Will New Nikon D60 work for Amature wedding photography. if so what lens and flash do you suggest?

Question

Photography, Nikon D60, Wedding,

Answer 1

The D60 will work fine to capture the event.

For flash, I'd recommend the SB600 or SB800, as they both have horizontal and vertical swiveling heads, important when you need to bounce the lighting as you turn the camera sideways for "portrait" oriented shots.  These two flashes also have motorized automatic zoom heads and more power than the economy SB400.

Personally, I've used the SB600 for several years and found it to be a nice balance of power and economy.

http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb600.htm

I strongly recommend getting (or making) a diffuser to soften the lighting.  Gary Fong, Stofen, and Lumiquest are among the best makers of diffusers that flatter the subject.  Personally, I made one from a frosted plastic container I found in my recycling bin at home.

As for lenses, the 18-55mm VR that came with your D60 is a nice start.  It will help with those wider group shots, though you might want to investigate wider and more expensive zooms if the groups will be very large.

A short tele is extremely helpful, as you can't always get close enough.  My lens of choice is the 18-200mm VR.  It replaces my kit lens on the wide side, and gives me a nice 200mm longer range.  A bonus is the VR (vibration reduction) feature that is shared with your 18-55mm VR.  As you probably already know, VR helps minimize camera movement and can help you capture shots in low light that would otherwise be impossible.  

Good luck, as I know from experience that wedding photography is a real test of timing, nerves, crowd control, and organized chaos!

Be sure to take photos of guests talking who look like they've not seen each other in a long time.

Children's photos are a must.  And don't forget the sleepy infant and the dancing flowergirls!

Look for candids to capture the moment.  Frankly, most family members will want those for their memories, even more than the posed photos.

Most of all, capture the fun of the event.  Let the professional capture the frozen moments.  You can help everyone remember the dynamic ones.

Try different angles.  Shoot the professional photographer as he/she is taking pictures.  Shoot the bouquet and garter toss from behind the guests, or from some unique angle.  If there's an upstairs, take some top-down shots.  Take children's photos from their level.  Do closeups of the cake, before and after.  Have guests pose holding the party favors or just plain "mugging" for the camera.

Answer 2

Don't shoot a wedding if you have never done one before the results could be catastrophic. No one wants beginner wedding photo's they won't turn out and well with out tons of experience in low light situations you are going to fail. What I would do is register for college classes in photography then go assist/intern at a private studio.  My wife assisted a pro for over a year before ever shooting a wedding solo. I hate to be harsh but buying an SLR or DSLR does not make you a photographer it's just the first step.

Answer 3

Any camera will work for amateur wedding photography where you are the GUEST and not the event photographer.   If you are considering shooting weddings for pay, you obviously need more knowledge before entertaining that idea.  Any person who is ready to shoot weddings for clients (paid or not) does not have to ask what camera and flash to use.  The D60 is a good camera.  Start with the kit lens until you have experience enough to know what you are missing, then purchase a better lens accordingly.  The usual wedding photographer Nikon mainstay is the 17-55 f/2.8.  It is about $1200 at B&H.  The SB800 is a great flash.  For wedding work, it is used with a diffuser of some sort and/or a bracket.  For telephoto work the 70-200 f/2.8 vr is useful for the ceremony from the dark balcony.  About $1600.  As you can see, weddings ain't cheap to get set up to shoot.  In a few years you will have a better idea of what you need, by then there will be new wonderful stuff.  Best wishes to you.