Question for TOGS about lighting

Have you got any photos of the inside of the chapel that we can see but I think the first thing to ask any photographer is to see examples of either photos they have taken at your chapel or anything like it. It is doable but you will have to find a photographer with the skill that has shot a lot at venues just like yours, do not accept anyone that says they will use flash at the chapel because they will totally kill the atmosphere of it. It does sound lovely though.?

What is the name of the chapel so I can see if I can find any wedding photos already taken at the chapel.

Edited to say that nothing in editing can be done if taken by a new photographer that doesn't know how to control light or lack of it.

Pics of room with all the lights on, and also as set up for ceremony. I have searched for previous wedding pics there but with no luck...they are quite newish to doing weddings. The venue is Leicester Warren Hall in Knutsford.

Exactly right, if they are good enough then they should be able to use flash just enough and still keep the atmosphere, a good pro with top of the range cameras should kave no problem, here is one that is totally lit by candle but there were a lot of them ! they are all around the top of the oak panels

Yes I just found it online and seen some from a few photographers.

Ask Bill at http://www.leicesterwedding-photographer.co.uk/ who is a supplier on Hitched, he is close enough and if he hasn't shot at Leicester Warren Hall before then he will know how to shoot it. For that lighting you are going to need an experience photographer who will know how to handle it, looks gorgeous with candle lighting and I can see why you chose it?

Just seen your latest post Bruce thanks but it says Leicester but it is in Macclesfield.

Thank you so much for your replies. And Bill..that's just how I want it to look!! I find the whole task of choosing a tog completely overwhelming!

Yes just realised the Leicester/Leicester thing too!! Its actually in Knutsford....but still definitely not Leicester!!

Oops not too far from you though Bill? Closer than I am anyway?

Lovely venue! Looks a bit challenging but certainly doable if the photographer is used to shooting in low light. Can be done without flash, but the photos are likely to be a bit grainy, or with just a touch of flash. Personally I would go for the latter.

Certainly ask the photographer to see some examples of their low light work and ask them how they would shoot in this specific venue.

Can the venue recommend a photographer? Or maybe let you know, who shot there before, so you can see some photos?

Like Bill says, a good pro with top of the range cameras shouldn't have any problems and using the top of the range cameras mean they can handle the low light with hardly any grain showing in the photos.

It's good you're asking at this stage! As the others have said it's certainly possible to get photographers who can do this well. If you narrow it down to three who you will visit, it may even be possible to ask them to do a test shot at the client meeting (so long as you book the meeting when it's dark!)

If you take candles with you it wouldn't take long for a photographer to confirm that they can provide the quality of images you're after. Anyone who gets out a camera with a pop up flash and fires it should be crossed off the list!

A decent fast prime lens will go a long way to making this sort of coverage more manageable.

I do a shedload of corporate low light work where flash is not possible and will almost always use a prime lens(non zoom). Very low light gives issue with any telephoto lenses as the slower shutter speeds will highlight camera shake.....so ideally a tripod may help, although the photographer will need to "pick the moment" to fire the shutter to avoid image blur.

Peter

Thanks again for all your advice. I have emailed a tog recommended by the venue. He has only recently started working with them so not taken pics in that actual room but he and his wife got married in there 2 years ago so he is very aware of the lighting issue! He says that the equipment he uses is a canon 5d mk3 professional full frame camera, along with fast professional canon L series lenses.... doesn't mean a thing to me..... Should i be impressed?!!

He has also said that we can have initial consultation at the venue and take a couple of posed shots with all the candles to give us an idea. So definitely putting him on my list of possibilities!

Yep, that's the sort of professional set of equipment you need. Photographer's will often say that it's not the camera that matters but in this case you need both.

A 5DMk3 is an excellent wedding camera and used by many professionals. I'd just check he has some L series prime lenses which will allow him to shoot in even lower light but if he's willing to do some posed shots with you then that would take some of the risk away.

If you hire a decent professional you should be fine.

Ask your tog for examples of low light photography. It's doable, I've shot in plenty of dark as heck places, but they do need to have higher end equipment as it's rare to be allowed to use flash during a ceremony.

EDIT: Just seen your guy has a 5d iii and what seems to be primes- that's the best you can ask of them equipment wise.