party photos

pearljamfan

hi all! i just thought id ask a quick question about party photos, ill go online in a sec and do some googling but in the meantime does anyone have any good tips to point me in the right direction, any tried and tested cam settings or websites you know off the tops of ure heads!??

ive been asked to shoot a birthday in a hotel in a couple of weeks , a couple of hours work, but its out of my comfort zone and ive just bought a new nissin flash so im still getting used to that too. many thanks!

Flash at full power, fired directly upward, with fill card pulled out, assuming the roof is relatively low (about 12-15 feet) and a bright white/cream colour, ISO400, 1/160 and f/5.6.

If at first you don't succeed (and your photo looks too dark) tilt flash forward ever so slightly (by one movement, from 90 degrees to 75, or 75 to 60, depending on your flash unit).

I've been doing general social photography and those settings work for me most of the time, with the exception of one place, where the roof is black and walls are very dark, so I use direct flash at, generally, 1/64th power (I use a Metz 48 AF-1), ISO800 and the same shutter speed. When going with direct flash, it's a pain in the ass though, as your results change a lot depending on how close or far you are from your subject (I'mn usually about 10 feet or so).


Flash fired upward directly reduces shadows. Make sure that if/when you go into portrait orientation with the camera body to turn the flash head, so it's still facing the roof (and not the wall).



Obviously every venue is different, and every photographer is different, but that's my general rule of thumb. If you're feeling really uncomfortable, try and find someone to take a few test shots on when you first arrive (handy if you know the people there already, can be difficult if you don't know the people, but if you don't know the people, look for someone with a dslr and ask them, as they'll better understand what you're doing, and may even appreciate you posing for them so they can verify their settings, too).

Oh, also, shoot RAW if you can, and use the Fill Light function. Generally speaking, venues aren't as bright to the camera as they are to your eye, so the flash will only highlight the areas surrounding you. The backgrounds may still be dark and need a bit of fill light.

pearljamfan

thanks a million KKV, really helpful.:) im meeting them in a couple of days just to go over what they want exactly, so hopefully i wont be so nervous about things after that,i think its just cos its a new thing and i could get more work from it.im probably overthinking.

Quick sample for you, I took this at 1/160, flash at full power and directly upward, f/6.3 and ISO500 (I'm usually at f/5.6, so the bump up in ISO is to make up for the light I've lost by going to f/6.3).






Just one other thing, though, make sure you find out what kinda photographs they want. If they want group shots (like above) or just candid shots. Will there be any novelties? A recent party i was at (house party, admittedly) they rented a big american truck. This can be good to know about in advance so you can plan your photos around it.

"Will there be a cake?" is an obvious first question to ask. "Can I have some cake?" is a close second (regardless of the answer to the original question!). Find out if there are any meals planned, or will it just be 'finger food', have they hired any entertainment (band, perhaps?) etc. etc.


Also, when possible, avoid shooting with too wide a focal length. You fatten up the people at the side of the frame (though this is easier said than done, especially if you end up getting lumbered with a gigantic group photo).


EDIT: Just seen your second post there, Pearljamfan. You'll be grand. Don't worry about it or over think it. The hardest part, I find, is getting your focus right. Venues are usually somewhat dark, so make sure you have some kinda confirmation of focus on your camera (on the Canon 7D, the focus point flashes red to indicate focus has been achieved, which is shockingly helpful). Also, despite shooting at f/5.6 and such, it's easy to get only one person in focus in a photo of two or three people, so keep your distance to expand your depth of field when possible (I find 30mm is a good average focal length). If you are doing a group shot and they go into three or four rows of people, pull out some chairs and get people seated, get people kneeling, and go to f/8 and ISO800 if necessary.

With groups, always take multiple shots. Two at the very least. Someone always blinks, and there's always one comedian with the fingers up behind someone's head :rolleyes:


You'll be fine. It's not rocket science, but there is a learning curve. Shoots loads of photos and always take two to make sure you've not missed anything

pearljamfan

oh and another minor thing- as its someones big birthday- should i wear going out clothes?? do you dress smart, black?? i was wondering this the other day, do wedding photographers dress like a wedding guest?? something ive never really thought about before!! (im a girl by the way)

pearljamfan

thanks!:D

Well personally I feel a photographer is a photographer and not a guest, and I've had arguments on here before with wedding photographers who wear high end suits to weddings (where I argued I'd rather wear black cargo pants for the extra pockets and practical use). I've seen wedding photographers in T-shirts and shorts, though, so I think everyone differs and it's up to yourself.


Personally, for me, I wear a plain black pair of shoes, plain black cargo pants, and a black polo shirt with my name on it. I think it looks formal, professional, and the additional pockets are extremely helpful for holding notepads, pens, batteries, etc. but I prefer practical clothing over fancy clothing (by the way, I'm a man).

Should just add, I wear that combo of clothes to 90% of what I do. That way when people see me, if they want me to do anything, they know in advance exactly what they're getting, etc. (unless it was a themed wedding or something, or a very picky wedding, were the bride/groom wanted me in a particular outfit, but I'd charge for it, and i don't cover weddings anyway, so it's not something I need to worry about). Parties are informal. No one will really care, I don't think.