Lightsphere Disfussers for weddings?

[GadgetVirtuoso]

I'm going to be doing a wedding in about a month and my primary flash is a Speedlite 580EX II. I bought a Gary Fong's Lightsphere Collapsible when I bought the strobe but I'm concerned for a wedding ceremony that it will be excessively detracting and distracting.

The wedding will be held in two rooms. The ceremony in 8 foot ceiling room and the reception in a 20+ foot ceiling room. I'd like to hear from others that have used the Lightspheres for weddings or what diffusers would better for the environment.

What about the chromedome? Does this significantly help with focusing the flash with the lightsphere?

[Benji]

Before you start taking flash images at any wedding ceremony CHECK with the pastor or priest. In most Protestant churches flash during the ceremony is a no no. In most Catholic weddings it is OK. If it is OK blaze away. You are there to capture the moment. It is your job to get the images. Don't worry about what others may think about you taking photographs, if they are "offended" it is their problem NOT yours.

If the pastor tells me NO FLASH images I tell them no problem I will not take any flash images, but I will be doing time exposures from the rear of the church. I then set up my camera on a tripod at the back of the church and take time exposures. In my 28 years as a working pro I have only been told once that I can't take ANY photographs, flash or time exposures. When I told the bride this she was quite upset as this was "her" church, but the pastor was the former pastor and not to current pastor. I told her I would still get some shots but obviously not as many as I would normally get. I then made about 10 captures "on the sly." The bride was quite happy with them. The pastor approached me at the reception and thanked me for not taking any photographs during the ceremony. I said no problem.

As I see it the pastor did not hire me the bride did. Also as I mentioned above he was not the current pastor there and while he didn't allow photography during "his" weddings he was not sure what the policy of the current pastor was regarding photography during the ceremony. I never did find out.

Benji

[GadgetVirtuoso]

Since its not being held in a church flash and rather a hotel banquet rooms flash is not an issue. I've been told by a few other photogs and my thinking also is that the photographer is there to capture the moment not be a distraction from it.

Guess I'll have to learn to be a distraction.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by GadgetVirtuoso

Since its not being held in a church flash and rather a hotel banquet rooms flash is not an issue. I've been told by a few other photogs and my thinking also is that the photographer is there to capture the moment not be a distraction from it.

Guess I'll have to learn to be a distraction.

...now really good photographers seem to be there and yet not be a distraction. Must be a Zin/Karma thing. insert Gregorian chants here

oh and to qualify the distraction part...the 3 people you might not want to disctract will be upfront