[Russell01]

If im taking wedding photos/portraites inside a church and its well lit with indoor lightind, but no light from outdoors whats the best way of doing it. A short exposiour with a flash, a long exposiour with no flash or a shorter exposour with a higher ISO like 800 upwards still without a flash? Ive got a NikonD40x with a 18-55mm lens (i think thats the lens anyway, its the standard one that you get in the starter body+lens package) and i do have a rather temprametal flash gun that for some reason only works every now and then. The built in flash on the D40x though seems to get the same results so its no real loss and it works every time. I dont have a tripod but hopefully can borrow one for the wedding. any help apreciated and sorry about my spelling. And one other thing, im pretty new with all the terms like white balace and f numbers, so a little extra explination may be requiered, thanks.

[VinnyP]

Wow, for a wedding I think you will disappointed with the built in flash it will be ok for fill outside but practice that first. If it is the main light then you need to be able to bounce it. I don't know about your add on flash but if it is flaky either get or borrow one that isn't or plan to manage without it. Where in the world are you? If you are anywhere near Surbiton I could lend you one.

Slow exposure with a tripod always used to be the solution but people move and blink so it's frustrating. Better flash and better high ISO has meant it's used less often. I would still use a tripod if you can as it makes a big difference.

As for white balance it will be tricky. White balance is simply about a camera not being as smart as an eye so it gets confused by the colour of light. If you look at a light bulb you can see it's more yellow (or warmer) than the light outside and we have all seen warm light at sunset compared to the blue (cooler) light of an overcast day. Humans adjust that without thinking we see something we know the colour of grass, clouds, skin etc and automatically adjust. That's what a camera tries to do but it is always guessing what colour it should be in auto white balance (AWB). It also has presets based on the most common lighting situations which can often get it right but it is always a compromise. What you need if you want the camera (I am sure the 40x can do this but others may corrrect me) to sort it is to get a white or grey(best) card (or if you are feeling flush an expo disk) and manually set the white balance; follow the instructions in the manual but usually it involves filling the frame with the card setting manual in the menu and pressing the shutter. This works just like the eye then and the camera knows what colour it should be. Don't forget to set the white balance back for outside shots or they will be very blue. Best to shoot in raw so you can correct at a later stage if necessary.

The kit lens is very good for a kit lens but will be a little slow (does not let enough light in) for available light work in a church and may struggle outside. Your bride and groom and your photography will thank you if you can get hold of a 50mm 1.8 it is very cheap in terms of lenses (always on ebay selling for £60) but will take pictures as sharp as lenses costing 100 times as much and will mean you can shoot at much higher shutter speeds inside and get that selective focus look outside again.

[Russell01]

Thanks for the help. Not sure bout usin Ebay but I will have a nose around. I live Just outside Bath in a town called Stoke St Michael. Again thanks for the help.
Have you got any ideas on 'poses' i should get of the marriedees. Like at the alter or coming out of the door of the church.

[GainfulShrimp]

I would discuss poses with the couple as they (or rather the bride) will probably have their dream photos planned in her head already. If you write down her wishlist for pics, you're less likely to forget any on the big day...

Here's a gallery of a wedding I did in the summer in case it helps inspiration-wise:

Simon and Rose

Most of the 'set piece' couple pics were planned by the couple when we visited the venue together earlier in the year - that's also a good idea if you can get there to check out the place in advance. I admit I got lucky with the weather.

Vinny's tips re: shooting in raw to make white balance easier later and getting a reliable flash gun are both extremely sensible!

[Summerleft]

Not much to ad on the hows Vinny has covered it well but as to ebay I ve purchased most of my equipment from it and got some good low priced items, which is essential having an Olympus!

[Russell01]

Thanks a load. Your pictures are really good and have given me some ideas to talk to the Pair about, thanks Gainful Shrimp

[Hacker]

I would definitiely shoot in RAW for the reasons stated above and set it to Auto WB. I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned that it is highly unlikely that you will be able to use flash inside a church, most of the God-squad don't like it and many of the guests will find it distracting.

If you do want to shoot weddings you will need to invest in some 'fast' glass, basically a lens with a very wide aperture (low f number). A good start would be a 50mm lens, either the f/1.8 or for a bit more money the f/1.4, my next choice would be the Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom but it is a lot more expensive (worth every penny though). I would also recommend a second body in case of failure etc.

Good luck with it and have a look at my site, all the church shots were done without using flash.