How do YOU use your 50mm, in a wedding?

[JustAnotherGinger]

I am shooting a wedding on 6/18, and am getting a 50mm for it. I have some ideas of what I want to do with it, but I would like to get some more ideas. How do you use your 50mm? Not just necessarily in weddings, but for photography in general, in a way I can apply it to this wedding?

[PhotoByLeal]

What kind of Camera is this going on, CROP or FULL FRAME sensor?

[JustAnotherGinger]

Canon XS and 60D

[prncfarquad]

The one wedding I shot I used mine for details. you can get creamy backgrounds with it. I am by no means an expert but when you open it up to 1.4 or 1.8 the DOF gets razor thin

[Phisch]

Yep, details. On crop cameras like yours, it behaves closer to an 85mm so you will have to move a bit farther back if you want to use it for group shots. It will be nice for portraits, just don't get too close or you may distort their faces. That can be a good thing in some cases but you will have to chimp to make sure you're flattering and not the opposite.

You can use it for any shot, really, if you have enough room or get close enough. What happens then is it becomes a challenge to frame the image so that your subject comes across as your subject :)

[marikris]

I like to use it for candids, but I have a full frame and I sometimes find that it's too close for me. People tend to see me with the camera and then freeze into a pose. You have a crop body, so you'd be a little bit farther out. I also like to use it for some detail shots as well.

If you can, borrow the 50 from someone before your wedding. That way you can play with it and see where your comfort zone is. I once rented an 85 for an e-session and I found that I was readjusting a little since I was used to a 50 and a 135 focal lengths.

[straightshoot3r]

I wouldn't use a new lens at a wedding as one of the primary lenses. Try it out during down time to get used to it and to get a feel for what you want to do with it.

There's no right answer for your question. For some, it'll be candid, others details, or portraits or something else completely different.

[kayumangi]

Like what vincent said there is no right way to use the 50mm or any lens whatsoever, it all depends on your shooting style. I once used a 50mm f1.4 to cover an entire wedding (30D) so it is doable with just one lens.

Crop factor or not, shooting weddings is all about anticipation, know when and what is happening then determine your proper floor space placement depending on what focal length you have on hand. One thing to remember when using canon primes (except the 135L) you need to add one or two stops from the lens's widest opening to be razor sharp.

[JustAnotherGinger]

The one wedding I shot I used mine for details. you can get creamy backgrounds with it. I am by no means an expert but when you open it up to 1.4 or 1.8 the DOF gets razor thin

I have read a lot about that, I think for more of the peopleless shots, this would be okay. Such as pictures of details...Rings, flowers...etc

Yep, details. On crop cameras like yours, it behaves closer to an 85mm so you will have to move a bit farther back if you want to use it for group shots. It will be nice for portraits, just don't get too close or you may distort their faces. That can be a good thing in some cases but you will have to chimp to make sure you're flattering and not the opposite.

You can use it for any shot, really, if you have enough room or get close enough. What happens then is it becomes a challenge to frame the image so that your subject comes across as your subject :)

I will keep that in mind :)

I like to use it for candids, but I have a full frame and I sometimes find that it's too close for me. People tend to see me with the camera and then freeze into a pose. You have a crop body, so you'd be a little bit farther out. I also like to use it for some detail shots as well.

If you can, borrow the 50 from someone before your wedding. That way you can play with it and see where your comfort zone is. I once rented an 85 for an e-session and I found that I was readjusting a little since I was used to a 50 and a 135 focal lengths.

I will be picking the 50mm up a few days before the wedding, so I will have time to play around with it. Wow, wouldn't that be a mistake. Hi, I am using this lens, that I have never seen before, to take pictures of one of the most important days of your life. Don't worry, if I mess up, I only hope I figure that out at your wedding, and not after! LMFAO

Originally Posted by straightshoot3r

I wouldn't use a new lens at a wedding as one of the primary lenses. Try it out during down time to get used to it and to get a feel for what you want to do with it.

There's no right answer for your question. For some, it'll be candid, others details, or portraits or something else completely different.

Like what vincent said there is no right way to use the 50mm or any lens whatsoever, it all depends on your shooting style. I once used a 50mm f1.4 to cover an entire wedding (30D) so it is doable with just one lens.

Well, I technically wasn't asking the "proper" way to use the lens. I was trying to figure out more ideas, to what I already had. Everyone has been very helpful.

Crop factor or not, shooting weddings is all about anticipation, know when and what is happening then determine your proper floor space placement depending on what focal length you have on hand. One thing to remember when using canon primes (except the 135L) you need to add one or two stops from the lens's widest opening to be razor sharp.

Thanks! Yeah, I have the entire wedding printed up on a spreadsheet. lol....I want to know when things are happening, so I can plan for placement.

[todd_a]

You can use it up close and it won't distort too much, but I wouldn't get up in the brides face too close with it because if you are cropping in really tight you can get some distortion with the 50 on a crop frame camera.

If it is a low light situation, then the 1.4 will be very handy.

You can get 3/4 shots with that setup from not too far of a distance and it isn't a HUGE lens, so it is less aggressive looking and makes the camera look a little smaller and less intimidating, so that is a plus for natural looking shots.

I shot through a whole wedding with a 50 on a crop frame body and the only issue I had was the smaller room where the bride was dressing - not being able to move far enough back to get a good full shot of her without stepping basically back out of the room.

I think the 50 on a crop frame body is a great setup.

As for how to use it specifically -
- I would shoot it wide open for doing details unless you are right up on it, then I would stop it down some to get enough of the detail being shot in focus to your liking.
- I would take advantage of the 1.4 if there is low light to help keep that ISO lower.
- During the ceremony, you would need to be pretty mobile with it. You won't get a close-up of the kiss unless they allow you up pretty close to the couple.
- You should be able to get some good shots of the entire venue without distorting the edges.
- bride getting ready shots should be good as long as the room is big enough to allow you to get far enough back to get everyone you want into the shot. Close-ups won't be a problem.

Youo surely have a kit lens now... You could always set it to 50mm and just spend some time with it at that focal length making sure not to change that and start getting used to sneaker zoom and generally the distances you will have to work with on different subjects. I'd say shoot in several rooms at home and then outside also to get a good idea of how things are going to frame and haw far back you will have to stand to get certain shots.