Indoor Photography!

Aj photography

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Aimee
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Ok so i am a student photographer and i am still only learning so go gentle with me :P

I am doing my final summer show in the next few weeks and im doing a project on leisure and ive been taking some pictures of people ballroom dancing and martial arts training, but the issues ive been having are lighting!!!
It is soo dark in both locations, my tutor wants us to shoot at 200 ISO so good quality prints are produced for the show, and i dont want to really use a flash as i want the shots to look natural and more candid and i dont want the subjects to feel self conscious but due to the nature of the activities if shooting to get the light right im getting blur!!! argh!! any advice?!?!?

Thanks!
 
Accept the blur and use it as a feature of the photos? Ensure you use a tripod.

If you can't up the ISO, up the lighting or use a bigger aperture, then I can't see how else you will get a shorter shutter speed.

You can use a higher ISO than 200 and get good results. Again, I would guess you can use the grainy nature of higher ISO to artistic effect?
 
Thanks Mike!!

For my last exhibition I shot on a 400 and the results were perfectly fine! My tutor is ott with the technical side of photography and that seems to come before the creative side of it! I might just do what i want to get pictures that Im happy with, just causes me more grief!

Camera is set on the largest aperture at the moment, but think ill just have to up it like you say!
 
since your tutor is 'supposed' to know and understand the subject - or so you would hope... surly he should be able to understand its not possible to shoot at 200 iso in the conditions you describe and acheave the results you want.

Compromises must be made, and without flash you dont have much choice unless you want to go for the 'blury' effect - which can look quite nice!

I would expect your tutor to understand this to be honest... its not good enough on his/her part to say it must be under 200 iso.
 
I'd be inclined to take the shots in the way you feel you can achieve them, and then explain to your tutor the reason behind your choices. not enough light, couldn't get the type of shot with the suggested settings etc etc - if he's a decent tutor he will probably be pretty chuffed that you got the shots and were able to explain the reasons behind your choices. after all, it's all about learning and development isn't it?
 
I'd be inclined to take the shots in the way you feel you can achieve them, and then explain to your tutor the reason behind your choices. not enough light, couldn't get the type of shot with the suggested settings etc etc - if he's a decent tutor he will probably be pretty chuffed that you got the shots and were able to explain the reasons behind your choices. after all, it's all about learning and development isn't it?

Agree with all that
 
thank you so much guys!!! you've been a real help!!!! think ill contact the people and see if i can pop down and take some more pictures the way youve described and fingers crossed they come out ok!!!

Thank you!!!
 
call him a ****** and push some delta 3200

your course your show right?

MASSIVE caveat - if he marks it ignore the above, otherwise shoot how you think it should be shot and if it works you deserve the marks ;)
 
Aimee, I agree with the preceeding comments. A lot depends on your camera's higher iso ability. Why not do some test shots at 400 and even 8oo iso and show them to tutor for approval. Your subjects might work well in black and white which would deal with chroma noise at least and a 35mm or 50mm f1.8 lens would really sort things enabling you to defocus the inevitable messy backgrounds into the bargain.

Good luck

John
 
Aimee, I agree with the preceeding comments. A lot depends on your camera's higher iso ability. Why not do some test shots at 400 and even 8oo iso and show them to tutor for approval. Your subjects might work well in black and white which would deal with chroma noise at least and a 35mm or 50mm f1.8 lens would really sort things enabling you to defocus the inevitable messy backgrounds into the bargain.

Good luck

John

I was assuming film from the way he refers to prints, but if it is digi then go for it if you're in exe before and after this gig I'll chuck you a 5d2 or a 1d3 depending on what you want also an 85/1.8 :p
 
I was assuming film from the way he refers to prints, but if it is digi then go for it if you're in exe before and after this gig I'll chuck you a 5d2 or a 1d3 depending on what you want also an 85/1.8 :p

wow!!!! i said im a student!!!! plus im new!!! can i have that in english :p

working in digi btw
 
digi, rape the iso it'll be fine :p

I was offering you to borrow my 5d mark 2 or 1d mark 3 (both reasonably new canon pro bodies) for the show along with a fast prime if you were in the vicinity if exeter to pick it up ;)

What I said above about delta 3200 and pushing refers to film and processing.

I'm a student too :wave:
 
I love this place. Everyone is always so eager to help .:)
 
awww thank you so much david!!!! thats really helpful!!! im not sure im gunna have time to pop down before the deadline to grab the camera from you, but ill see if i can wiggle it in!!! so where are you studying??? ( v jealous btw, your the same age as me but have AMAZING cameras!!!!)
 
they call it a student loan :p

if I wasn't mid exams (and amazingly skint) I'd pop up and play.

I'm doing a pointless engineering degree at exeter uni while I learn to be a photographer, guessing you're on a photography course?
 
grrr soo not fair!!! cant wait for mine to come through!!!

awww well pop up when you want and we can have a play!!! always love going out to take pics!!!

yep on a national foundation diploma in photo media for a year before im off to newport in sept to do a ba hons in documentary photography! cant wait!!!

so how did you end up doing a engineering degree but being a photographer!!?!?!
( and a good one too judging from your website!!)
 
I'm also just finishing a pointless 3 years doing an Illustration degree... if only I could turn back time lol
 
well when I chose it, photography was a hobby and I had a 400d, over the past 2 years I have grown soooooooooo much as a photographer it is unreal. If I had my time over it'd be a commercial photography degree, but **** it I'm in a part of the country I love with a degree ticking over and building career plans that don't rely on my final exams.

I feel ya Rob ;)

Well next time I'm in Bristol waiting for a connection I'll give you a bell?

Cheers for the compliment on the site, I hate the way it displays my images atm, I feel it shows only my weekest ones :(
 
well thats sucks, im glad that i took my year out before i did my nfd now to decide that i wanted to do photography and ive now got my degree lined up in the subject i love!! (sorry guys not to rub it in!!!)

yea thats fine ill send you a message in a sec with my number in so if your ever around give me a shout!!!!

well that makes me feel even worse then if thats your weekest images!!!! argh!!! and your not even studying photography!!! not fair!!!!
 
well some amazing stuff is on there but like the group shots are event work which has never really hit the level of my personal work because the lighting setups have to be the same for everyone and have to have a fair bit of wiggle room in

If you can live like a pikey then by the end of your first year your student loan will be mostly kit :p Spose the downside of a uni that does photography means the photographic jobs are harder to get, but give them a go as it means you learn to work to a brief and gets you thinking.

most importantly have photographer mates cos then you shoot socially and compete and push harder to learn :D
 
Aimee, if your tutor expects you to shoot moving people indoors at ISO 200 they are an ****! The only way you could do it is to use more light to get the shutter speed up and if that is not an option then something has to give. As the saying goes "Ye cannae change the laws of physics" Not even for a tutor!

So either you shoot somewhere with stage lighting and a crew or you up that ISO.

I get perfectly acceptable results for large prints at ISO 1600 so while I can appreciate your tutor asking you to shoot as low ISO as possible, to ascribe an arbitrary level of 200 is unrealistic unless you are shooting static subjects in which case I'd agree :)
 
He he thank you Ali!! I know he expects the impossible from us!!! i went to an exhibition by simon roberts last week and bought the book and he was criticizing the images in the book!!! and thats a professional photographer!!! so i dont stand a chance!!!

David, yea, hopefully once i get to uni i will be able to do that and get a bit of friendly competition going!!! i feel like im always photographing the same things though!!!
 
don't put yourself down that much, professionals work to the same laws of physics and more importantly usually work to a very tight timetable, you have sooooooo much more control

Setting unobtainable goals is a teaching method, cos the best pupils do their dammedest to reach them surpassing what they would do if the goal was more reasonable. Can work, creates very high pressure enviroments. Not the way I teach, but I tutor people that have problems with the subject not the best pupils :D
 
hmmm fair point!!! not though of it like that before!!! spose im one of those pupils *** he p**ses me off sooo much i then do my damnedest to prove him wrong!! lol
 
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