Party Photography

Soldato
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Hi everyone,

I am thinking of doing some photography for a work party that's happening fairly soon.

I'm thinking it might be best to arm myself with just my 50mm f/1.7 lens, a flashgun, and finally a tripod. (if I can buy one on time) As well as the usual stuff (spare body, spare batteries, spare film).

Would I need to think about other pieces of equipment? Or maybe I am thinking too much?

All help greatly appreciated!
 
Soldato
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Dancing as well as taking pictures...yeah!

But perhaps a spare camera body won't be needed!

It's a work do, so everyone will be dressed formally, (I think) and I'll hopefully be getting some snaps that then can be put on notice boards in the staff canteen say.
 
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Gamefreak501 said:
Dancing as well as taking pictures...yeah!

But perhaps a spare camera body won't be needed!

It's a work do, so everyone will be dressed formally, (I think) and I'll hopefully be getting some snaps that then can be put on notice boards in the staff canteen say.
I photographed a party with these tools

EOS20D + Grip
17 - 40 L
Speedlite 580EX
Lots of beer & dancing.

I got some excellent results even though I was so drunk and snapping people ive never met before. Although I was using bounced flash so I made sure I was slightly overexposing everything and then can be adjusted when I processed them.

edit;
a 50mm prob wont help if people want group shots.
 
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Phoenix_Cosmos said:
I photographed a party with these tools

EOS20D + Grip
17 - 40 L
Speedlite 580EX
Lots of beer & dancing.

I got some excellent results even though I was so drunk and snapping people ive never met before. Although I was using bounced flash so I made sure I was slightly overexposing everything and then can be adjusted when I processed them.

edit;
a 50mm prob wont help if people want group shots.

Cheers for the help there,

I'm guessing a tripod really isn't necesary then! Also, I'm wondering whether my 35-105mm lens would be any use to the group shots - since it does f/3.5, up to about 50mm (I think) before going to f/4.5. I'm thinking it won't be wide or fast enough :(
 
Soldato
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Ideally you'll need a wide lens, as i'm guessing you'll mostly just take candids, rather than set shots. Don't take it too seriously either! :)
 
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Given that you are on film, I would have thought that 35mm would be fine, I mean 17mm ends up being almost 30mm eqiv. on digital doesnt it?

Also, if you use flash cunningly, then the slowness of the lens shouldn't matter too much I would have thought. Slow-syncro shots are always best in dark places anyway :)

Kimmett
 
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Body+50mm+flash.

You need nothing else so stop trying to overcomplicate it! Youll not use a spare body, or other lens, or tripod and you dont need the bulk either!
 
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for regular people shots, set camera to manual, 1/50 or 1/60th, F3.5. dial in a little flash exposure correction depending on how high the ceiling is and bounce the flash. not rocket science but it works.
 
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Cheers Morgan - one thing - is the flash exposure correction something that will be on the camera, or on the flash? I ask this, because I know my camera can do +/- 4.0, but the only thing on my flashgun is an ISO slider thing and an option to go full manual or full autofocus.
 
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That was fantastic advice morgan, worked a treat! All of my photos came out! Okay, two were out of focus, one or two had camera shake and one was overexposed...but they all came out!

I was using settings of 1/60, 50mm, f1.7 or f/3.5 (depending on lighting) and I wacked the exposure compensation on my Minolta 7000 to +1.0 or +1.5 when I used my 30m Flash gun, bounced from the ceiling. I only used 1" exposures when I was resting the body on one of the speakers. I'm well chuffed though - my camera meter was moaning that the shots will be really underexposed.

Not sure I'll post any of them - not sure these people would like their pics to be plastered on this forum here...
 
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!

Gamefreak501 said:
That was fantastic advice morgan, worked a treat! All of my photos came out! Okay, two were out of focus, one or two had camera shake and one was overexposed...but they all came out!

good to here the magic formula worked for you! in that kind of environment you dont want to be fiddling around with settings. keep it simple and concentrate on getting the shot. be interested to see the results...
 
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morgan said:
good to here the magic formula worked for you! in that kind of environment you dont want to be fiddling around with settings. keep it simple and concentrate on getting the shot. be interested to see the results...

Hmm, I may just show the pictures with me on them...might be better...as I have not actually asked anyone for their permission to put pics up anywhere!

Anyway, here are a few!

Usual Irfanview work (Irfanview is well good!) = 30 pixel white border, copyright sign, resized to 900x600. No other manipulation :)

Dance Floor

cnv000092hr.jpg


Hmm, I think this was 1", 50mm, f/1.7, autofocus. +1.5 Exposure Compensation. Ceiling Bounce. Rested on a PA speaker.

Me Digging into a Raspberry Pavlova

cnv000246ja.jpg


This would have been 1/60, 50mm, f/3.5, autofocus, +1.5 Exposure Compensation. Ceiling Bounce. Handheld

Me on my first Boddingtons of the night!

cnv000332pq.jpg


I think this was 1/60, 50mm, f/3.5, autofocus, +1.5 Exposure Compensation. Ceiling Bounce. Handheld.

So there we are - pics that aren't of anyone else...but me! I'm well impressed with how they came out. Okay, maybe I frightened some of you - but I don't want to be posting up pics of people without their permission!

I think I like Fuji Superior film :) This was ISO 200 stuff, 24 exposures.
 
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