I've decided to make the move to wordpress. My new link is
http://jphotography7000.wordpress.com/
Bookmark it.
I am no longer going to upload my images on this site, to see my new pictures please visit me at http://jphotography7000.wordpress.com/
thank you,
Jeff
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Nightlife Photography 101 - Checklist, Settings and Tips
Is this you:
“Help, I’m shooting my first nightclub tonight. What settings do I use, what do I need to bring and what do I need to know just to make it through the night?”
This thread doesn't take into account the type of photos that you would like to produce. The aim of this thread is to get you through the night with in-focus, properly exposed photos. Furthermore, more advanced techniques exist than are discussed in this post. Let’s try to keep suggestions to a beginner level – in other words, I’m not going to explain concepts like second curtain flash or how to calculate depth of field if the photos aren’t sharp.
Checklist
‘Necessary’
[ ] DSLR Camera, (with knowledge of how to operate all the settings I detail below)
[ ] Lens (Perhaps something with a focal length close to 17mm)
[ ] External Speedlight
[ ] Charged, spare batteries for your Speedlight
[ ] Charged, spare batteries for your DSLR
[ ] Memory Card(s)
[ ] Neck/Shoulder/Wrist Strap
[ ] Name of person / contact details for the person who is getting you inside the venue
[ ] Comfortable clothing that is within dress standards of venue
[ ] Any specific photography requirements/rules that the venue/promoter has
‘Handy’
[ ] Bounce Card or Diffuser for Speedlight
[ ] UV Filter on lens (At least once a month someone reaches there hand out in front of my camera – protect your lens)
[ ] Lens hood (Same reason as above)
‘Optional’
[ ] Insurance for your gear and perhaps even for legal liability
+ all kinds of things, additional flashes, off-shoe cables... but that's not what this thread is about!!!
Settings
As all venues are different, here's where you might like to start. Set the camera to MANUAL.
ISO
800
Apertures (based on keeping subject in focus)
f2.8+ for one person
f4+ for two people
f4.5-f5+ for three or so people
f5.6+ for five-six people
f6.3/7.1 for large groups
f8-11+ for venue dancefloor shots
Speedlight:
Automatic (TTL/ETTL)
Shutter Speed
In dark areas, no higher than 1/15th if you can get away with it. If you step into a really bright area, you may need to speed up the shutter to 1/50 or more
Adjustments
Once you’ve applied the settings above, ask yourself these questions in order to improve your image quality.
Soft edges (no motion blur but edges aren’t in focus)
Narrow the Aperture (larger number)
Blurry edges (opposite of above, image appears blurry due to motion).
Increase shutter speed and/or turn on image/lens stabilisation function if disabled.
Fill lighting is too dark
Increase ISO or decrease Shutter Speed
Tips
Shoot in RAW
Shoot in RAW where possible. This will give you the ability to correct a lot more mistakes (or make more adjustments) in post processing than if you opt to shoot in JPG.
Be aware that shooting in RAW uses more space on your memory card than shooting in JPG.
Shoot a little wider than you think you need to
When you start out, shoot a little wider than you need to. At least then you can crop the photos in post-processing later. If you accidently chop off someone’s head or arm because you zoomed in too far, you can’t fix it later!
Be friendly to everyone
The nightclub industry is incestuous; promoters/hosts will you remember you, so will the patrons! When they move to another venue they will remember you (for good or for bad).
Read body language
After a while you’ll be able to tell the difference between someone who is shy and needs a little bit of a push to have their photo taken and the person who flat out is not interested – don’t be pushy!
Learn to use Bridge/Lightroom or Aperture
There’s nothing more painful than opening images one-by-one. Using the aforementioned software will allow you to perform actions in bulk whilst also being able to see other images. With this software you can quickly sort, approve, reject, rate, code, keyword, watermark, resize – or put simply – organise!
Don't get cocky
I've been shooting nightclubs for around a year now, at least five venues a week and I still think that I suck... I'm always reading articles, blogs, books, forums and looking at ways to improve. This thread is about me giving back some of what I've learned.
“Help, I’m shooting my first nightclub tonight. What settings do I use, what do I need to bring and what do I need to know just to make it through the night?”
This thread doesn't take into account the type of photos that you would like to produce. The aim of this thread is to get you through the night with in-focus, properly exposed photos. Furthermore, more advanced techniques exist than are discussed in this post. Let’s try to keep suggestions to a beginner level – in other words, I’m not going to explain concepts like second curtain flash or how to calculate depth of field if the photos aren’t sharp.
Checklist
‘Necessary’
[ ] DSLR Camera, (with knowledge of how to operate all the settings I detail below)
[ ] Lens (Perhaps something with a focal length close to 17mm)
[ ] External Speedlight
[ ] Charged, spare batteries for your Speedlight
[ ] Charged, spare batteries for your DSLR
[ ] Memory Card(s)
[ ] Neck/Shoulder/Wrist Strap
[ ] Name of person / contact details for the person who is getting you inside the venue
[ ] Comfortable clothing that is within dress standards of venue
[ ] Any specific photography requirements/rules that the venue/promoter has
‘Handy’
[ ] Bounce Card or Diffuser for Speedlight
[ ] UV Filter on lens (At least once a month someone reaches there hand out in front of my camera – protect your lens)
[ ] Lens hood (Same reason as above)
‘Optional’
[ ] Insurance for your gear and perhaps even for legal liability
+ all kinds of things, additional flashes, off-shoe cables... but that's not what this thread is about!!!
Settings
As all venues are different, here's where you might like to start. Set the camera to MANUAL.
ISO
800
Apertures (based on keeping subject in focus)
f2.8+ for one person
f4+ for two people
f4.5-f5+ for three or so people
f5.6+ for five-six people
f6.3/7.1 for large groups
f8-11+ for venue dancefloor shots
Speedlight:
Automatic (TTL/ETTL)
Shutter Speed
In dark areas, no higher than 1/15th if you can get away with it. If you step into a really bright area, you may need to speed up the shutter to 1/50 or more
Adjustments
Once you’ve applied the settings above, ask yourself these questions in order to improve your image quality.
Soft edges (no motion blur but edges aren’t in focus)
Narrow the Aperture (larger number)
Blurry edges (opposite of above, image appears blurry due to motion).
Increase shutter speed and/or turn on image/lens stabilisation function if disabled.
Fill lighting is too dark
Increase ISO or decrease Shutter Speed
Tips
Shoot in RAW
Shoot in RAW where possible. This will give you the ability to correct a lot more mistakes (or make more adjustments) in post processing than if you opt to shoot in JPG.
Be aware that shooting in RAW uses more space on your memory card than shooting in JPG.
Shoot a little wider than you think you need to
When you start out, shoot a little wider than you need to. At least then you can crop the photos in post-processing later. If you accidently chop off someone’s head or arm because you zoomed in too far, you can’t fix it later!
Be friendly to everyone
The nightclub industry is incestuous; promoters/hosts will you remember you, so will the patrons! When they move to another venue they will remember you (for good or for bad).
Read body language
After a while you’ll be able to tell the difference between someone who is shy and needs a little bit of a push to have their photo taken and the person who flat out is not interested – don’t be pushy!
Learn to use Bridge/Lightroom or Aperture
There’s nothing more painful than opening images one-by-one. Using the aforementioned software will allow you to perform actions in bulk whilst also being able to see other images. With this software you can quickly sort, approve, reject, rate, code, keyword, watermark, resize – or put simply – organise!
Don't get cocky
I've been shooting nightclubs for around a year now, at least five venues a week and I still think that I suck... I'm always reading articles, blogs, books, forums and looking at ways to improve. This thread is about me giving back some of what I've learned.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
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