Any tips for shooting an outdoor wedding 50 feet up in the trees?

[traceymariel]

I am shooting a wedding on Saturday at a beautiful arboretum. The ceremony begins at 6pm and it will take place on walkways suspended in trees. Any tips for shooting this? I guess I'm going to have to use a flash but would rather not. I will be shooting mostly with a Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 lens on a Nikon D90. Attached is a photo with notes added by the bride showing where everyone will be standing/sitting. Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm kind of nervous about getting good shots with the lighting conditions.

[zona5101]

I'm going to go out on a limb and venture a guess that there aren't many (any?) DPSers who have shot a wedding in a tree. Sounds like a complicated situation, have you talked to the branch manager?

[traceymariel]

ha ha ha ha ha ha.

[mikerob2334]

Only advice I can give you is DON'T FALL!! I would love to see these shots after you get done though.

[RLucas]

At 6:00pm, you should start getting some great light. My only concern is that it will be very dappled, with lots of shadows. Fill flash will almost be a must. Will you be in a static position, or are you going to be able to move around any?

This looks like it will be a very cool ceremony! I love stuff like this!

[scootermcq]

Originally Posted by zona5101

I'm going to go out on a limb and venture a guess that there aren't many (any?) DPSers who have shot a wedding in a tree. Sounds like a complicated situation, have you talked to the branch manager?

I can shoot a wedding in a tree, I can shoot one from my knees.... I can shoot one from a boat, I can shoot one in a moat. I can shoot one here and there, I can shoot one anywhere!

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by scootermcq

I can shoot a wedding in a tree, I can shoot one from my knees.... I can shoot one from a boat, I can shoot one in a moat. I can shoot one here and there, I can shoot one anywhere!

Nice one, Doctor.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by traceymariel

ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Seriously, I think you're in a situation where you should be wary of any preconceived ideas. You need to react to the moment at hand, similar to a photojournalist. Going in with set concepts of how you want to shoot and having them not work out will sometimes stifle your creativity through frustration and panic. Use the force, Luke. (This approach makes the assumption you already have a rock solid understanding of your gear and its abilities.)