ISO 640 1/100th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeWhen working as a second shooter at a wedding, your main job is to stay out of the shots of the primary photographer. As Robin and Ryan walked down the aisle as newly anointed husband and wife, Pedro was of course in front of the couple. I was around back making sure that I could not see Pedro in my frame, meaning I would likewise not show up in his. I used the groom to shield me from view.
Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/8 ISO 200 1/800th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeI also love working with my Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens, which I pretty much exclusively did as I was only photographing during the ceremony and Pedro was covering the close up shots. The proud father of the bride seen above was again part of a large group shot. The 80-200mm allowed me from a distance to get up close and isolate him in a shot without anyone knowing he was actually being flanked by several family members. Why not crop in even closer? I really like to use negative space, and I have a style with a propensity for landscape orientation portraits.
Also, when Pedro said the wedding was at the Gulfport Casino, naturally I envisioned some Las Vegas style setting, but in reality it was just a large, historical looking ballroom.
Thanks Pedro, looking forward to reversing roles and working with you in September.