First 'gig' - need some 'ping' first!

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silverJON

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Jonathan
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I've been asked to do a paid gig! It's a formal dinner and ball for a university society, with an 'award ceremony' theme, and my job is to pretend to be a paparazzo and snap people as they come in from behind a barrier.

My kit is: Pentax K100D, Vivitar 285 flash, 18-55mm, 50/1.4, manual focus Vivitar 28-70/3.9-4.8.

I'm quite prepared to do this - set 18-55 to f8 (sharpest), use top sync speed, and set flash output for best histogram - but I'm bothered that my flash photos lack something. They all seem to be a bit beige and flat - and yes, I play with the white balance and always run Auto Levels, and this isn't just with direct flash - in fact, flash bounced off the ceiling makes everyone look distinctly magnolia.

So:
I can make everything look totally flat with onboard flash,
I can give people heavy shadows and hot spots and make the scene look shallow by using direct external flash,
or make people the same colour as the walls and risk underexposure with bounced flash (if I run out of flash power).

To get an idea of what I mean, please flick through this album:
http://imperial.facebook.com/album.php?aid=70603&l=02d4d&id=222406270
(Facebook shrinks and compresses photos until there's all of 60KB of artifacty blurry jpg left. I hope you'll forgive me... it's most convenient this way and still illustrates my intentions. I can repost if it's inaccessible.)

They're all taken with the 285 during a pleasant house party, mostly with the 18-55, everything totally manual.

Please tell me what would help make my flash photos look more like the paps'!

Thanks :)
 
OK - here are a couple of examples:

Harsh light from direct flash
direct1.jpg


An OK shot where the flash was bounced off the ceiling
bounced1.jpg


Yellowing due to flash bouncing off ceiling
bounced2.jpg


I suppose I'm asking for a critique really :)

Thanks

Jonathan
 
Your bounce flash stuff looks just fine to me. If you shoot raw the colour balance is not an issue. If you shoot jpeg, it's still not a big problem.

bounced2.jpg


Opened in PS, auto colour and closed. Looks OK to me, perhaps the time spent making a final adjustment may be worth it to you.

If you're there to do pap stuff, you are documenting the event and it's actually more about substance over style.

Of course if it's a big place you may not be able to bounce the flash anyway.
 
Ah, forgot my auto levels there - thanks Dazzajl. I suppose that would fix a colour cast from bouncing.

I was just thinking that they still look like snaps, and I don't know how to bridge the gap between my flash shots and the sort of flash shots that good wedding togs take.

Is it about flash diffusion? ...or a more modern flash, or a better lens (given the Pentax kit lens is often sharp enough for me and the 50/1.4 certainly is)?

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o38/mistydawnphoto/MDP_9290.jpg is an example of an amazing shot I'd like to be able to aim for :)
 
Could you get an off-shoe cord for the flash so you can light the subject from the side a little and add some shadow to the facial features?
 
an example of an amazing shot I'd like to be able to aim for
Click to expand...

Looks pretty usual to me. To get your shots to look more like that one....

Keep the subject away from the wall behind, so you don't get shadows. Well that should take care of itself in a large room.

Try getting the shutter speed down a bit so that the camera picks up more ambient light and shows more of the setting.

Softening the light from the flash as best as you can. I use a lightsphere thingy and whilst it's little more than an overpriced yoghurt pot, is does work really well.

Take some bubbles with you. ;)
 
Thanks for the advice markp, dazzajl - all will be taken on board: even the bubbles!

I was thinking of softening the flash with an upright sheet of foam and a rubber band, rather than a commercial thingie like a Lightsphere or Sto-fen.

Shutter speed of about 1/30, I suppose?

I'm also heavily eyeing the AF400FTZ as a Pentax flash I can use for its versatility and AF-assist (even though it's P-TTL incompatible).

OK - now I come to the second part of my question. I can take photos - it doesn't take a genius to learn when to press what buttons and where to stand - but there's a human side to portrait/paparazzi photography too, and I don't really know what to do.

I'll be standing where people come in and catching them by surprise, but I imagine I'll be going around the hall and shooting while people have dinner, too.

Is there a way to get everyone to look up and smile, rather than just pointing a camera and saying, "oi, over 'ere"? How do I get a quick, natural, pleasing reaction from people?

I reckon I've just opened a huge can of worms and that the answer to my question wouldn't fit in a book, but
any tips, or redirections to relevant articles, would be brilliant!

Thanks :)
 
...seeing as there haven't been any replies,

is my question OK? How can I improve it and get some?
 
silverJON said:
...seeing as there haven't been any replies,

is my question OK? How can I improve it and get some?
Click to expand...

I have done 2 jobs like yours. One was at a Football Social Club and the other was a friends anniversary party.

What I tended to do was (after the entry "hello" photos when everyone was arriving) go to the bar and just litterally make conversation with people getting their first drinks etc. Something along the lines of "Hi im Dave im taking the photos tonight so if you see me about dont worry im not a stalker just give me a smile!!"

It actually broke the ice and before I knew it I had people asking me for photos and also as they knew who I was they became comfortable with me and my big lens walking around!

Depending on your style, you may not want them looking at your camera but youll find that you'll get the shots. Its nice to have a mix after all!!

Each to their own though!

SB
 
shrimperblue said:
I have done 2 jobs like yours. One was at a Football Social Club and the other was a friends anniversary party.

What I tended to do was (after the entry "hello" photos when everyone was arriving) go to the bar and just litterally make conversation with people getting their first drinks etc. Something along the lines of "Hi im Dave im taking the photos tonight so if you see me about dont worry im not a stalker just give me a smile!!"

It actually broke the ice and before I knew it I had people asking me for photos and also as they knew who I was they became comfortable with me and my big lens walking around!

Depending on your style, you may not want them looking at your camera but youll find that you'll get the shots. Its nice to have a mix after all!!

Each to their own though!

SB
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips! Generally speaking, I get worried people think I am a stalker. An occupational hazard of stalking, I suppose:p

My kit lens and whatever flash I use won't be particularly big and impressive, but I'll at least put a hood on for effect ;)
 
andrewc said:
I'd try and use the prime. If you've got a reflector, maybe you could use that to bounce light towards the subject.
Click to expand...

AFAIK there's a ceiling that's not stupidly high. I plan to rubber-band a sheet of white foam round the upright flash, which I think will bounce if there's a ceiling and diffuse forwards anyway.

Use my 50mm? I'd like to be able to get group shots... 50mm (APS-C) always feels like such a small FOV. Would it be for low DOF, or will there be a decent difference in quality under flash light? (The Pentax kit lens is bloody impressive, not 'consumer' at all, at f/8)

Thanks:wave:
 
I did what sounds like a similar job not too long ago. I'd echo what shrimperblue says about just talking to the guests, be friendly, be yourself (if yourself is a friendly person ;) ). My most used lens on the night was a nifty-fifty (on a 1.6 crop). IMO you really need to get as fast a lens as possible in these places, for throwing out the background, and so that your photos aren't lit solely by flash.

I don't know what the place is like, but if there's a nice area outside / fancy enterance hall, etc. You could get couple's to pose for you (I know you've been asked to do the pap bit too) as like a 'red carpet' bit, dead easy, and boosts your confidence for the night ahead by starting with some solid shots.

Take a tripod too, take some nice long exposures of the whole room while people are sat eating. Much better than running around sticking your camera in people's faces when they're trying to enjoy dinner.

PS. Most of all; have fun! and it'll show in your work.
 
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