Well I survived my recent roles in becoming a Godmother/Snapper/Driver for the drunks, and even managed to take a few pictures to boot. But oh how it all when sooooo wrong. Firstly I should say I had the presence of mind to shoot in RAW, so I have salvaged several shots and not a little pride.

After posing with Parents and Godchild for snaps in the Church, I was asked by the Mother if I could take a few pictures. I rushed to my car and retrieved my trusty Lowpro bag and launched my 40D + 430EX into the fray, quickly flicking round the dial to my custom presets I was ready to go in a Flash (so to speak). The first thing that went wrong was everyone wanted to go outside when I returned (no more than 2 minutes) so I shot (no pun again) outside and tried to grab a few pictures of the Babies party. They stood around in an awful spot just outside the exit door and alongside the wall of the church, the Sky was overcast and I was now fighting for position with half a dozen compact Digi camera operators. Not to worry my trusty better bounce card will make the difference when I later review the pictures properly. Except everything looked blown out on the camera screen and histogram!!! So I checked the ISO (100-200) knocked up the shutter speed and still it looked a bit flat. Ah ha, use the flash compensation and knock it down a 1/3 or more. Great that looked a lot better now if I can just fire off a …….. and off they went to their cars, leaving me with my nicely set camera and no one to picture. Sadly I was also the driver for several guests, so off I went to the next venue for a late Christening lunch.

The venue look fabulous as it was in a castle, great! Now I can show them how good I am and capture some truly memorable images…… “Right” shouted a footman “everyone straight up stairs, we have a buffet and free bar on…” so everyone rushed straight in and another opportunity was snatched form the jaws of success. Still the large state rooms looked impressive, now for a couple of test shots…. WOW it was dark in there. So flash + bounce card will make a big difference. Well yes it did, but not all that good a result really. The ceiling was incredibly high, so the bounce effect wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. The Bounce card seem to keep blowing everything out and I was starting to panic. My trouble was in my madness I was forgetting to be objective and to start thinking clearly. I was struggling to get a shutter speed quick enough to take a steady picture and that was with my f2.8 IS lens! Boy was it dark, but still I could try ISO800 and yep, that seemed to make a difference. Ah but now the flash was back to blowing the picture out again, even though it was vertical and the Better bounce card was reduced in size to try and compensate. OK try Shutter speed increase….well that started to help and I felt I was getting somewhere now. What about fully manual?? This probably shows how flustered I was, I almost never use fully manual and here I was at an unrepeatable event experimenting. Still I picked a shutter speed I fancied, open up the aperture and knocked down the ISO a tad and tried to balance the exposure by use of the Bounced Flash (I fiddled with the Output of the flash for this) and eventually I think I was starting to get the hang of it………………….when it was time to go home.

SO what have I learned about these things….

• Do not expect great results in a traditional manner if you have no control over the event (don’t agree to take pictures in the first place if you are the only person with a DSLR….everyone will later say “my pictures looked just as good as hers if not better” and they may be right in my case L
  
• Practice, practice and practice until you are happy with your flash photography and then practise some more.
  
• Keep calm and think clearly.
  
• If you can research the venue, do so.
  
• Experiment with how your camera actually works in extremis BEFORE you need it at an important gig.
  
• Shoot in RAW if you are a muppet like me and you can still salvage something
  
• Candid shot don't work if everyone spend the whole afternoon watching you and waving:D
  
• I should have insisted on a few isolated shots of the baby for putting into pretty frames (well thats what mum wanted)
  
• Oh and pride does come before a fall
  

Edited 15 October, 200817 yr by Lady Elanore

Well I survived my recent roles in becoming a Godmother/Snapper/Driver for the drunks, and even managed to take a few pictures to boot. But oh how it all when sooooo wrong. Firstly I should say I had the presence of mind to shoot in RAW, so I have salvaged several shots and not a little pride.

After posing with Parents and Godchild for snaps in the Church, I was asked by the Mother if I could take a few pictures. I rushed to my car and retrieved my trusty Lowpro bag and launched my 40D + 430EX into the fray, quickly flicking round the dial to my custom presets I was ready to go in a Flash (so to speak). The first thing that went wrong was everyone wanted to go outside when I returned (no more than 2 minutes) so I shot (no pun again) outside and tried to grab a few pictures of the Babies party. They stood around in an awful spot just outside the exit door and alongside the wall of the church, the Sky was overcast and I was now fighting for position with half a dozen compact Digi camera operators. Not to worry my trusty better bounce card will make the difference when I later review the pictures properly. Except everything looked blown out on the camera screen and histogram!!! So I checked the ISO (100-200) knocked up the shutter speed and still it looked a bit flat. Ah ha, use the flash compensation and knock it down a 1/3 or more. Great that looked a lot better now if I can just fire off a …….. and off they went to their cars, leaving me with my nicely set camera and no one to picture. Sadly I was also the driver for several guests, so off I went to the next venue for a late Christening lunch.

The venue look fabulous as it was in a castle, great! Now I can show them how good I am and capture some truly memorable images…… “Right” shouted a footman “everyone straight up stairs, we have a buffet and free bar on…” so everyone rushed straight in and another opportunity was snatched form the jaws of success. Still the large state rooms looked impressive, now for a couple of test shots…. WOW it was dark in there. So flash + bounce card will make a big difference. Well yes it did, but not all that good a result really. The ceiling was incredibly high, so the bounce effect wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. The Bounce card seem to keep blowing everything out and I was starting to panic. My trouble was in my madness I was forgetting to be objective and to start thinking clearly. I was struggling to get a shutter speed quick enough to take a steady picture and that was with my f2.8 IS lens! Boy was it dark, but still I could try ISO800 and yep, that seemed to make a difference. Ah but now the flash was back to blowing the picture out again, even though it was vertical and the Better bounce card was reduced in size to try and compensate. OK try Shutter speed increase….well that started to help and I felt I was getting somewhere now. What about fully manual?? This probably shows how flustered I was, I almost never use fully manual and here I was at an unrepeatable event experimenting. Still I picked a shutter speed I fancied, open up the aperture and knocked down the ISO a tad and tried to balance the exposure by use of the Bounced Flash (I fiddled with the Output of the flash for this) and eventually I think I was starting to get the hang of it………………….when it was time to go home.

SO what have I learned about these things….

• Do not expect great results in a traditional manner if you have no control over the event (don’t agree to take pictures in the first place if you are the only person with a DSLR….everyone will later say “my pictures looked just as good as hers if not better” and they may be right in my case L
  
• Practice, practice and practice until you are happy with your flash photography and then practise some more.
  
• Keep calm and think clearly.
  
• If you can research the venue, do so.
  
• Experiment with how your camera actually works in extremis BEFORE you need it at an important gig.
  
• Shoot in RAW if you are a muppet like me and you can still salvage something
  
• Candid shot don't work if everyone spend the whole afternoon watching you and waving:D
  
• I should have insisted on a few isolated shots of the baby for putting into pretty frames (well thats what mum wanted)
  
• Oh and pride does come before a fall
  

Amanda...... take a deep breath........

I admire your honesty and understand your frustration.

You probably do not want to hear this at the moment, so read it later.

Your learning points are all valid, can you imaging what it was like before the advent of digital, no RAW, just critical to get the right exposures on film:eek:

here are some of my thoughts, I hope they may help, or if you are really feeling p'd off, then tell me to f... go away - I don't mind (30 years on the front line, I am used to it).

As stated, you must be in control of the people and the situation before you even think about taking the shots. And as stated you must know your kit and what it will do in any situation.

I have settings that I load off of the CF/SD card for indoor and outdoor shots so that I am ready in seconds. I will take the basic shots and then if I can I may get a little more creative:thumbup:

When indoors in the dark, just wind the asa up as far as you need (it will not show too much in the 6x4 prints) you wil also be able to bounce the flash off walls/ceilings that are miles away. Remember that you are adding light to an already correct exposure with the flash, not using it as the main light source.

All of your negative experiences can be learnt from and I am sure that if you do it again, it will not be as bad.

Most commissions I have throw up some anomaly during the shoot, so there will often be something that bites you in the bum. But I always deal with it. That's where the experience comes in - and why I get paid for it

Be happy - don't worry. Smile through the gritted teeth and tears and kick *** next time.

Amanda...... take a deep breath........

I admire your honesty and understand your frustration.

You probably do not want to hear this at the moment, so read it later.

Your learning points are all valid, can you imaging what it was like before the advent of digital, no RAW, just critical to get the right exposures on film:eek:

here are some of my thoughts, I hope they may help, or if you are really feeling p'd off, then tell me to f... go away - I don't mind (30 years on the front line, I am used to it).

As stated, you must be in control of the people and the situation before you even think about taking the shots. And as stated you must know your kit and what it will do in any situation.

I have settings that I load off of the CF/SD card for indoor and outdoor shots so that I am ready in seconds. I will take the basic shots and then if I can I may get a little more creative:thumbup:

When indoors in the dark, just wind the asa up as far as you need (it will not show too much in the 6x4 prints) you wil also be able to bounce the flash off walls/ceilings that are miles away. Remember that you are adding light to an already correct exposure with the flash, not using it as the main light source.

All of your negative experiences can be learnt from and I am sure that if you do it again, it will not be as bad.

Most commissions I have throw up some anomaly during the shoot, so there will often be something that bites you in the bum. But I always deal with it. That's where the experience comes in - and why I get paid for it

Be happy - don't worry. Smile through the gritted teeth and tears and kick *** next time.

Thanks Scuff. I am off to bed now (you keep stranger hours than me!!). I find it reassuring that you can understand my problems as it means that you either have seen it in person or even suffered it yourself whilst learning your craft.

The most telling thing you said was “adding light to an already correct exposure” I lost the plot with this one. Ended up using ISO 1250 at one point and I have cut all the pictures I took to 7 x 5, so the noise is apparent. Mind you Lightroom can do wonders with noise reduction. I have shot in low light without flash and had reasonably good results, but doing exactly the same thing and then adding the flash to the mix destroyed everything I thought was going to happen. It works brilliantly in my house or outdoors in the garden, but in a Castle….

Anyhoo I guess you live and learn. I will reply again to this thread later today when I wake up, but thanks for the positive ideas, always appreciated and not to worry too much as a few pictures look really nice.

ps I was miserable for 3 days, but feel a bit better today and am ready to go again, although i might buy a book or two (if only I could get to a Night class)

My first event using my new flash was in a club environment. Switching from a (rather professional) fully lit stage for acts and performers to the actual floor where there wasn't a single house light on - and also nooks and crannies under balconies and in corners. Luckily the images weren't all that important to anyone.

I can sympathise with the event though. The last wedding I went to was full of people either avoiding my camera or grinning manically and waving. The best shots came at the end of the night when guests were used to me/very drunk.

Practice practice practice. I've only been doing it as a hobby for 8 years and I'm still crap. But it always feels good when you get some good shots, so that makes up for all the little mistakes along the way.

I must try shooting in RAW more often as I get annoyed when I shoot in jpeg and they don't come out very well. My skies always seem to come out washed out.

I occasionally help out a friend who's semi-pro and does some event photography and weddings.

He's great at taking control of the crowd and bullying them into place. They hate you for pushing them around, but love you for the results.

His main weapon is his extremely loud voice. He's also quiet muscular, as he lugs a 1D, 580EX flash and appropriate L Series lenses around with him!

He's done so many events that he knows pretty well what lighting to use for any given situation, and I think that's the key -if you've never done it before, you need to work it out. You were under pressure to get good pictures and understandably panicked.

At least you got some good shots.

Phil

I made the mistake of going along as the Godmother and driver for the day and then also taking the responsibility of ‘the person with the biggest camera and flash’ mantle. It sort of fell on me and I thought I would be able to cope……wrong. I have stage managed before (part of a sound person’s job often) so that wouldn’t have been a problem, but I wanted to be candid……….another mistake. I stuck out like a sore thumb with the 40D and 430 flash. I had used my 17-55 to get group shots at the beginning and such like, then switched to my 70-200mm, but it was too late in the day to get anything really worthwhile. The light was great outside by them but everyone was tired and the children were becoming fractious.

I still don’t know how to take a wide shot in a huge room with the only real source of light being my flash and make it look pleasant. I did chuck the camera into full Auto at one point and the pictures look fairly well exposed and the depth of field looks fine, so I grabbed a few emergency shots this way (I was so ashamed of having to do this:O). My Dad was there with his Dynax 5D and shot everything on a long lens and fill flash, he used full auto all day and he has a lot of keepers, even if an expert could probably have gotten better results with using ‘Manual’, ‘Av’ or ‘Tv’. Still I will try again sometime and hopefully have a better idea………or more likely start a thread up in here asking for help:D

Oh dear, lots of learning points but you can't take them on board until you've made the mistakes. I shot an enitre day (on holiday) in portsmouth trying to figure out why the shutter speeds were so high on a cloudy but bright day. SUper sharp shots but ISO 800 was the culprit.

tbh i usually shoot a few on auto / scene selection to get a feel for the settings. It isn't necessarily the professional way, but it's a reasonably solid starting point. If I don't like what comes out then I change from that given starting point with settings. Granted slightly more difficult with flash, and have yet to invest in a iTTL flash gun for my nikon, having so far "invested" in lenses. Just got a good deal on a sigma 18-200 which I'm looking forward to using as a walk about lens, but my 50mm is probably my best for portraits due to its f1.8.

I was in a similar situation a couple of months ago. I had just bought my D700 and proper flash to go with it.

It was only for a friend so although "the most important day of her life" at the wedding, she was not expecting professional results.

And it's only too true - you really do need the experience. As you said, I found it so fast moving (and it was a relaxed wedding!) that by the time I had figured out how I wanted to take the shots, thinkgs had already moved on. In the end, I spent more time taking candids - there are always lots of people with digicams taking the more formal shots, and I learnt before (but didn't apply it as I was too scared!) that you have to be commanding, especially with formals. Mainly because with everyone else taking the photos, even if your composition is great, you're likely to get a photo with everyone in it looking in different directions, at other people who are taking photos at the same time.

I also realised how fantastic or rather forgiving shooting in RAW is. A couple of my shots were totally blown out because I wanted shallow depth of field + fill flash and unless you set up the flash on FP mode, you're shutter speed will always be synced down to 1/250th and so everything ends up overexposed if you set aperture manually.

The second wedding was better.

But for flash, the best thing is really to experiment. In fact, one night whilst working in Paris, I was bored in my hotel room so set up the laptop with screen open, and the power supply in a spaghetti cable mess just next to it, and the wall just 20cm further back. It's a great way to play around with bounce and start to understand how shadows work. A white ceiling with bounced light produced an amazingly balanced light with no peaks and a warmer colour (maybe the white ceiling warms the colour up from the blue flash colour).

Anyway, there is no substitute for practice - once you learn, I guess it becomes second nature to quickly change to the settings you have confidence suit the ocassion.

Are you willing to post any of your shots here, after post is ok

I am not sure if posting a 9 month old child is OK or not, I certainly don’t have the consent of the parents as I type, so I guess I will have to wait till I speak to them.

With regard to the Aperture and sync problems, I had, as previously mention, played quite a bit with my flash around the house and felt confident that I could use the Bounce reasonably successfully, but I didn’t take into account the huge room with a staggeringly high ceiling. I tried to correctly expose the shot, but ended up with a slow shutter speed. Increasing ISO eventually to 1250, which isn’t ideal. I tried to get the shutter speed up but with so much gain I think it was a fine balancing act to perform and the flash easily blew out the subject. Full Auto with the ETTL going worked quite well so my chagrin.

I suspect that I was making the error of trying to use the Flash in Bounce mode to supply nearly all the light in the scene (ie not exposing the shot first but trying to guess an exposure with the flash providing the main light source) and the Bounce card to give a little key light to the subject. It definitely didn’t work the way I had envisaged, but I really need to find a similar venue and spend an hour or 4 playing with settings and trying stuff, especially without the pressure of it being an event.

I guess I could e-mail you a picture or two as that would be the same as plastering them up on a car forum?