Advice for Circus Photos

[JMack]

Taking the family to the circus tomorrow, assuming it's not still buried under all this snow we're getting, and was wondering if there are any things to keep in mind as far as shooting in an arena setting.

Taking my Digital Rebel XT with 28-90mm, which I'm just getting used to using in manual mode. So any advice as far as metering, composition, etc.? Or should I just use Auto mode since I'm not too confident in my abilities yet?

 

[Big Mike]

Make sure that you are allowed to take in a camera. Most arenas have certain rules that disallow Photography. They usually don't mind small P&S cameras, but if they see a DSLR, they might get uppity. And don't expect them to know the difference between your camera and a $4000 pro camera.

But if you do get in and are allowed to use it....you will probably need to be concerned with the shutter speed. You will need to keep it up to avoid motion blur. It's typically dark in these venues, which means that getting usable shutter speeds may be tough. Raise the ISO if you have to.

Also, keep in mind the lighting that they are using. For example, if there is a spot light on someone, they may be well lit, but the surrounding area will likely be rather dark. You probably don't care about the surrounding area, you just want a good photo of the subject. The camera's meter may take the whole scene into account, which can mess up your exposure.

You might try centre weighted metering mode, I don't think your camera has a spot metering mode. Either way, check your shots and adjust the exposure so that the subject looks good.

 

[JMack]

Yeah, as far as I can tell the policy is no video or audio, so I think I'm OK, but was going to call and check anyway.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[gsgary]

ISO1600, aperture priority, Aperture wide open, spot meter on skin if that does not work iso3200, if that does not work turn your camera off and watch the show and forget about photos

 

[JMack]

Well getting the camera was not a problem, though I was soon wishing I had a lens with a bit more reach. The 28-90 got a few nice shots, but I wish I could have gotten closer.

Here's a couple of the more interesting shots:

 

[JMack]