How I Have My Camera Set Up To Photograph Weddings

Cameras these days are so customizable that sometimes it's hard to even know where to start. So, after a lot of time and effort, here is how I have my camera set up to photograph weddings.

While the most useful way to walk through these settings is to watch the video, I do want to expand on some of the settings I have set that I couldn't necessarily dive deeper into as part of the video.

Back-Button Focus

I mentioned this in the video a bit, but I sort of skimmed over it because this setting has always been one that I felt should be default for almost all users. But I do realize that not everyone knows why this is useful. By default, all cameras have the focus tied to the shutter button where you half-press the shutter to engage the focus. The problem is that every time you release the shutter, you have to refocus. There are also times when you want the focus to track and other times when you want the focus to simply set and stay. Traditionally, there are numerous settings you need to adjust for the various ways you want the focus to behave, like tracking vs. non-tracking and continuous focusing vs. single vs. focus lock. Where back-button comes in, it ties all these abilities into a single button without any type of menu changes.

So, the way this gets set is that you remove the focus acquisition from the shutter and simply tie the focus-on to the back button. For focus mode, I always have this set to continuous and tracking. Now, the way this works is every time I press and hold the back button, it acts as continuous focus and tracks the subject. When I want to simply focus on a subject and then have that locked in, I press the back button and then release the button. Because the focus is no longer tied to the shutter, I can shoot as I want, and the focus will remain where set until I press the back button again.

Flash Timing

This is an important setting for me simply because I use the Sony a9 III. And because I am simply talking about settings, I couldn't really dive into what this setting does and why it’s important. So below is a video that explains how it works in relation to traditional sync and high-speed sync. But again, if you don't have a Sony a9 III, then this setting is not relevant for you.

Boost Button and Pre-Capture

Both these settings have the ability to capture images as fast as 120 frames per second. But it’s important to realize that this frame rate is probably too high for the majority of people. If that’s the case, you can absolutely select a lower frame rate. But for the boost button, you would obviously want to make sure you select a frame rate that is higher than you normally use. As for pre-capture, it's also important to know that the size of the camera buffer has a set limit. So if you have pre-capture set to the full one-second at 120 frames per second, this will eat up a good amount of your buffer, which means you won't have much ability to capture anything after you press the shutter. So if you want the ability to continue shooting after you press the shutter as well as capture images before you press the shutter, play around with the settings to find your sweet spot. In my use, being in the range of 60 frames per second and a quarter-second gives me enough images pre-capture as well as still having the ability to take images after.

Customization Versus Usability

When watching the video, you’ll notice that I have a good handful of buttons that have no assignment at all. While it would be very useful to have functions tied to these buttons, the usability of my camera is more important than ease of use. Because of these buttons, with use, I have noticed that I tend to bump or accidentally hit them. So using these buttons to access functions would be useful, but it actually hinders the use of my camera and slows me down because I end up shooting with the wrong settings because I bumped it. Or, I have to constantly keep an eye on those settings to make sure they weren't accidentally hit. So when setting up your camera, it's important to keep in mind what you think would be nice in terms of setup, but also how those settings actually translate to real-world use.

 

 1, 2, 3 Dial and Custom Hold Buttons

I feel these are some of the most underused customization tools available. While I use mine for easy access to jump between aperture priority, manual, as well as different focus modes, the options here are pretty substantial. And I actually wish there were a few more options available within these customizations, but even so, there is a lot that can be done. So glance through what options are available and keep those in mind while you are working. From here, anytime you find yourself going into the menu to make a change, ask yourself if this is something that would be useful to assign to a button or dial setting. At the end of the day, with all the customization options, the goal is to never need to jump into the menu.  

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all for setting up your camera. This setup is what I have found works well for me through a ton of in-the-field use. But I am not saying this will absolutely work for you and the way you work. Hopefully, this at least gives you an idea of some options as well as shines some light on options that may not be overly apparent when first diving into the menu. If you have any type of specialty setting or customization that you find useful, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.