Beginner Using flash in Chuch Hall?

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jason
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I'm Photographing a friends evening wedding reception in small church hall. It will be around 8pm next week.
Usual reception frivolities, disco, buffet, that sort of thing.
Its not an important job, just doing it as a favour and some practice for me.
I'm using a Nikon D7200, and have at my disposal;
35mm prime F1.8
50mm prime F1.8 (old manual)
Sigma 17-70mm F2.8 - 4
Tamron 11-16mm F2.8
Nikon 80-200mm F2.8 (manual)
Youngou 560 flash

The flash has a small white sock type cover/diffuser, and a hard plastic opaque cover. I also have some flash gels of different colours.
I will be taking some posed shots outside the church hall which don't faze me as its good lighting and background.
The only things I really need to know are

For outside group posed shots in a line or in a layered group, best Aperture settings and anything else that may produce excellent results? .

Best lens and how to use the flash in the church Hall for candid shots.

If I'm taking shots at a distance using the 80-200, do I still need to use the flash or will it be useless?
 
There's a lot of wedding pros on here that can answer much better, but for the larger group shots you will probably be at 5.6 or F8 - depending on your distance from them and FL used, you can get away with wider aperture with wider angles and some distance, allowing some room to crop in post.

On the flash, you should be bouncing it, so it will work even for the 80-200.
 
Outside groups depend what you want. I normally go for them all in a line. Usually at 1.4 on the 35 or 1.8 on a 85mm.

For inside shots you may need to use bounce flash but it’ll probs still be light enough to get away without it if you shoot with the primes.
 
I was planning on fast shutter speeds to capture the action for candid shots but looking at examples, most flash photography is at low speeds. 1/100th sec with ISO cranked up. Is this the best way of going about things? I thought high ISO will introduce noise?
I'm looking at staying between F1.8 and Max F4. Possibly F8 for group shots.
 
I was planning on fast shutter speeds to capture the action for candid shots but looking at examples, most flash photography is at low speeds. 1/100th sec with ISO cranked up. Is this the best way of going about things? I thought high ISO will introduce noise?
I'm looking at staying between F1.8 and Max F4. Possibly F8 for group shots.
We use higher iso’s and slower shutter speeds to capture some of the ambient light, avoiding the ‘cave’ look that the snapshot brigade produce. And under exposure causes noise more than high ISO’s
The ISO isn’t high enough to produce noticeable noise, but remember customers aren’t judging the chroma noise, they judge how nice they look. The flash duration gives your sharpness.

And for the non flash shots remember:
You can sell noisy shots, you can’t sell blurry ones,
 
Great advice that Phil. Thanks.
I had a recce last night and the garden for the pre-wedding shots looks nice with the sun directly behind the photographer (if weather is good). The church hall is painted white and she will be having lots of fairy lights etc so should be nice for some bokeh backgrounds.
 
Great advice that Phil. Thanks.
I had a recce last night and the garden for the pre-wedding shots looks nice with the sun directly behind the photographer (if weather is good). The church hall is painted white and she will be having lots of fairy lights etc so should be nice for some bokeh backgrounds.

Sun behind the photographer will have everyone squinting.
 
Sun behind the photographer will have everyone squinting.
This^
In the old days of slowish film and non coated lenses the ‘sun over your shoulder’ was great advice.
Now it’s the opposite

IVF had grandmas at weddings tell me I’m doing it wrong cos their old compact camera can’t deal with shooting into the light.
 
I don't think the sun will be making much of an appearance on Saturday by the looks of it. At least we wont be half in shadow due to a large tree in the corner of the garden which could make for poor portraits.
 
This^
In the old days of slowish film and non coated lenses the ‘sun over your shoulder’ was great advice.
Now it’s the opposite

IVF had grandmas at weddings tell me I’m doing it wrong cos their old compact camera can’t deal with shooting into the light.

Perfect way to spoil uncle bobs photos
 
Perfect way to spoil uncle bobs photos

I've always found this to be a major bonus :D

I try to shoot my groups on a 50 or 85 mm now, so standing a fair way off, and f4 is normally enough DoF given the distance for me

I rarely use flash at speeches now, but when I do (1st dance especially) i tend to bounce it in whatever direction will give something close to short-lighting on whoever is the main subject, so I can be swinging it left/right quicker at times - for the Op's use though, bounce it anywhere where it looks nice enough and it'll be fine :)

Have fun

Dave
 
I've always found this to be a major bonus :D

I try to shoot my groups on a 50 or 85 mm now, so standing a fair way off, and f4 is normally enough DoF given the distance for me

I rarely use flash at speeches now, but when I do (1st dance especially) i tend to bounce it in whatever direction will give something close to short-lighting on whoever is the main subject, so I can be swinging it left/right quicker at times - for the Op's use though, bounce it anywhere where it looks nice enough and it'll be fine :)

Have fun

Dave

I love doing 85mm group shots when space permits. Normally at 1.8 though
 
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