Help with nightclub photography

Mark-Anthony

Mark-Anthony

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Hi all

I'm the resident photographer for a bar in my local town. A very busy bar but has terrible lighting. Last week I had a girl bump Into me and my camera hasn't been the same.

I've since changed the settings on my camera and my lens still focuses etc but I'm new to club photography with a dslr.

I'm using a nikon d60 with a nikon sb25 flash gun and a 18-135 af-s lens.

I have these settings, can someone tell me where I'm going wrong?

Shutter at 1/30
Apperature f3.5
Iso 200
Matrix metering
Spot focusing
Flash ex comp 0

It seems when focusing on people it says "subject is too dark" and won't actually fire the pic unless I use manual focus

Auto focus won't focus on them in the dark areas of the club

What am I doing wrong?
 
Can you posts an example of before when things were working properly and one from now when your having issues, will the full exif intact and then we can have a look to see what has changed

The focus issue to me sounds like you've changed a setting that has disabled the AF Assist lamp on the flash that enables your camera to focus in the dark, the exposure issue not sure but it could be that the power of the flash has been turned down...

Working the club and entertainment sector, some of which involves club photography, sorry to sound blunt, but you need to get to know your camera, more, your always going to get knocked, or have some drunk want to handle your camera when seeing the photo, as a result you need to know how to dial in the required settings, not to mention you need to be able to set up to cover the venue in changing condiditions, it really sounds like you don't know your kit very well at all :shake:

edit: you may also find this very good thread to be of a lot of use http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=268784

Matt
MWHCVT
 
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Yup, sounds like your AF assist got knocked off somehow. Go through the menu, probably in custom settings, and turn the focus assist light on. Also, if you choose continuous servo AF, manual Focus, Sport Scene and landscape modes, the AF assist light will not turn on. Use AF-S, use the center focus point, aperture priority mode,with the assist light on, and you should be good to go.
 
Is your focus assist light on? I used to use a D40x, now assigned to IR, at it was terrible at AF in dark rooms even with the focus assist light on! The D60 was just a small step up the ladder from the D40x and probably has the same issue. May be time to think about upgrading to a body that can cope with the surroundings that you are working in.
 
Buy a better flash - get an sb600. It has a light that projects a grid that helps autofocus far better than the naff illumination built into the camera.


Shoot at iOS 800, not iso 200, to save flash power so you get faster recycle, and get more of the ambience and background in the shot.
 
Make sure you haven't got AF-C set either, as this will disable the AF Assist (well, it used to) on my D40 when I used to a little bit of club photography
 
cheers guys. I am definately thinking of getting a second body. was looking at the d3100 or if funds allow the d5100 but not sure how they are

william, the focus light is on but I did also try the af-c button instead.

I also found out by the bar owner that on that night he had turned all lights off except the bar. the club was pitch black.
 
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