What is a basic kit for low cost wedding photography?
I'm no pro and my friend wants me to shoot his wedding. I'm not too wealthy right now so what are some things that I need for the wedding shoot? Right now I have a NIKON d7000 body with 18-105mm and I'm buying a 50mm f1.8G. What else should I buy that's not gonna cost an ARM and a leg!
Get a large white sheet or table cloth. The bride sits on this during the photoshoot to protect her dress and you just tuck the edges underneath of her. Find out if her dress will be stark white, diamond white, or ivory so you can match the color. If she's not having a white dress, you'll need to know that, too.
Also have a Tide-To-Go stain remover pen and white chalk. These will hide marks and scuffs on the gown if there are any.
You need professional lighting, professional size mounting flash, photometer, light diffusers, and extra camera, extra memory cards, a tripod, two extra baterry backs and chargers, and an assistant.
IMO a NIKON d7000 alone in insuficient equipment.
If you're going to do any outdoor shots, believe it or not, a couple of sheets of white posterboard really come in handy as reflectors for fill lighting. You lay them on the grass (out of the range of the picture) and the sunlight bounces off of them to provide a little more light on the subjects' faces.
I've shot two weddings for friends with equipment similar to what you have. Just make sure your friend is fully cognizant of the risk he's taking in not having a professional do it. You don't want to lose the friendship simply because the pictures don't turn out the way he (or his bride, or their families) had hoped. Generally, someone who asks an amateur friend to do it is well aware, and is simply too broke to afford a pro, and asks the friend with the best skills to do it, figuring something is better than nothing.
Take as many photos as you can… I'm sure you will get some good ones.
Rent the equipment you need. Go to your local professional camera store and ask what they would recommend. Make sure you are clear in what specifically you are trying to achieve (shooting locations, available light, etc). Since you shoot Nikon any dealer with the Nikon Professional designation will be very helpful.
Don't be afraid to get a printed quoted of everything you will need. You should then present this to your friend and see if you can at least split your costs.