Salsa Dancing - How to take decent photo's?

[garylouden]

Hello

I have somehow been asked to take some photo's for a friend. They need a photograph of them salsa dancing for a flyer they are putting out.

I'm very much a beginner in photography, Got my first DSLR a few months back. I have a Canon 1000D with the standard lens. That's all the "kit" I have.

Now what would be the best way to get some decent photographs of them dancing? it will be very fast and will have very poor light. I have never taken photo's of anything other that landscape and never in poor lighting either.

Any advice for me, I'm nearly 100% they will turn out terrible if i just go in and whack it on auto and start shooting.

 

[knightrider.]

Obviously you'll be using the flash, so you're gonna get decent captures of the action, so don't worry about that. It can't go that wrong unless you're holding it backwards
Just make sure you're not too close to the action, so the flash doesn't turn it into a whiteout.
Between now and then, you might want to play around with your camera whilst moving, seeing what sort of shutter speed gives a nice effect. Also play around with the different effects that come with using first or second curtain flash. You can get some cool photos using either setting for the flash.

What would be really useful is a proper flashgun that you could bounce off something...but £200 for one event is a bit steep lol.

 

[Col_M]

With the kit lens and onboard flash you'll struggle.

See if you can beg, borrow, steal or hire a flash or very fast lens (large aperture, f/2 or better).

 

[Ghost in the Shell]

dont use in built flash, just purchase a 50m prime (around £50-£75) and operate it in TV mode (set ISO to 400/800/HIGHER) use a speed so they dont go higher than 400 of a second as slower than that will just become a blur. experiment around here to find what works/is comfortable for you but this has always served me well in low light/motion sensitive conditions.

good luck, hope this helps!