Shallow depth of field makes details pop.
Wedding photography is becoming much more common with the distribution of DSLR cameras. Unfortunately, having a poor lens can put a damper on the quality of the final photos, which can be a big disappointment to the bride and groom. Knowing which type of lens produces the best images for weddings can be half the battle. The actual lenses you purchase will depend on your budget and camera model. As always, your creative eye will create the best photos.
Focal Lengths
Your workhorse wedding lens should be between 30 mm and 65 mm in focal length. This will allow you to have enough field of view to capture moments as they occur naturally. Almost all DSLR cameras come with a 18 to 55 mm adjustable lens, which should be sufficient to produce quality images, especially in unposed situations. For wider shots, such as shooting an entire wedding chapel or for close-ups, your lens should be shorter than 20 mm. These lenses produce shots that feel open and are great for capturing entire scenes. They can also be used to create stop-motion movies with a camera that is poised over the event and takes a photo approximately every 15 seconds.
Depth of Field
The true trademark of a wedding photo is its shallow depth of field. This typically causes the subject to be in sharp focus while the background and foreground are blurred, creating an artsy look. Lenses with a depth of field between f/1.8 and f/3.5 are fairly common and produce beautiful effects when used properly. Be sure to focus on a person's eyes, since that is the most interesting detail in most instances. Practice with the lens before the actual event. Due to their small focus range, beginners have a harder time getting the subject in focus.
Special Lenses
For truly stylized wedding photos, you could use a fish-eye lens. These lenses distort the image and typically show 180 degrees in a single photograph. The result is a "bowled" look, which is extremely intriguing with an interesting subject. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a telephoto lens may also be handy if the wedding takes place in a large open area. Lenses longer than 90 mm are considered telephoto and are capable of close-ups while still several yards away.
The Lens Kit
As always, having a variety of lenses with you is the best plan. If you have the budget and space, you should have a workhorse lens (between 18 and 55 mm) and a lens that has an extremely low depth of field (around f/1.8) to take detail photos with. While most wedding albums consist of only people photos, taking a few close-ups of wedding rings, the cake, invitations and held hands can boost your album significantly.
Tags: depth field, depth field, DSLR cameras, lens should, These lenses