Advice needed on shutterspeed...

[Desiree M. Boom]

Sometimes I get the opportunity to shoot pictures during a fashion show a friend of mine organises. I did this twice now, but I have the following problem: The models won't freeze!

My surroundings are usually quite sharp, no movement, but the shutter isn't fast enough. And I have no idea how to improve that. I usually shoot in A mode, I do get that I should start shooting in S mode. But what shutter speed (in combination with what ISO) is the best to use? I'm afraid my pictures will become too dark.

I use an Olympus E620 with a 14-42mm, f/3.5 kit lens. I do have an external flash, but haven't quite fugured out how to use it yet, and it is very bright! My subjects don't usually like me using it...

I do try to experiment, but this friend does expect a few good pictures (he asks me to take them, and would like to be able to use a few for his website), so too much experimenting on the night isn't cool.

This is my result:

Does anyone have any tips and tricks for me?

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

The simple fact is: You have to increase your shutter speed. 1/60 is the MINIMUM that you can get away with, and ideally 1/125 or higher. There's a reason that the pros use flash; these venues simply do not have enough light for a good exposure. Get your flash and start learning how to use it. Read the section in your manual on 'TTL' and Google 'bounce flash'.

 

[SrBiscuit]

Im not sure how well your camera performs at high ISO, but with indoor lighting and no flash, you're going to have to feed the camera as much light as you can.
This would be done by raising the ISO and opening up the aperature on the lens. High ISO can produce noise, so you'll have to see how your camera does with that.

With the flash, you dont have to point it right at them, but could use a bounce card that will make the light fall more evenly on your subject, or even a diffuser to make the light softer and reduce hard shadows.

If you're allowed to use the flash, I would suggest that.

 

[benhasajeep]

Besides your ISO I would also open up your aperature some (lower number). Going by the top pic you have a fairly small aperature setting (bigger number). Thats going to slow down your shutter to compensate. You don't need as much audience in focus in the shot. And bouncing a flash off the ceiling is a good idea. The first picture is in a movie theater so it would be higher and may even be black so that wouln't help that much. But in the 2nd shot it would. Most cameras now have onboard flash. You can use this for fill flash. There are even some aftermarket items to difuse onboard flash so its not so blinding. But without a doubt an accessory flash would help you. And going by big model shoots I have seen, flash is to be expected.

 

[mwcfarms]

Ug auditoriums are horrible for lighting and no flash. If you can use flash that would be my suggestion as was already mentioned and most models are trained to ignore everything going on below the runway so I wouldn't worry about it bothering them. Read Strobists blog on how to use flash and ambient light together. Good luck.

 

[Desiree M. Boom]

Thanks all! I'll try the flash next time, bouncing it off the ceiling (if that is allowed... I suppose it depends on the settings. This fashion show was at a film theatre, so it might not have been allowed there anyway, but my friend sometimes organizes the shows himself where he hires a venue, so then it would just be up to him, I suppose).

Also, I had no idea of which shutter speed would be best, so thanks for that, @Tirediron! I'll try that too.

@benhasajeep: aperture on the first pic was actually f/5.6, so it was already quite a big opening... :-\

@mwcfarms: these aren't professional models... ;-) But if I flash to the ceiling, maybe with a diffuser, it shouldn't bother them (too much).

For the record, these are of course not the pictures I would show my friend! I have a few nice ones where the models posed for me.