Camera for uses in Nightclubs

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Godmodeuk

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Hi, ive decided to get into Photography - I know nothing about it and im hoping you guys can help.

I want a camera for taking photographs in Nightclubs, when they are open and in full swing, i'll also be taking photos outside at night of the people queuing to get in them.

Because the camera will get knocked around abit plus I dont know how much im going to enjoy photography im going to probably get one off ebay. The likely hood it will be secondhand and somebody elses last camera as they have upgraded.

The pictures will probably be uploaded either onto a forum I create or onto the club's website that im doing this in.

I'd like something with a longish lens also.

Now my budget will be about 100 quid on ebay. Can you guys help ?

Thank you very much in advance
 
Starting from scratch £100 is a totally unrealistic budget for what you will need.

Also, why do you want a longish lens? You should be looking at something towards the wider end as it will allow you to show more of the room and capture the atmosphere better than just head shots taken from a distance.
 
Nicos Rex said:
Starting from scratch £100 is a totally unrealistic budget for what you will need.
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:agree:

You need a DSLR rather than a point-and-shoot if you want to take photographs in poor light.

Your absolute minimum budget will need to be about £300. Allow £150-£175 for a used DSLR body - something like a Canon 300D or 350D, or a Nikon D50 or D70. Plus you'll need a wide, fast lens and they aren't cheap. A 50mm f/1.8 is about £50, but it's not really wide enough - I think you'd struggle to pick up something wider that's still fast (e.g. 24mm or 28mm f/2.8) for less than £100, even used. Then you need batteries, memory cards, .... I think £300 might be a plausible minimum budget but that would still be really pushing it.
 
On top of all the above you will also need a flashgun as built in flash no matter how good does not give the facility for bounced flash and direct flash in a nightclub will guarantee horrible harsh shadows and ghastly washed out fleshtones.
 
Not a hope in hell for £100. Even £500 would be near impossible unless you've got the luck of the Irish at finding bargains on eBay.

The kit I use for club work comes in at around £3,000 (D700, 24-70mm f/2.9, SB800 + cards, batteries etc) although you can obviously get away with a lot less - but not £100.

Here's some samples from my gear:

rattsample03.jpg


rattsample04.jpg


rattsample06.jpg


My previous kit was a Fuji S3 Pro, 18-70mm DX kit lens and the SB800 which returned fairly good results so have a gander for second hand ones of that maybe.
 
Thanks for the responses so far, nice Armin pictures. Ive been giving this more thought this morning, and now after reading your replies ive decided to run it as a cash in hand business. Therefore my budget has gone up.

Im prepared to go higher, will I be able to buy the kit gradually or will i need everything at once ? Plus recommendations pls, 350-400 for the camera I think I could do

Thanks in advance again, plus that thread link was very useful - i will need guidance through to being able to begin photoing, len, bag/kit the works :D
 
Why does everyone want to get into Nightclub photography at the moment?

To do it properly, especially if your're going to be doing it to sell photos, you'll need decent kit, and lots of practise. You can't just jump in and wait for the cheques to roll in.
 
I know that Skiddle.com are touting for photographers at the moment, with the prerequisite of a 5Mp camera as a minimum. That said, all you get is free entry to the night in question for your work, so is it worth it??
 
Without wishing to pour cold water on your plans it seems to me that you are intending to embark on starting up a business with little or no idea of what is involved.

A photography business has two essential elements, the photography and the business.

You have made it abundantly clear that as far as the photography is concerned you have absolutely no idea as to what is required as far as equipment is concerned but more importantly that you also will not know what to do with it once you have it. You have been advised as to what the bare minimum would be and then ask if you can get it a bit at a time. This is not unlike asking if you can buy a car a bit at a time and then use it to run a taxi service while you learn to drive before you have got the engine!

Just about anybody can take a snap. This does not mean that just about anybody can take a photograph that other people will be prepared to pay for. Photography combines elements of art, science and craft and if any of these elements are deficient the final product will not be marketable.

You have not discussed your business plan in depth so we have no idea who your customers will be. Will you be selling to clubbers or to the clubs? How will you market your photographs? What is your projected revenue, cost of sales, fixed overheads, marketing budget etc etc? The capital budget for your equipment and startup can only be worked out once you have clear answers to all the above. If the potential for profit is there then you would not be trying to do it on a shoestring and would spend whatever it took to get your venture off the ground. (This is without getting into any discussion of your alarming statement about "cash in hand business" and the Revenue's attitude towards such enterprises)

As I said, I don't want to rain on your parade but it seems to me that you need to put an awful lot more thought into this before you go any further.

Rikki's images are indeed superb but these have clearly not come cheaply either in the equipment he uses or the time he has so obviously taken to develop his artistry and technique.
 
Ive ran my own business my friend, I'll also be getting web design business off the back of it, i have all adobe products also.

Im doing it to get free-entry, get to know the owners of all the locations where i want to go so I get treated like a vip, free beer and a free taxi home, and cash in my hand - and get laid. Theres alot init for me. So nobody needs worry about that ^^. I know what your geting at Nik, but ill be doing it to network and relax at weekends practicing in beauty spots, I pick things up pretty quickly - and with such a wealth of knowledge here, ill be basic-ok standard fairly quickly.

Look as its my first camera, I'll goto 500quid on the camera itself, plus in the meantime i'll be finding a torrentz for a e-course on basic photography....
 
Nothing to worry about then?? :lol: Oh yeh, you just need to learn how to take a proper photo!! :bonk: I also think for somebody who's run a business before, your initial start up costs for this venture are small at £100!!?? :cuckoo:

Do you know any half decent photographers who could accompany you on your first outing as that would be a massive advantage at the beginning?? Believe me, unless you are a genius or a very quick learner, your first few outings with your £100 camera are going to end up with the clubs asking for your beer & taxi money back from you!!! :D
 
Godmodeuk said:
Ive ran my own business my friend, I'll also be getting web design business off the back of it, i have all adobe products also.

Im doing it to get free-entry, get to know the owners of all the locations where i want to go so I get treated like a vip, free beer and a free taxi home, and cash in my hand - and get laid. Theres alot init for me. So nobody needs worry about that ^^
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Delighted to hear that you appear to have some idea as to what you are doing on the business side at least, although if you want to have any hope of getting decent pics then I would go steady on the free beer! ;)

Even so, I think that you are expecting a lot if you think that any club owner is going to give you anything for free unless you can demonstrate that you can deliver something of benefit to him which at the very least means a nodding familiarity with the basic techniques of the service you are proposing to offer. Likewise if you are unable to deliver on the photography I fail to see how you will be getting web design business off the back of it. Even if the images you produce are stunning most nightclubs have adequate websites already and most clubbers will be too busy having fun.

As for the rest, no matter how much one enjoys photography combining it with other pleasures alters that experience. When I go to a nightclub I want to enjoy loud music, bright lights and making a sweaty hairy nuisanse of myself on the dancefloor (I believe that what I like to call dancing is now considered at best anti-social behaviour and at worst outlawed under several international treaties :police:). All of these pleasures are not the same when seen through a camera viewfinder.

Where getting laid is concerned the only advantage having a camera in your hand confers is the almost automatic permission it gives you to talk to total strangers and tell them (up to a point) what to do - a benefit only if you struggle to talk to people you don't know which I suspect is possibly not a problem for you.
 
That fella in front on the first picture has got his camera facing the wrong way.. How long until he noticed I wonder... :bonk:
 
Godmodeuk said:
Im doing it to get free-entry, get to know the owners of all the locations where i want to go so I get treated like a vip, free beer and a free taxi home, and cash in my hand - and get laid.
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Its hard to quantify giving a genuine reply after reading that but to quote a fellow tog who's been doing club work as long as me "this game is f***'d". What he means by that is that due to things like Clubphotographer, Dontstayin, Tilllate and other similar places - clubs dont care about hiring or paying anyone when they can get similar results free of charge, and free publicity on those sites.

Even a daft compact held fairly still can yield good results when down sized to 400x300 pixels on most club websites or DSI.

I'm fortunate (as is my company) that we have built solid working relationships with our clients and not only supply photography but flyer design, marketing, online PR, skins for Bebo/MySpace, web design plus full video/film facilities. So when the whole package is looked at its a one stop shop and offers more to the client.

The video clips from the Armin gig for instance : http://www.vimeo.com/1862612
 
Nicos Rex said:
Delighted to hear that you appear to have some idea as to what you are doing on the business side at least, although if you want to have any hope of getting decent pics then I would go steady on the free beer! ;)

Even so, I think that you are expecting a lot if you think that any club owner is going to give you anything for free unless you can demonstrate that you can deliver something of benefit to him which at the very least means a nodding familiarity with the basic techniques of the service you are proposing to offer. Likewise if you are unable to deliver on the photography I fail to see how you will be getting web design business off the back of it. Even if the images you produce are stunning most nightclubs have adequate websites already and most clubbers will be too busy having fun.

As for the rest, no matter how much one enjoys photography combining it with other pleasures alters that experience. When I go to a nightclub I want to enjoy loud music, bright lights and making a sweaty hairy nuisanse of myself on the dancefloor (I believe that what I like to call dancing is now considered at best anti-social behaviour and at worst outlawed under several international treaties :police:). All of these pleasures are not the same when seen through a camera viewfinder.

Where getting laid is concerned the only advantage having a camera in your hand confers is the almost automatic permission it gives you to talk to total strangers and tell them (up to a point) what to do - a benefit only if you struggle to talk to people you don't know which I suspect is possibly not a problem for you.
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Deary me - anyway, ive got its covered. My intention of this thread is about equipment and where its being used, not my business personal plans - my own fault i guess. Back to that topic please, with my revised budget after your sound advice guys
 
Is this a wind-up? :thinking:
 
I'd look at something like a Tamron 18-50mm 2.8 or a 24mm prime for about £220, an external flash like a Speedlight 430EX (if you're looking at Canon) for £130 and a cheap body (again looking at Canon 300D or 350D) for around £200. That said, you're not getting a proper zoom lens if you went down those lines, but the kind of fast zoom you're probably after would probably run into 000's!
 
Canon 350D or 400D
Sigma 18-50 f2.8
Canon 430EX or Sigma flash

With canny secondhand buying you could probably get this for around £ 500 despite most people not agreeing with your motives for doing so. If you want VIP access you need to become a celebrity which could be easier than a good photographer.
 
Godmodeuk said:
Im doing it to get free-entry, get to know the owners of all the locations where i want to go so I get treated like a vip, free beer and a free taxi home, and cash in my hand - and get laid.
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I love your honesty God, but your coming across as a bit of an idiot at the moment and I really can't work out if you having a laugh with us or you are being genuine about this new business venture.
 
Its not a windup and thanks for your help. Ive read the forums a few times and been imperssed by the guidance and advice people here give - i couldnt really give a **** where people think ill be any good or not, I just want advice on equipment in that enviroment. I know some of you purest think its a fine art, and thats up to you - i couldnt give a **** about that either. I just want the advice, if im good or not's my problem not yours.

Any more advice on equipment ?

Im not an idiot, im about to venture a considerable some of money into something ive been toying around with doing for a while. I know nothing about it, thats all. Is this not the part the forum where I get advice or not ?

If you cant answer the question ive posed, maybe try another thread, thanks for looking
 
Godmodeuk said:
Im doing it to get free-entry

most likely happen but you have to show you can provide then with the shots first

get to know the owners of all the locations where i want to go so I get treated like a vip

not goign to happen, they will treat you like an employee and nothing more

free beer

they are not going to get you drunk while you are working and even after they are not going to give you beer

free taxi home

only if your dad picks you up

cash in my hand

what as well as the free beer, free taxi home and free entry

and get laid.

only if by gettign laid do you mean going home looking up porn and bashing one off
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PMSL you have no ****** chance at all TBH :cuckoo:
 
Godmodeuk said:
Its not a windup and thanks for your help. Ive read the forums a few times and been imperssed by the guidance and advice people here give - i couldnt really give a **** where people think ill be any good or not, I just want advice on equipment in that enviroment. I know some of you purest think its a fine art, and thats up to you - i couldnt give a **** about that either. I just want the advice, if im good or not's my problem not yours.

Any more advice on equipment ?

Im not an idiot, im about to venture a considerable some of money into something ive been toying around with doing for a while. I know nothing about it, thats all. Is this not the part the forum where I get advice or not ?

If you cant answer the question ive posed, maybe try another thread, thanks for looking
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And that's not the way to get good advice! :nono::rules:

What people have been telling you here is generally true. You appear to want to sink good money into something you openly admit you know nothing about. If you didn't want advice about the business side, why didn't you just ask about the best equipment for club photography rather that blathering on about how you were going to do it as a business and get treated as a VIP and get laid.

If I was to start a thread saying I know nothing about photography but want to buy a camera for £100 and start a wedding photography business, I would expect to be well and truly put in my place.

BTW, anyone know the best camera to buy for weddings for under £50? :naughty:
 
fabs said:
And that's not the way to get good advice! :nono::rules:

What people have been telling you here is generally true. You appear to want to sink good money into something you openly admit you know nothing about. If you didn't want advice about the business side, why didn't you just ask about the best equipment for club photography rather that blathering on about how you were going to do it as a business and get treated as a VIP and get laid.

If I was to start a thread saying I know nothing about photography but want to buy a camera for £100 and start a wedding photography business, I would expect to be well and truly put in my place.

BTW, anyone know the best camera to buy for weddings for under £50? :naughty:
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Howsabout this!!
disposable-wedding-camera_2436_r.jpg
:D
 
Someone's offering an Sony Alpha 100 camera on the classifieds for not much cash, add a Minolta 50mm 1.7 from ebay and the cheapest Sony 36Am flash or a Minolta 3600Hs Flash with a diffuser and you have a starting system for less than £300.

After that all you need to do is practice and I'm sure life will be a blur of non stop VIP treatment, free beer, cabs home and hot and cold running poonani.
:thumbs:
 
Not sure on the cold poonani (never was much for necrophilia) but the rest sounds great :D
 
i would hold up on the planning side of your photography business untill you got the equipment and you know how to work it, because you don't wanna get to these venues a shoot off a load of duds and have nothing to show the people paying you.

i think its great that your very enthusiastic about it but you got to understand things arnt always quite like you want/imagine them to be, but 100% pursue it dude and you'll probly get somewhere.

good luck
 
hank_marvin said:
i would hold up on the planning side of your photography business untill you got the equipment and you know how to work it, because you don't wanna get to these venues a shoot off a load of duds and have nothing to show the people paying you.

i think its great that your very enthusiastic about it but you got to understand things arnt always quite like you want/imagine them to be, but 100% pursue it dude and you'll probly get somewhere.

good luck
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Thanks for the kind comment.

Yea im aware of the issues that duds could provide with larger venues, once I get to a certain level i'll be going to small venues which I dont wish to pursue and do freebies for the experience of the different conditions - and I wont be ******ing on my own doorstep while I practice.

Once I commit to something im 110%, so thats why im bullish (plus im a salesperson so its in my nature). Im going to keep a log of my progress once I this research through to purchase, then my progress. In the meantime this weekend ill be investigating all the camera options/read reviews etc to assist my decision and will purchase on payday Novembers 30th.

I may publish my log and progression as I take photos in different venues, and maybe anyone interested can comment on my progress I reach a reasonable level.

Could be quite interesting :D
 
on the cold poonani note..

there was a young man called dave, who dug up a prostitutes grave, she was mouldy as s**t and missing a tit but think of the money he saved.
 
I wonder if I can start a Karate training centre. I dont know anything about it but all I need is a white bath robe and the cheques will come piling in, right?
 
Godmodeuk said:
Could be quite interesting :D
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Indeed, remember to post some examples of your shots on here too, remember to ask for constructive critisism.

I wish you well and hope the owners of the clubs you've used whilst building your experience don't talk to the larger ones about the quality of your work before you have had the chance to improve; it is a small sector and they often share details, especially on people they don't like (e.g. drug dealers, poor DJs, rouge doormen etc.).
 
SimonTALM said:
Indeed, remember to post some examples of your shots on here too, remember to ask for constructive critisism.

I wish you well and hope the owners of the clubs you've used whilst building your experience don't talk to the larger ones about the quality of your work before you have had the chance to improve; it is a small sector and they often share details, especially on people they don't like (e.g. drug dealers, poor DJs, rouge doormen etc.).
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Thanks for the positive comment, I would like to map my progress and if anyones interested, make it available. 500 quid commitment for a newbie I think is significant, and shows commitment - When I buy from ebay i'll post the purchased links, as the start of my log. Im very disappointed with some of the comments in this post, I have the drive and ambition to get what I want....I can learn Photography, these people cant learn drive or ambition. Would have thought i'd have been accepted with open arms, althought it doesnt bother me to see the negative comments in this thread, not all newbies are as positive thinking as me and some people need to shutup. I dont want to hear them digging themselves out the hole theyve dug by being so negative to me. Somebody mentioned that I might look like an idiot, I dont think im one of the people that has made themselves look like an idiot - I know what results I get when I photograph a mirror, maybe they arent using their camera correctly
 
Godmodeuk said:
Thanks for the positive comment, I would like to map my progress and if anyones interested, make it available. 500 quid commitment for a newbie I think is significant, and shows commitment - When I buy from ebay i'll post the purchased links, as the start of my log. Im very disappointed with some of the comments in this post, I have the drive and ambition to get what I want....I can learn Photography, these people cant learn drive or ambition. Would have thought i'd have been accepted with open arms, althought it doesnt bother me to see the negative comments in this thread, not all newbies are as positive thinking as me and some people need to shutup. I dont want to hear them digging themselves out the hole theyve dug by being so negative to me. Somebody mentioned that I might look like an idiot, I dont think im one of the people that has made themselves look like an idiot - I know what results I get when I photograph a mirror, maybe they arent using their camera correctly
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you came onto this forum asking for help as you (i quote)"decided to get into Photography - I know nothing about it and im hoping you guys can help."

all the majority of people did was provide advice both on kit and what you were aiming to do (i.e nightclub photography) for the majority of those prividing information you've stuck two fingers up at them and then you wonder why you get so many negative comments, thats how life works.

maybe you will make a go of it, but people as well as suggesting kit commented about the ins and outs of photographing within the environment you mentioned and that its quite a difficult subject matter to get right to make a go of in a business sense.

but hey you appear to know more about something which you know nothing about (quoting yourself at the top of the page) than many people (including those that do infact make money out of and work in that field) who have more grounding do, so ill leave that be.

one last thing...
Godmodeuk said:
I know what results I get when I photograph a mirror
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go on explain the results you get when you photograph a mirror.....
 
whitewash said:
you came onto this forum asking for help as you (i quote)"decided to get into Photography - I know nothing about it and im hoping you guys can help."

all the majority of people did was provide advice both on kit and what you were aiming to do (i.e nightclub photography) for the majority of those prividing information you've stuck two fingers up at them and then you wonder why you get so many negative comments, thats how life works.

maybe you will make a go of it, but people as well as suggesting kit commented about the ins and outs of photographing within the environment you mentioned and that its quite a difficult subject matter to get right to make a go of in a business sense.

but hey you appear to know more about something which you know nothing about (quoting yourself at the top of the page) than many people (including those that do infact make money out of and work in that field) who have more grounding do, so ill leave that be.

one last thing...


go on explain the results you get when you photograph a mirror.....
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"decided to get into Photography - I know nothing about it and im hoping you guys can help." you arent - some people have been positive, your not, we wont speak again...Your not helping, go away....

IMO your problem is similar to many people on many different types of forums, you think this is your domain, your backyard....but it isnt. Its a place for people to exchange info on a topic. Now ive raided it precisely (too which I give thanks to the people that have contributed), got my info in under 12 posts and will now pursue photography with a passion. People like you dont like that, that ive raided and there actually people within a Photography forums that actually want to assist people reach their goals. Sorry about that, shame it took you 2k+ post to work that out...from a newbie. Try myspace, you might have put work into to photography, or maybe your some forum ***** - you wouldnt be the first.

Be that as it may, the proof is in the pudding....ill tell you this though, while your working on postcount, ill be working hard to be a photographer.

dont post in my thread again
 
I think.....


deleted -









I think you need a rest from forums, they are gonna say things you don't want to hear.
 
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