Shooting Wedding with Nikon Z6 – as a guest

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Dorie & I enjoy dancing at the reception party for our niece at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2500, 1/20, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 24)]

My niece, the bride, asked me to take some behind-the-scenes photos of the wedding. The venue had a package that included a photographer.

They wanted me to have fun as well. Dorie, my wife, officiated the service, and Chelle, my daughter, was the wedding soloist.

I am writing this blog for those interested in the newest mirrorless camera from Nikon, the Z6, and how I set it up and used it for this wedding photo shoot.

Rehearsal for the wedding at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 140, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 105)]

I brought a really small kit.

  • Nikon Z6
  • FTZ converter
  • Sigma 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0 Art
  • Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art
  • Godox 860II Nikon
  • Magmod Maggrip w/ Magsphere
Wedding Day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/500, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

I love the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art BOKEH when shot wide open. With the new firmware 2.0 on the Nikon Z6, the eye tracking focus helps nail the eyes when focusing.

Wedding Day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 10000, 1/50, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 24)]

I was in the room with the Groom and all his 16 attendants. Did I say this is the largest bridal party I have seen? 30 total. They have many friends and family, which is the best way to describe this problem.

The Sigma 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0 let me go from this broad group shot inside to much tighter shots of the Groom with individuals.

Wedding Day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/125, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 42)]

My Flash Settings on Nikon Z6

  • e1: Flash Sync Speed – 1/200s (Auto FP)
  • Auto ISO sensitivity control – Subject and Background

For the Godox flash, I set the compensation to -1.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1250, 1/2000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 24)]

So during the wedding, it was raining. Just a few drops, but this tells you the type of light we had. I decided just to fill in to give a little pop to the photos. So outside, I was shooting at 1/2000 shutter speed with a flash.

Then I am inside shooting at ISO 10000 at a shutter speed of 1/50.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/30, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 24)]

It worked just great on the dance floor. Here I shot at ISO 6400 with a shutter speed of 1/30 to add a little action to the shots.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/30, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 24)]

I love shooting with the on-camera strobe in a situation like this. It lets me be sure there is light on the people and then allows me to record the background in natural lighting.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 5600, 1/250, ƒ/4, (35mm = 105)]

Sometimes the light was great without a flash. I just turned it off when I didn’t need it and turned it on as needed. The settings on the camera stayed the same.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/100, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 105)]

I really love just taking photos as a guest and not the official photographer.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/125, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 24)]

The other thing is if you know the people in the bridal party, you get different expressions than the official photographer can sometimes get.

Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/25, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 32)]
Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/125, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 28)]
Party at the end of the day at Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1600, 1/1250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 82)]
Brunch Rehearsal [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 160, 1/320, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 24)]

I love the Nikon Z6 with the Sigma 24-105mm f/4 Art lens with the Godox V860IIN with the MagMod MagSphere for weddings. I think you can shoot 95% of the wedding with this setup. I think you need a long lens, like 70-200mm, for the ceremony.

The updated Adobe Lightroom is the other thing that really makes this system work. I love using three of the controls that, if used correctly, can help out some photos that, in the past, would have been so-so photos without these controls.

I love the Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze sliders. I cannot recommend them enough.

For sharpening, I hold the Option key on the Mac while sliding the Masking control.

I loved shooting the wedding with the Nikon Z6. I think a lot of wedding shooters will fall in love with the mirrorless Nikon Z6 as much as I have this year.