party togging (help)

Matt L

Matt L

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Matt
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appologies if this isn't the correct area (should really know by now tbh).

but im at a halloween party up at liverpool with the girlfriend so want to take some pictures for them (only while we are in their uni flats as im not taking the camera out into town) but will the standard flash be up for the job? i do have a flash gun but its just one that stops on full power :lol: so ideally dont want to use that.

any general tips for party photography?

and also seen as saturday will be recovering anyone recomend any good places to take photos around liverpool (hopefully gf will show me some good places but just incase)

thanks matt
 
Depends on the setting and how dark it is really.

You dont say what gear yuo've got, but I'm guessing an SLR with inbuilt flash.

For my party stuff, I use an external Canon 580 EXII flash. My 1D doesn't have an internal flash so that's not an option. I'm sure you'll get some pretty cool pics with the internal flash anyway, but being closer to the axis of the lens you might get more red-eye than using an external flash that is generally higher up and further from the lens axis.

Some tips:

Dont just bash away in Auto mode. Try using Manual mode, set the shutter speed to what you want (e.g. 1/100th or 1/80th to get some stillness in the scene), then set the aperture so the image is underexposed by a stop or two. If you cant open the lens aperture up any more, increase the ISO to acheive this. The flash will then fill in your subject quite nicely.

The advantage of this method is that you can still see the background details of the party and you dont get an overly "flashed" looking scene with just the subjects glaring out brightly against a black/nondescript background.

Whilst you are at it, go into Shutter priority, set the shutter to 1 sec, 1/2 or 1/4 sec, and set the flash to 2nd curtain sync (assuming you can do so). Then take pics again using the "expose enough to make it visible" technique above and the flash will then go off at the end of the exposure, capturing smears of cool movement with the subject then frozen by the flash at the end.

You may be restricted by the noisyness of your ISO at higher levels. In this case, you're a bit stuffed and just go with Program or Auto mode and have a laugh.

Oh - also get in really close. And smile a lot so people dont feel threatened by you. In my case I end up with loads of people posing for me, acting up and generally interacting really well and a lot of that is down to you taking part and having the right attitude.
 
To illustrate:

2nd curtain sync example
401061640_4Myao-M.jpg
 
Please excuse my stupidity, but how does underexposing the scene by a stop or two bring out detail in the background? I understand the reasoning - having a photo with more detail in the background rather than just a ghostly white face in the foreground, but I just don't understand why that technique works. :)
 
Shoot at a lower shutterspeed, say, 1/10.

Also bring the ISO up to about 800ish.

And always shoot wide open (lowest f/ number for your lens).
 
Seeing as it's Halloween the red eye might look quite scary and appropriate:D

Sorry can't offer anything constructive!!
 
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