Beginner Evening party shoot

JamieW

JamieW

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Jamie
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So I'm 8 days away from shooting my first party. My wife's best friends 40th. It's taking place in a club. So I'm after some tips on how to shoot the party, I've watched hours of YouTube videos, at least 2 hours tonight alone! I'm hoping some of you can give me some personal experiences and advice on camera set up and use of the flash?

I have Nikon D3200
18-55 kit lens
55-200 zoom
And my new 50mm f1.8g

I also have Yongnuo 560 II speed light, yongnuo controller and transceiver,should I want take the flash off camera.
 
My advice is to get there as early as you can , this will give you time to set the camera up.
Make a list of photos you defo must take, eg any presentations, groups
Then just try and make sure you get everybody at the party
 
Get to th party early and have a play with settings and see what looks best. Flash will be difficult as its manual, but depending on light levels it may be essential.
 
Use the 18-55, bounce the flash, shoot raw...I'd personally also shoot manual, set camera to f4-f8, 125/sec, adjust ISO as necessary and be mindful of your distance from the subjects so as to achieve good exposure. Does your flashgun have ettl?
 
Hmmm .... the only Party Shoots I've ever done have been for the party organisers brochure/website, concentrating on the venue, food, drink and general party atmosphere ... not the guests. Anyway ....

I'd take the 18-55 for wide angle group shots and the 50mm f1.8g for close-ups under low light, no flash at all.

Maybe capture guests arriving. Get some help to ask them to wait at the door while you take their pic. Maybe shoot on continuous release mode.

Think magazine society parties, capture small groups with their first drink full length portrait. Ask them to smile but not huddle together and pull faces ... there'll be plenty of that on mobile phones.

Once the night is under way think bokeh, close-ups of cocktails and odd things, lots of OOF BGs, long exposures of dancers ....

Good luck.
 
Thanks for all the responses, I think we can definitely agree on getting there early. Good thing the host wants me there early!! Party theme is 'Showbiz glitz and glamour'. There will be a red carpet for the guests to walk down, so there's my moment to get individual/couples pics of everyone (using the 50mm here would be best I think???)...

d00d said:
Get some help to ask them to wait at the door while you take their pic.
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Not a problem, the bouncer is my one of my best friends! :D

After this I can concentrate on the party shots, I prefer the natural/candid shots, so I'll have to get my stealth on!!
 
driver_wedge said:
Use the 18-55, bounce the flash, shoot raw...I'd personally also shoot manual, set camera to f4-f8, 125/sec, adjust ISO as necessary and be mindful of your distance from the subjects so as to achieve good exposure. Does your flashgun have ettl?
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No ETTL, rookie mistake when choosing and buying my first flash gun. But I've worked how to use it off camera in manual mode using the the wireless controller and transceiver.

Can anyone explain the difference between front and rear curtain sync?
 
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Sounds like this is going to be a bit of a fashion show (?)

If want full length portraits on the red carpet you'll probably need something wider than the 50mm. I would shoot these from the hip ... using your live view screen.
 
driver_wedge said:
Use the 18-55, bounce the flash, shoot raw...I'd personally also shoot manual, set camera to f4-f8, 125/sec, adjust ISO as necessary and be mindful of your distance from the subjects so as to achieve good exposure. Does your flashgun have ettl?
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Can I ask what you mean when you say, "bounce the flash"
 
Can I ask what you mean when you say, "bounce the flash"
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Really?

Oh well.....Point the flash head at the walls or ceiling as long as they are a neutral white, to soften and spread the light. Otherwise it may be too harsh.

I would suggest shooting everyone at the beginning before they are too drunk, then lock the camera away and enjoy a well earned drink!
 
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Yes, as Ian says. It also lights your subjects from above (when bouncing off the ceiling) which creates more natural dimension for facial features and skin tones, rather than a flat paparazzi style photo. In photographic terms, it increases the size of the light source (softer light) and direction of light (more natural, just like being outside and being lit by the sun). You do also need to turn the flash power up compared to direct flash.
 
Keen amature said:
yes really! I did say I was a beginner
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basically it means what it sounds like , bouncing the light off another surface so that you get indirect light , which is more diffuse and doesnt give you ugly shadows or red eye - you can point the head of the flashgun at a wall or ceiling , or use a bit of white or silver/gold card taped to the gun as a "bounce card" - you can also buy proffesionally made bounce cards.
(to do any of the above you need a flash gun with a head that pivots , sometimes also called a cobra head )

Also be aware that the light can pick up colours from the surface its bounced off , so gold will give a warmer light than silver... and its best to not bounce off red or green walls for obvious reasons.
 
JamieW said:
So I'm 8 days away from shooting my first party. My wife's best friends 40th. It's taking place in a club. So I'm after some tips on how to shoot the party, I've watched hours of YouTube videos, at least 2 hours tonight alone! I'm hoping some of you can give me some personal experiences and advice on camera set up and use of the flash?
Click to expand...


My advice is to go and enjoy the party ;). Failing that there is some great advice in this thread
 
big soft moose said:
basically it means what it sounds like , bouncing the light off another surface so that you get indirect light , which is more diffuse and doesnt give you ugly shadows or red eye - you can point the head of the flashgun at a wall or ceiling , or use a bit of white or silver/gold card taped to the gun as a "bounce card" - you can also buy proffesionally made bounce cards.
(to do any of the above you need a flash gun with a head that pivots , sometimes also called a cobra head )

Also be aware that the light can pick up colours from the surface its bounced off , so gold will give a warmer light than silver... and its best to not bounce off red or green walls for obvious reasons.
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Thank you for the explanation, really helpful. I have not got a flash gun yet but It is on my list.
 
Keen amature said:
Thank you for the explanation, really helpful. I have not got a flash gun yet but It is on my list.
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Don't rush out and buy one unless you need it. I remember having the urge, but now I hate using it and rarely do. I'd rather use my little cheap 50mm f/1.8 lens and make use of whatever available light there is. Sometimes you have no choice but to use flash though.
 
JamieW said:
It's taking place in a club
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Do they have exclusive paid use of the club or are they just going for a night out on a normal club night?

Either way check with the club first that it is OK for you to come and take pictures
 
A friend did something similar in a club with the D3200 and found it very difficult to lock focus. It is probably a wise idea to stick to the central focus point if this happens as it is the only cross-type point if I recall. I also seem to recall it is the only one that will light up the focus assist lamp which although irritating, it might be necessary. Don't be afraid to increase the iso high and use the camera in manual mode - this will stop the flash being overpowering. If the club is as dark as I expect then I'd stick with an aperture around f2-2.8 for 2 or possibly 3 people and f3.5-5.6 for more than that. Try pointing the flash in different directions to see what you like best - even a black wall will bounce some light. I personally don't think it is worth taking the flash off the camera in that location but feel free to experiment and ignore me! Also keep an eye on the lighting that is provided. People might end up slightly odd colours but it can help to get a feel for the atmosphere.
 
admirable said:
Here is a link to a tutorial in the tutorials section on the forum :)


https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/tutorials/second-curtain-flash-synchronisation.48/
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Whilst the tutorial explains when you'd use 2nd curtain for what it's intended for, it ignores the part that causes the friction.

Many people believe that by using 2nd curtain you 'stamp' the flash image 'on top of' the ambient image, this isn't true, the balance is about the relative brightness of both parts. For random movement there's no advantage to 2nd curtain sync. For me though, with ettl there's a massive disadvantage. If I'm using the flash with a long ss to capture random movement (dancing / moving lights) I want to pick my moment to expose the flash shot, based on a shape or facial expression. Using 2nd curtain, your subject will have moved before the flash fires, and you can't even see what you're capturing, this is made worse with ETTL because thy think you took the shot already when the pre-flash fired.
 
d00d said:
... sounds like good advice.

And I don't know if anyone can advise on Metering? I'd be inclined to say Matrix.
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Not too important, the ambient will be underexposed and usually guessed at depending on the effect required.
 
Keith W said:
Do they have exclusive paid use of the club or are they just going for a night out on a normal club night?

Either way check with the club first that it is OK for you to come and take pictures
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It's an exclusively paid venue, so all is good there.

Thanks for all the advice, tonight's the night, so batteries are charging and so is my brain! Hopefully I can post some shots in a day or two for some critique ;)
 
JamieW said:
It's an exclusively paid venue, so all is good there.

Thanks for all the advice, tonight's the night, so batteries are charging and so is my brain! Hopefully I can post some shots in a day or two for some critique ;)
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Jamie,
It would be wonderful to see some of your pictures from this party! :)
Cheers, John
 
I hope, if I've done this right, the following is a link to a few of the better pictures I took at the party...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131765843@N02/sets/72157651937976441/

There wasn't the busy packed dance floor that I was expecting. In fact there was limited dancing all night, so I had to work with that, and just try and capture some moments.
 
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I've discovered that its actually harder than I thought taking pictures in this very low light scenario. But it was my first time, and I'm pleased with enough of them to make it a decent first effort. I felt I learned a few things for next time also...win win!
 
Jamie,
Thanks for posting these fabulous pictures, everyone is having great fun! :banana:

In my limited experience, low light/bad light photography is the most challenging, and requiring the most from a lens/camera.

Cheers, John
 
Great job Jamie. I've done a little bit of nightclub photography for a friend and it can be a real challenge. You definitely pulled it off!
 
PS: Well done Jamie, great first attempt. I've got my second party on Wednesday - dark garden and no where to bounce flash - wish me luck! :D
 
Some great shots there, especially considering you had not done something similar before!
 
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Graham W said:
Look good to me. They come across as a crowd you'd like to get to know. :)
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Thanks, they are my family, and they love to party! :D

I am finding that focusing in this kind of low light is challenging. Using the focus assist light isn't perfect and also lets the subject know I'm photographing them, giving up the natural look.

As for this kind of photography, everyone wants a posed picture with their mates or family, but I love getting the candid moments, natural and showing everyone smiling because of their environment and not because I've poked a camera at them!!
 
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Because of my work on the first party, the woman who's party it was thinks I will be good enough to photo her wedding in.....Jamaica (woop woop!)....in 2017, two years more experience by then. :banana::woot:
 
JamieW said:
I am finding that focusing in this kind of low light is challenging. Using the focus assist light isn't perfect
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Switch off the auto focus and manually focus in such situations. The flash will still operate ok.

Most flash guns are useless beyond about 6/8 feet / 2-3 metres anyway due to the light drop off.

So get used to being able to judge that distance without the crutch of your camera.

That is usually two to three strides, practice it and measure your pace. ....... And you thought the photographer was just walking up to the group to arrange everyone? It has a dual use!

Of course your camera will tell you accurately, but a quick sense check never harms.
 
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