Rangefinder Magazine
March 2005

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Mike Colón’s Wi-Fi Wedding Photography by John Rettie

Remember the good old days—when the bride and groom did not expect to see any wedding photos until a week or so after the wedding? It gave the photographer plenty of time to get film processed and proofs made in a nice leisurely workflow. We didn’t even use the term “workflow.”

Now clients expect immediacy. Why? Because they expect it.

Mike Colón, a well known wedding photographer based in Newport Beach, California, is delivering it—immediacy that is. That’s right: He’s delivering wedding photos during the wedding reception, even including photos taken during of the reception.

Thanks to digital and Wi-Fi, he has created a workflow that allows him to meet a clients’ expectations for immediacy.

At a wedding, Colón has each Nikon D2H camera fitted with a Nikon WT-1A wireless transmitter. As he shoots, each image is automatically uploaded to an Apple PowerBook laptop, which comes with a built-in Wi-Fi transceiver. At the same time the images are still written to the CompactFlash storage cards in the camera as a backup.

WT-2A transmitter on the D2X body	WT-1A transmitter on the D2H body	WT-2A transmitter

While the wedding ceremony is underway, the assistant with the PowerBook stays within transmitting range of about 100 feet and can check the images as they are being shot in real time. The magic then happens during the reception. Colón’s assistant creates a slide show that Mike then projects using a digital projector to the guests near the end of the reception. Even during the reception he continues shooting so images captured right up to the start of the slide show can be incorporated into the presentation. Mike says the surprise of seeing the images immediately really delights the guests. Not surprisingly, he finds the spontaneity often makes guests more likely to order prints. If it’s not possible to project the slide show, he will show the images directly on the PowerBook.

While all this is going on, Colón also selects key images that he outputs as 4x6-inch prints on a Mitsubishi dye-sub printer. At the end of the wedding, he places these in a mini album that the bride and groom can take with them on their honeymoon.

Naturally, Colón still edits the pictures and retouches the images as needed in the days following before producing the final wedding album.

Colón, who converted to digital in 2001, says photographers who are still shooting film are missing out on new ways of doing things with digital. He believes the advantages of digital far outweigh any shortcomings.

Adding the capability of wirelessly transmitting digital images directly from the camera to a computer is relatively straightforward, although Nikon was the only camera company to offer the option until this year. While the ability to transfer image files through a cable has always been available, the obvious convenience of having the camera untethered is far better. If you own a Nikon D2H, you attach the WT-1A wireless transmitter to the base of the camera using the camera’s tripod screw. The unit draws power from the camera’s battery and exchanges data via a short cord that is attached to the camera’s USB interface port. The transmitter’s regular antenna has a maximum range of 100 feet. However, the optional WA-E1 extended antenna can transmit up to 450 feet from the camera. The WT-1A will send images to any Wi-Fi-equipped laptop or desktop computer, and if there is a wireless connection open to the Internet, images can be transmitted anywhere in the world.

Colón says it takes about two seconds for each image to transfer to the PowerBook while he’s shooting. He has had some concerns about security but feels everything is okay as long as the laptop is not logged onto another network or the Internet. He once had some interference from a videographer, and he has to make sure his hand is not covering the antenna in order to maintain a good transmission.

For better or worse, instant gratification has become an expectation in today’s world. Colón has adapted, and by using Wi-Fi, he can meet these expectations and improve his business. His workflow might not appeal to every wedding photographer but it does demonstrate the ability to keep re-inventing the way things are done.

John Rettie is a photojournalist who resides in Santa Barbara, CA. Readers can contact him by email at john@johnrettie. com or by snail-mail c/o Rangefinder.