and here we go...Lighting, how to make work QQ

[Dominantly]

Looks like a fun time. People usually have a blast in group photo sessions.


BUT you have a LOOOOOONG way to go before you should be charging anyone anything. You have serious lighitng issues, serious composition problems, and need to brush up a bit on how to set the camera up.
You need strobes and a bigger backdrop if you're going to shoot groups.

 

[LFPrick]

Any cheap but quality flash/strobe set ups you have in mind? Also what kind of settings should i lock in when using a tripod, whats a good height tripod for versatile use?
Thanks again

You should not "Lock In" ANY settings! You MEASURE the light and use the settings necessary for a proper exposure.

You need to learn exposure, composition, and lighting badly. Take a couple of classes or seminars, read some information on the internet. Here is a good place to start.

I will try and do as much online research as I can and try and learn from other photographers. I don't have a light meter, plan on getting one eventually.

Any cheap but quality...

Not in photography. Sorry. Unless you have a whole different concept of "cheap" than most people, that is.

I've noticed this, I will have to keep doing this kinda work until enough funds are saved.

Yes, these are the settings I locked in and use on M mode. I figured these settings would help since we don't use a tripod.
So should we go away from the continuous lighting and use a flash set up?
Also will be taking candid pictures during events, some dark like the one we did at a rave. There was also lots of smoke and the black lights bleed over onto our left side of the drop.
I notice the camera has a hard time focusing on groups and sometimes individuals, idk if its b/c of the lighting or photographers movement.

Also, whats a good store/site I can get this "seemless paper" at?

Far as what we do, its model portfolios, pictures to put on posters and ads, live event photo booth type set up, candid photos. Pretty much w/e. Its more of a on the fly thing, we find a location to set up lights and drop to shoot the model/bikini girls for their work.
I want to find a way to maximize quality out of the t3 (crisp, clear pictures) learn to shoot at optimal angles/form and get proper lighting b/c it just looks horrible.

The photos are bad but I can edit them to an extent and the people are having fun getting pics taken which help make up for the lack of quality, which is in part sad but also has some pros.

Adorama, amazon, eBay, probably bh photo - places to get seamless. If you have a camera store locally they might sell it.

Depending on the lens 1/50th is probably too slow for handheld shots.

Crisp, clear pictures depends on exposure, lighting and focus. Slower shutter speeds like 1/50th will probably need a tripod to get crisp clear shots as well.

Cameras can have a hard time focusing in low light. How are you focusing? Are you letting the camera choose the focal points or are you? Focus will probably be sharper when you choose a focus point and choose where to put it (like the eyes). The center point will probably lock focus easier in low light then the other ones.

A speedlight and a fast lens (a lens that has an aperture like f/1.8 or 1.4 or 2.8) will help for candid photos in dim lighting. But there aren't really any shortcuts - you are going to have to learn about exposure, how to meter, how to use strobes/flashes, how to position them, composition, etc.

I think someone already linked strobist.com. There are inexpensive flashes that you can set up off camera with umbrellas and soft boxes. Not sure about your camera but you might need to buy some triggers and receivers to control the flashes off camera. They will be more powerful then continuous lighting.

Thanks, I will try some of those settings. I usually just get the cam held steady up to the viewer and focus manually with my hand.

Looks like a fun time. People usually have a blast in group photo sessions.

BUT you have a LOOOOOONG way to go before you should be charging anyone anything. You have serious lighitng issues, serious composition problems, and need to brush up a bit on how to set the camera up.
You need strobes and a bigger backdrop if you're going to shoot groups.

Its very fun and they enjoy it, I offer them a free proof online or they can pay for a cd or print on the spot. (materials cost money and the venue don't pay us for coming sometimes)

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Start a business, then learn the craft. *sigh*


The book, "Light, Science, Magic" may be helpful to you. It is geared towards product photography, but it will teach you a boat load about light and photography, the science behind it, and how to use it. It will help you figure this stuff out.

 

[SCraig]

I will try and do as much online research as I can and try and learn from other photographers. I don't have a light meter, plan on getting one eventually.

There is one built into your camera. You only need to learn how to use it. Some of the shots you originally posted might not have been as bad if whoever set up the shot knew how to use the camera. The tools are there, you just need to learn to use them. You could probably get much better shots with the lights you have (maybe not good but certainly better) if they were just used properly. I don't know much about portrait lighting so I could easily be wrong, but from what I see of them in the photographs (and I should not even be able to see them!) they aren't being used properly.

 

[Village Idiot]

Did you look at any of the links I posted?

The Zack Arias seamless tutorial setup is something the local strobist group did on location with three alien bees in a rented mansion and again in a rented warehouse. It's easy to set up and with something like the cheap strobes recommended will get you a long way.

If you learn about strobes, you'll learn that even with moderately powered strobes, ambient light from blacklights and other light bulb sources shouldn't be an issue.

 

[12sndsgood]

I would say get every book you can get your hands on at the library. read everyting you can on this site and the other sites listed, take a step back from trying to earn money and try to learn what you are doing before you just pigion hole yourself as a crappy business that has no skill or knowledge. And you need to get your buddy to do the same thing. And if he isnt willing to put the effort in i'd just part ways.

 

[LFPrick]

Start a business, then learn the craft. *sigh*


The book, "Light, Science, Magic" may be helpful to you. It is geared towards product photography, but it will teach you a boat load about light and photography, the science behind it, and how to use it. It will help you figure this stuff out.

I know, it isn't the best way to get a start. I was coerced to jump right into this, the person who I work with thinks I have the learning curve of a super computer.
Thanks for the resource.

I will try and do as much online research as I can and try and learn from other photographers. I don't have a light meter, plan on getting one eventually.

There is one built into your camera. You only need to learn how to use it. Some of the shots you originally posted might not have been as bad if whoever set up the shot knew how to use the camera. The tools are there, you just need to learn to use them. You could probably get much better shots with the lights you have (maybe not good but certainly better) if they were just used properly. I don't know much about portrait lighting so I could easily be wrong, but from what I see of them in the photographs (and I should not even be able to see them!) they aren't being used properly.

I skimmed over the manual enough to see how to use the setting for pics, didn't see a light meter but did notice a scale on the display that could have been part of that function. Will look for it specifically.

Did you look at any of the links I posted?

The Zack Arias seamless tutorial setup is something the local strobist group did on location with three alien bees in a rented mansion and again in a rented warehouse. It's easy to set up and with something like the cheap strobes recommended will get you a long way.

If you learn about strobes, you'll learn that even with moderately powered strobes, ambient light from blacklights and other light bulb sources shouldn't be an issue.

I'm working on it, gonna try and read in my down time. I just finishes sending off my morning emails of some ads/posters/flyers to overly needy customers (calling me 20 times in an hour asking for something I already sent them 5 times.)
Super busy atm, will prolly have a couple hours to read tomorrow. I gotta edit, cut 10 pictures today, which takes me like 20-30 min per pic.

I would say get every book you can get your hands on at the library. read everyting you can on this site and the other sites listed, take a step back from trying to earn money and try to learn what you are doing before you just pigion hole yourself as a crappy business that has no skill or knowledge. And you need to get your buddy to do the same thing. And if he isnt willing to put the effort in i'd just part ways.

Yes, sounds good. My buddy is more of the salesman from hell, he is very people oriented. This is why he ends up taking most the pictures but his understanding of the concept to improve lighting and photography skills isn't up there. Mostly b/c we've gotten paid for a lot of work already, so it isn't on his priority list... I will try though, def read up and purchase the next batch of equipment we get. Will post up pics/work after that. We got a big shoot coming up, around 15-20 girls. I want perfection e.e

Funny thing is we started on a green backdrop for chroma key (my idea for quick cuts), with that lighting, lmao *sigh*
Took me so long to finish those jobs...

 

[Buckster]

I would say get every book you can get your hands on at the library. read everyting you can on this site and the other sites listed

That would take ten years, assuming the OP has nothing else to do.

OP: Just get a couple of less expensive strobes like those that Village Idiot recommended on page one, then use them to go through the exercises at Strobist, get and keep handy a copy of Light, Science and Magic as a reference (read it, THEN keep it handy!), and you'll improve significantly enough to at least get on the right track within a month or two.

 

[gsgary]

I'm working on it, gonna try and read in my down time. I just finishes sending off my morning emails of some ads/posters/flyers to overly needy customers (calling me 20 times in an hour asking for something I already sent them 5 times.)
Super busy atm, will prolly have a couple hours to read tomorrow. I gotta edit, cut 10 pictures today, which takes me like 20-30 min per pic.


If you are shooting at events your lighting needs to be spot on straight away because there is no time to edit
Here's one of mine from a dog event 2 lights and a reflector, photo was only sharpened to print on site so the owner got a mounted print 3 minutes after shoot

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I see you like shooting large women. FYI, if you light them with a little contrast and shoot into their shadow side, they lose weight. Not that my suggestion would apply here, not quite enough light for shadows but enough to see some may appreciate help with their weight in photos =)

 

[12sndsgood]

I would say get every book you can get your hands on at the library. read everyting you can on this site and the other sites listed

That would take ten years, assuming the OP has nothing else to do.

OP: Just get a couple of less expensive strobes like those that Village Idiot recommended on page one, then use them to go through the exercises at Strobist, get and keep handy a copy of Light, Science and Magic as a reference (read it, THEN keep it handy!), and you'll improve significantly enough to at least get on the right track within a month or two.

Iv'e been tring to read a book every week, or every two weeks at the latest. it does take allot of time. but when your allready charging for your work and don't understand the camera or lighting, now's probalby the time to start.

 

[jwbryson1]

 

[gsgary]

I see you like shooting large women. FYI, if you light them with a little contrast and shoot into their shadow side, they lose weight. Not that my suggestion would apply here, not quite enough light for shadows but enough to see some may appreciate help with their weight in photos =)

You mean use short lighting

 

[Mike_E]

One more straw for the camel: along with the strobes, a flashmeter would speed up things greatly and add consistency.