Advice please birthday party pics

Ganton Gunner

Ganton Gunner

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peter
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Ok tomorrow (saturday) it's my partners, Niece's 40th B day
Her mum (my sister-in-law) asked my Mrs if I would take some pics at the party and she said of course I will :(
They both kindly informed me I am good at photography and have all the gear :confused:
I do wildlife pics and the odd bit of landscape and macro. not portrait sort of stuff in the slightest.
As far as i know the party is in a pub/venue upstairs room that apparently holds up to about 150 people.
From what I have been told about 60-70 people will be there and I do not have a clue on the lighting in there how good or poor it is etc.
quick pic below I just found online of the venue.
Anyway My equipment list is up to date so any advice/tips would be much appreciated.

29261232_1593346604046149_1403001375641036239_n.jpg
 
Have you got a flash? Take your fastest lenses but looking at your list you seem to be missing a fast 50mm or something in the 50-100mm range. The 28 on the D500 might be the closest
 
i have a couple of speed lights a meike 910 and a sigma 610
 
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I'm no expert but I have made an effort at a couple of do's like this. Bounce flash off the ceiling if possible
 
3200/6400 iso and shoot around f2 or whatever combination will give you blur-free images. Just treat people like wildlife, look for them to do something interesting and then shoot. Bounce flash if you MUST, but only for formalish portraits - it spoils the mood for informal stuff. Don't worry about colour-correction except for formal stuff because, again, it ruins the atmosphere.

Take a wide lens and a 'standard' 50mm equivalent.

Oh, and as you'll see from my images, the backs of people's heads are boring. ;)

I presume it's not paid, so just shoot what you think may please the neice and yourself. Examples of pics I did in our village hall under similar circumstances for a friend's 50th. You can see the ones I did use bounce flash, and it completely sods up the party feel. https://www.flickr.com/photos/143909484@N04/albums/72157662558772318

Helen 50th-6651 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

compared with
Helen 50th-6635 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr
 
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ancient_mariner said:
3200/6400 iso and shoot around f2 or whatever combination will give you blur-free images. Just treat people like wildlife, look for them to do something interesting and then shoot. Bounce flash if you MUST, but only for formalish portraits - it spoils the mood for informal stuff. Don't worry about colour-correction except for formal stuff because, again, it ruins the atmosphere.

Take a wide lens and a 'standard' 50mm equivalent.

Oh, and as you'll see from my images, the backs of people's heads are boring. ;)

I presume it's not paid, so just shoot what you think may please the neice and yourself. Examples of pics I did in our village hall under similar circumstances for a friend's 50th. You can see the ones I did use bounce flash, and it completely sods up the party feel. https://www.flickr.com/photos/143909484@N04/albums/72157662558772318

Helen 50th-6651 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr

compared with
Helen 50th-6635 by Toni Ertl, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Thanks :) and yes not paid lol
Out of my comfort zone to be honest I am not really really good round people I don't know, and probably won't know 75-80% of them :(
 
Ganton Gunner said:
Out of my comfort zone to be honest I am not really really good round people I don't know, and probably won't know 75-80% of
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Just say no.

If my Mrs came home and said ‘I’ve told my niece you’ll take some pictures of the wildlife in the fields at the back of her house’, I’d say ‘well just go and tell her you’re mistaken’.
 
Phil V said:
Just say no.

If my Mrs came home and said ‘I’ve told my niece you’ll take some pictures of the wildlife in the fields at the back of her house’, I’d say ‘well just go and tell her you’re mistaken’.
Click to expand...
What Phil said...It sounds as though you're not going to enjoy it.

Edit. Just noticed it's tonight. Just do your best and be thankful they're not paying you.
 
Ganton Gunner said:
and I do not have a clue on the lighting in there how good or poor it is etc.
Click to expand...

No one ever knows. Even if you've been to a location loads of times, does not mean that its going to be the same on that day.
Even if you've previous spoken to a location manager and discussed all the lighting in detail does not mean it will be as agreed when you turn up.
And even if you arrive on site, see the lighting, check everything and know what you are working with does not mean that suddenly at the last second, just as you are at the crucial point of all the important photos that the light is suddenly not going to change. (and change again and again...)

You need to know how to adapt and adjust very quickly. In a second or so. No time to test, just change settings, get it right.
This is just the fundamental basics of photography.
 
Good luck at the party tonight mate, hope it all goes well
 
We have the same bug here. If you feel like us, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Couldn't have faced looking at a pc screen the last two days. Hope your well soon. On a side note. I'm no expert but you most definitely could have bounced flash there and still kept some of the nice ambient light.

Gaz
 
cargo said:
We have the same bug here. If you feel like us, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Couldn't have faced looking at a pc screen the last two days. Hope your well soon. On a side note. I'm no expert but you most definitely could have bounced flash there and still kept some of the nice ambient light.

Gaz
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thanks I am feeling loads better now.
chest stopped hurting mostly yesterday just a bit sore when i cough and sneeze etc now.
shivers and freezing went away sunday evening/night.
all I have now is a blocked nose and head cold and feel down :(
but obviously that's a massive improvement for today which was very much appreciated.
 
Yes we're improving slowly. Unfortunately we have 16 to dinner Christmas day and all that goes with eg games crackers fun. We managed to cook the meat and prep everything else but had to cancel and send it all up to the Sister in laws. Couldn't risk passing it on to our elderly folks. That would have been a catastrophe. Great that you're feeling better.

Merry Christmas.

Gaz
 
cargo said:
Yes we're improving slowly. Unfortunately we have 16 to dinner Christmas day and all that goes with eg games crackers fun. We managed to cook the meat and prep everything else but had to cancel and send it all up to the Sister in laws. Couldn't risk passing it on to our elderly folks. That would have been a catastrophe. Great that you're feeling better.

Merry Christmas.

Gaz
Click to expand...

sorry to hear that not good at all.
we normally have all the family round but kept it to just me and the mrs today.
 
Same here. Weird bug this. Bloody ribs are sore too.

Mind you in the scheme of things it's not life or death.

Nice to chat.
Enjoy your evening.

Gaz
 
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