A few more 40D test shots!

[StuartR]

A few more shots taken on my only trip out with my new 40D so far.

Apart from the last shot which was taken on the river Stour near Dedham, these were taken at Beth Chatto Gardens in Elmstead Market, near Colchester. These are fairly small gardens but well worth a visit but unfortunately we only had an hour spare so it was a bit of a route march rather than a leisurely stroll. I tried to pick out as many strong colours as possible!

















And finally, a nice way to travel through the countryside on such a pleasant morning (this is a fair crop but it's held up well I think):

[Stephen]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Great stuff Stuart, lovely colours, clear sharp images, bet you are well pleased so far. Are you happy with the way the camera handles so far?

[Pops]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Your really putting it through it's paces. The colours are nice and vibrant and I like that full width sharpness in the next but last 2 shots

[StuartR]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Great stuff Stuart, lovely colours, clear sharp images, bet you are well pleased so far. Are you happy with the way the camera handles so far?

Sorry for the slow response - I've been off-line at home for a couple of days while British Gas wrecked the place putting a new fire & boiler in

Anyway, back to the camera, yes I'm happy with it so far but I really need to get some serious time in with it and I'm hoping to do just that this weekend. 'er indoors is away on a hen weekend (only 4 weeks to my first wedding shoot ) so I can do what I like (well, within reason!)

Not sure what I'm going to do, bit of scenic work, weather permitting, and perhaps practise some "bride & groom" shots with my daughter and her boyfriend (if they'll pose, he's a bit camera shy).

Also keen to test the 40D's Highlight Tone Priority setting to see just how well that works - I've read a few glowing reports from wedding photographers who obviously have a real problem with all that white. Luckily my bride is getting married in an ivory coloured dress

I'm also hoping DxO will come up with the 40D module soon so I can get back to a RAW processor I'm familiar with.

[jojo]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Stuart for "ivory" read white!
jo

[StuartR]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

'er indoors has seen it and she tells me it's "off-white".

Still any step down from "Daz white", however small, will help!

I'll probably find that people who weren't actually at the wedding will assume the photographer got his colour balance wrong

[jojo]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

So, what I'm thinking is, "do wedding frocks come like Broadway shows", off-white, off-off white, off-off-off white? (for 'white' read Broadway)

Patrick - where are you when the chap needs you....
Good luck with it anyway!

Jo

[Patrick]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

So, what I'm thinking is, "do wedding frocks come like Broadway shows", off-white, off-off white, off-off-off white? (for 'white' read Broadway)

Patrick - where are you when the chap needs you....
Good luck with it anyway!

Jo

The most popular colour for wedding dresses is Ivory, for the past year or two very pale ivory or champagne. Next year we will be seeing more dark ivory (shade lighter than champagne), also pink. Bordoux has been around for some time both as a full dress or as a trim and even black as a trim I have even seen full black wedding dresses trimmed ivory or red. Colour generally is showing itself more & more. White is not popular in the UK.

I say all the having just returned from 3 days at the British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate, it's a trade only show, the biggest in Europe and possibly the world.

Patrick

[jojo]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

The most popular colour for wedding dresses is Ivory, for the past year or two very pale ivory or champagne. Next year we will be seeing more dark ivory (shade lighter than champagne)

So, as per Procol Harum's famous tune, basically "a whiter shade of pale"

jo

[Patrick]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

only 4 weeks to my first wedding shoot

First don't Panic

Familiarize yourself as much as possible with the camera between now and then.

Make sure you expose for the dress with the bride & groom shots, if the light is contrasty use a touch of fill in flash for the shadow/dark areas.

Make a list of must have pictures.

Start with the every one in the picture and have a whistle to attract attention before exposing, remember people may be seeing each other for the first time in years and will be chattering interminably and be difficult to get to face the camera. Then condense down losing the just friends then the relatives to parents and so on till only the Bride & Groom remain. Wedding guests are notoriously impatient so it best to finish with them as soon as possible, bride & groom and immediate family will be more cooperative, they are interested in the would be pictures.

Take the time you need to get the shots you want, there will be pressure to hurry things, ignore it.

Take more shots than you think you need.

Shoot I would suggest in RAW and process very slightly warm, this will avoid that sallow skin tone that some people can have in photographs. Skin tone generally will look healthier for everyone.

Good luck.

Patrick

[StuartR]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Thanks for the advice Patrick.

My sister-in-law-to-be is very organised and has prepared a list of required shots! I am doing the same anyway, based on common sense and from what I've found on various web sites / forums. We will compare lists and I'll draw up a final list for the day. I also want to try and get the bride & groom away from the crowd at some point for some staged shots. They're getting married at a Zoo so there's a few interesting possibilities!

I am taking the opportunity to visit the venue the weekend before to have a look around and the venue's wedding organiser (planner?) will be there so I'll have the opportunity to as her some questions then. She told my brother, in a previous meeting he had with her, that the photographer will be allowed one hour which sounded a bit tight. The reception is at the same location so I doubt there's another wedding following on.

As I'm a member of the family I also need to consider whether to take a tripod to allow me to get into some of the group pictures myself. I'm not keen on trusting someone else to get the framing right. I've seen too many group shots with cropped feet / heads!

My Sister (a reasonable photographer in her own right) will be assisting and my daughter (21 and sensible) will be my Sherpa, shot list manager and now, thanks to your advice, whistle blower . (I happen to have a genuine 1930's metropolitan police whistle that will be heard in the next county )

I will be shooting RAW although I have also toyed with the idea of shooting RAW + JPG with the view that the jpgs will satisfy the couple's lust to see results quickly and allow me the time to process the RAW files without rushing. However, knowing how different a picture can look once processed and cropped etc., from RAW, I'm not sure it will be a good idea? Experience tells me that the processed RAWs will look quite a bit better than the JPGs straight out of the camera. (I really need to test this theory with the 40D though, I may be pleasantly surprised and to be honest I've almost always shot RAW only and I'm probably biased).

I've got about 10GB of memory cards and a 30GB back-up device so I think I'm covered there, 4 batteries for the 40D, 4 for the back-up 350D. 4 sets for the flashgun and some emergency AAs!

So, I'm trying to be prepared, be cool and not get stressed - it's my brother's wedding after all and I want to enjoy it as well!

[lumix]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

In the passed I have done quite a few weddings in Essex. Never one at a Zoo. At which Zoo is the happy event?

[Patrick]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Thanks for the advice Patrick.

My sister-in-law-to-be is very organised and has prepared a list of required shots! I am doing the same anyway, based on common sense and from what I've found on various web sites / forums. We will compare lists and I'll draw up a final list for the day. I also want to try and get the bride & groom away from the crowd at some point for some staged shots. They're getting married at a Zoo so there's a few interesting possibilities!

I am taking the opportunity to visit the venue the weekend before to have a look around and the venue's wedding organiser (planner?) will be there so I'll have the opportunity to as her some questions then. She told my brother, in a previous meeting he had with her, that the photographer will be allowed one hour which sounded a bit tight. The reception is at the same location so I doubt there's another wedding following on.

As I'm a member of the family I also need to consider whether to take a tripod to allow me to get into some of the group pictures myself. I'm not keen on trusting someone else to get the framing right. I've seen too many group shots with cropped feet / heads!

My Sister (a reasonable photographer in her own right) will be assisting and my daughter (21 and sensible) will be my Sherpa, shot list manager and now, thanks to your advice, whistle blower . (I happen to have a genuine 1930's metropolitan police whistle that will be heard in the next county )

I will be shooting RAW although I have also toyed with the idea of shooting RAW + JPG with the view that the jpgs will satisfy the couple's lust to see results quickly and allow me the time to process the RAW files without rushing. However, knowing how different a picture can look once processed and cropped etc., from RAW, I'm not sure it will be a good idea? Experience tells me that the processed RAWs will look quite a bit better than the JPGs straight out of the camera. (I really need to test this theory with the 40D though, I may be pleasantly surprised and to be honest I've almost always shot RAW only and I'm probably biased).

I've got about 10GB of memory cards and a 30GB back-up device so I think I'm covered there, 4 batteries for the 40D, 4 for the back-up 350D. 4 sets for the flashgun and some emergency AAs!

So, I'm trying to be prepared, be cool and not get stressed - it's my brother's wedding after all and I want to enjoy it as well!

Looks like you have it all in hand, its a good idea to visit where the pictures are to be taken, if nothing else it may give you some ideas for something thats a bit different, although from my experiences most want the classic shots. I think shooting RAW+JPG is a good idea you could run a small slide show on a laptop for your immediate family of some of the best shots later during the reception after the speeches.
I have the feeling there wont be much time for you to enjoy the wedding.
By the way take your tripod, in fact if I were you I would use it for all the formal shots. Hand holding under these conditions can and will lead to some crooked shots, and its sods law it will be the best one and there is not enough space to correct. Frame up and use the timer to get into some of the pictures yourself.

Patrick

[StuartR]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

In the passed I have done quite a few weddings in Essex. Never one at a Zoo. At which Zoo is the happy event?

Actually it's not in Essex, my family come from Kent and most of them are still down there including the brother who is getting married. The wedding is at Port Lympne Zoo near Hythe, with the ceremony taking place in Port Lympne mansion which I believe is within / adjacent to the zoo.

I'm told the building is quite impressive and built on the side of the hill with great views over the Romney Marshes to the coast - assuming the weather is good of course!!

For the uninitiated Lympne is pronounced "Lim" as in "limb". The "pne" is silent

Some 360 degree "virtual tours" can be found here http://www.movingeye.com/kentwed/port/martin.html Not sure which room we're in but check out the wall paintings in some of them!

[lumix]

Re: A few more 40D test shots!

Actually it's not in Essex, my family come from Kent and most of them are still down there including the brother who is getting married. The wedding is at Port Lympne Zoo near Hythe, with the ceremony taking place in Port Lympne mansion which I believe is within / adjacent to the zoo.

I'm told the building is quite impressive and built on the side of the hill with great views over the Romney Marshes to the coast - assuming the weather is good of course!!

For the uninitiated Lympne is pronounced "Lim" as in "limb". The "pne" is silent

Some 360 degree "virtual tours" can be found here http://www.movingeye.com/kentwed/port/martin.html Not sure which room we're in but check out the wall paintings in some of them!

That's a fantastic location. We have been to both of John Aspinall's Zoos and had the pleasure of meeting him. He was a very dedicated animal lover. His collection of Tigers was outstanding. I normally don't approve of zoos but he's are of the highest standard. You have a lovey setting for your photos, hope you will share some with us. Good luck on the day.