Default Shooting an event...ADVICE PLEASE!!

[Derrel]

the images will be for their end use and my portfolio....

It matters who 'they' are, and what the end use is, particularly in California.

Wait, so pooparazzi can shoot away at celebs in compromising situations or at private/intimate engagements, but I have to worry bout being asked to shoot a few producers n the like? Tmz, and the sinquirer can blast away at stars on the beach or the bistro, but lil'ol me has to worry?

That's just his schtick...copyright this...copyright that...insurance that...paranoia...rights violations...no such thing as fair use...better safe than anything....yadda yadda

 

[Redeyejedi]

But back to the shoot....Upon checking out the place i met with the owner, whom I may have met on a random previous occurrence, gave me the green light.The venue seems to be even more challenging than I had imagined.I haven't officially accepted to do the shoot and quite honestly made my buddy aware of my experience and skill level. Not once did I say I was a professional photog, or ask to do the event. He mentioned it'd be a super great start, no one is concerned with A-Level shots, and I would get a foot, two shoes and an elbow in the door to getting more similar work.The scene is a low ceiling room roughly 45 feet by 60 feet. Stained cherry wood ceiling, recessed lights towards the perimetry, yellow (ughh) walls with framed b/w pictures 18x30 spaced about 3 ft apart on two walls. Booth tables form the three walls, and those lil red glass candles will atop each table. The owner dimmed the lit to where he anticipated they'd be, pointed out main and secondary entry points, where the drink staff will be entering and where the band will be performing.Bouncing of cieling no go. The walls pose a major challenge with all the pictures, as the glass will reflect way differently than the ugly yellow walls. I did some testing at home, yea I know not nearly the same at all, but to get an idea of what I'm looking at in terms of the low light levels. Trying to preserve ambient background light will be difficult to say the least. What I'm mostly worried about is since it'll be so dim, the flash is gonna be super annoying as everyone's eyes will be adjusted for such low light and every time the flash fires it'll seem like there's a lightning storm in the room.I'm thinking about making more foam board reflectors to bounce off of and have them double as shields for those facing the flash directly.Flame suit on n buttoned up tight,

 

[tevo]

Very helpful information on this thread, I'm learning a lot! Bump




++Good luck !

 

[Redeyejedi]

@Derrel

I am not sure what you mean by that. I personally know several 'famous' people. They resent those douchbeaskets, at least the ones worth calling my friends do. I take their shot, with our other friends with their pets, at bbqs the beach surfing or whatever, but for memories that we share. I could care less about their 'celeb' status, it's all bulldung. We all bleed red, can have our hearts broken, or hurt others. It's those pic farming scatbags that are the bane of the photography world.

 

[Redeyejedi]

Very helpful information on this thread, I'm learning a lot! Bump++Good luck !

As am I my friend, as am I.Ty

 

[LizardKing]

Very helpful information on this thread, I'm learning a lot! Bump

Great thread... I don't think I'd be in that situation for a while, but this is just great. I'm learning so much.
This is one of those threads you want to keep in your favourites for ever :thumbup:

Thank you all for sharing all this information and experience.
I feel so happy about finding this forum.

Good luck to the OP!! Hope you get some great shots, and come post them here to show us and see how it went!

Regards,
LizardKing

 

[Redeyejedi]

Very helpful information on this thread, I'm learning a lot! Bump

Great thread... I don't think I'd be in that situation for a while, but this is just great. I'm learning so much. This is one of those threads you want to keep in your favourites for ever :thumbup:Thank you all for sharing all this information and experience. I feel so happy about finding this forum. Good luck to the OP!! Hope you get some great shots, and come post them here to show us and see how it went! Regards,LizardKing

If it goes down, perhaps the band shots, and maybe some test shots but I don't think posting this type of event online would be appropriate for me to do. If they want to facebook or blog their photos, that's on them. After purchase a release of course.
Thanks for the support, cheers! I also dig these boards, almost a year till my fist post, been a lurkn for a while, some terrific shooters on the tpf!!

 

[pgriz]

But back to the shoot....Upon checking out the place i met with the owner, whom I may have met on a random previous occurrence, gave me the green light.The venue seems to be even more challenging than I had imagined.I haven't officially accepted to do the shoot and quite honestly made my buddy aware of my experience and skill level. Not once did I say I was a professional photog, or ask to do the event. He mentioned it'd be a super great start, no one is concerned with A-Level shots, and I would get a foot, two shoes and an elbow in the door to getting more similar work.The scene is a low ceiling room roughly 45 feet by 60 feet. Stained cherry wood ceiling, recessed lights towards the perimetry, yellow (ughh) walls with framed b/w pictures 18x30 spaced about 3 ft apart on two walls. Booth tables form the three walls, and those lil red glass candles will atop each table. The owner dimmed the lit to where he anticipated they'd be, pointed out main and secondary entry points, where the drink staff will be entering and where the band will be performing.Bouncing of cieling no go. The walls pose a major challenge with all the pictures, as the glass will reflect way differently than the ugly yellow walls. I did some testing at home, yea I know not nearly the same at all, but to get an idea of what I'm looking at in terms of the low light levels. Trying to preserve ambient background light will be difficult to say the least. What I'm mostly worried about is since it'll be so dim, the flash is gonna be super annoying as everyone's eyes will be adjusted for such low light and every time the flash fires it'll seem like there's a lightning storm in the room.I'm thinking about making more foam board reflectors to bounce off of and have them double as shields for those facing the flash directly.Flame suit on n buttoned up tight,

Picking up on the last observation about making foam board reflectors, you may want to consider this person's experience with a DIY flash diffuser: Tutorial Links, specifically this: DIY Reflector-Diffuser. I'm making one of these (and if it works as expected, then perhaps even one for each of my flashes) as I find myself in situations where bounce flash is often not effective, the Gary Fong diffuser also not effective, and a direct flash too glaring.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Just use the wide angle modifier attached to the flash and use it as a bounce card. You still want to bounce it even onto cherry wood ceiling. Remember, by bouncing it that means your flash will have color cast. That is fine, you just adjust the WB. Check out this example:

She was getting ready in a room that has no window with incandescent light. The wall and the ceiling are all logs. I bounced the flash. Look fine to me.

 

[Redeyejedi]

Great advice thank you! I have a flexible diffuser and like the tut on the homemade bouncer. Schwetty, was there any other light other than your flash?

 

[Robin Usagani]

yes.. one incandescent light.. but still needed flash.

 

[bazooka]

Are they going to gel the lights on the stage? A red, green, or blue gel'd light is going to be more apt to overexposing (because most of the light is on a single channel but the camera metering composites all three channels when determining gray value) than 'white' light, or even Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow as they are combination of two of the three primaries. If so, don't trust your histogram unless you can view it in RGB mode instead of 'composite' mode. You want to see the exposure levels of each channel so you don't clip the predominate channel.

 

[Redeyejedi]

good point bazooka.
i dont think the lights will be complimented with gels.

and i love your Dominican Palms shots, as well as the bee an lady bug...was in kauai last year and dig those shot too, i have a ton from the garden isle.

 

[DiskoJoe]

Just do it with what you have. If these people were really worried about the pictures they would wait to the last minute to find someone and settle on a amateur. Sounds like they are blowing smoke up your ass and making themselves sound important. Just do your best and compose your shots carefully.

 

[Redeyejedi]

Just do it with what you have. If these people were really worried about the pictures they would wait to the last minute to find someone and settle on a amateur. Sounds like they are blowing smoke up your ass and making themselves sound important. Just do your best and compose your shots carefully.

i agree, and i am not sure they planned to have shots taken. and i will be an amateur till more than half of my income comes from my photography, as i know "pros" that suck, period. i'm not a weak shooter, just not as experienced as some of the more knowledgeable and seasoned photographers.
thank you,
aaron