Invited to capture a familyday! HELP!

[johnny5dmkii]

Someone saw my (test) wedding pictures that I took of friends.
Now I have been invited to make pictures at a familyday. Normaly I say always "No". This time I said yes!.. And Im pretty scared now! Its a family I don't know and they invited me at there home were they (30 people) will meet. And have dinner outside in the garden...

I only have my 5Dmkii with the 35L

Does someone have any tips for me? I need to do this to bring my photography to the next level!

Best Johnny

Johnny Rinsma

 

[goodguy]

Rule No.1
Relax-you will be all right!!!
Set camera to f4 when you shoot groups, shoot 2-3 frame when you shoot groups, ask them to smile as its always pleasant to see people smiling.
When shooting individuals I shoot at f2.8 to get nice background blur
If you shoot candids then shoot people when they are doing something interesting and preferably smiling.

Good luck

 

[johnny5dmkii]

Hi Goodguy.. Im close to skip this shoot. Because I only have my 35L and a 580ex... will the be enough? all 30 persons meet at a family members home!

 

[waday]

What about renting an additional body, a 70-200 f/2.8, and a 16-35 or 24-70 f/2.8?

 

[johnny5dmkii]

We don't have any stores where I can rent around here.. Would you skip this as you only have 35mm ?

 

[Designer]

Would you skip this as you only have 35mm ?

Your biggest hurdle is not your lens. Your post indicates that you don't have the experience.

My suggestion would be to shoot what you know. (IOW: don't try a shot that you know will not turn out well.)

I can tell you right now that trying to get everyone in one big group will not turn out well, so just beg off on that one. Keep shooting the shots in which you have a high level of confidence. Make lots of those.

Pay attention to your DOF (focus deep when it is called for, blur the background and foreground when it seems as if that is what is called for)

Frame expertly. This is where you will make or break the session. You can usually frame a little wide and crop later, so don't despair if you get too much, only if you don't get enough.

A wide lens will have a deeper DOF, so remember to watch your backgrounds for clutter or distracting elements.

Take your spare battery, one or two SD cards, your flash with fresh batteries, but NO download cable. Do not turn over ANY electronic files until you've had a couple of days to really look at them and make adjustments if necessary. Nobody gets unedited files. If you're promoting a business, hand out your business card with your website where people can view the photos and order prints. Treat the print ordering like a regular business; do it as soon as the orders come in. If everybody is close, you can have the prints sent to you, and then you can drop them off in person (more potential sales). If you trust the lab to produce consistent results, the lab can send the prints to the customer directly. Otherwise, check each one for accuracy before you deliver them.

 

[johnny5dmkii]

Great information thank you!...

A magic happend! I just asked someone on facebook and he said you can use my nikon D4 with 24-70 and 100 2.8 if you like!.. who would do that! Mind blowing!

 

[Dave442]

I think you will be fine. The 35 is nice for moving around and grabbing shots of a few people at a time. I don't know that I would be singling out just one person at a family day. Then if you want to show the overall area or a group shot then may have to consider making a panorama. It can depend a bit on what they want to do with the photos. It also helps if someone, like the one that invited you, can help make sure you have photos of all the people if that is what they want or a specific person with other family members.

 

[Gary A.]

This hasn't been brought up, but if you are hesitant to shoot due to lack of experience/skill, then do not charge. Tell the family of your anxiety so everybody is on the same page ... If they're okay with it, then go shoot the hell out of the event.

Work with what you have. Be very aware of harsh shadows if this event is around noon time. There will be a few "setup shots", i.e. The entire family, then probably selective members, discuss that with the family before the event (make a list of setup shots and coordinate those setup up shots with a single family member ... A goto person designated to grab those people for you.). Hopefully you have a flash. Use it as a fill to minimize/eliminate harsh shadows. Scout the yard before the event to minimize surprises, shoot the setups at the beginning of the event and check them off your list as you get them. Have someone introduce you at the start. Hit all the tables, shoot this similar to a wedding. Find a nice shady spot for the setup shots. Shoot a few few than chimp as in any group shot not everybody will be looking their best at the same time.

Take a ton of memory. Get there early and shoot the prepping, some of the yard (just a few, don't get carried away) some of the food either being made and/or setup.

After you shoot the setups and the tables, go have a good time and document the events via candid. Armed with only a 35mm you're gonna have to get pretty close to fill the frame. So get pretty close, do not be timid, get in tight, fill the frame, smile a lot. If you can, don't use the flash for the candid stuff. Keep a sharp eye on the kids and shoot tight. After a bit, you'll fade into the background like one of the chairs. Some may resent your presence but will be appreciative when they see the images.

Be aware that there is a line between obnoxious and getting the job done. This is the family's event and don't steal the spotlight by being overly aggressive, but don't blow the job by timidly hanging back.

The family is probably concerned only about the setups, so the candid shots, the good stuff will be icing on the cake.

Again, don't be afraid to get close and if you get something especially nice, show it to them. Don't be afraid to setup some stuff up. Say an adult is tossing a little kid up into the air or swinging them around and when you get there they've stopped. Ask them to do it again, turn them around for the best lighting and angle and get tight. Show them the image afterwards so they know the extra effort on their part was well worth the effort. Then slip away into the background and look for another image.

Good Luck and Good Shooting.

 

[dennybeall]

Consider that some photos are much better than NO photos so go on and have some fun. It's for their memories not a photo contest so get all the people in at least one shot and try not to miss anyone. Sure, get them doing something interesting if you can but most importantly DON"T MISS ANYBODY!!!!!!!!
You can get some group shots just get up in the air a bit, on stairs, a chair or a ladder.

 

[vintagesnaps]

It's not the equipment so much as knowing what to do. I found doing sports and events that it takes developing skills and getting in a lot of practice. This is sort of like cramming for a test, and maybe your instinct to not do this was trying to tell you something. But if you're going to do this...

An important thing I learned years ago from a pro (and have read elsewhere from other pros) is - GO EARLY. If you can, go to a venue ahead of time. And/or go as early as possible the day of. Figure out where would be some good vantage points. Find out where things will be set up, if there are any particular happenings or specific people that you'll need to get. Take shots of the buffet, the tables/decorations, before people start to eat.

Then probably get shots of people enjoying themselves at dinner, where you need to try to be aware of positioning (yours, to capture them so you can see individual people in the group, nobody behind someone else, etc. or try another angle and get more than one shot to make sure to get everyone). Try to catch them laughing & talking more than a weird face eating. Will there be backyard games to shoot too? maybe before or after dinner? Figure out ahead of time where to shoot from for each thing that will be happening.

Shooting sports and events can also mean a certain amount of thinking on the fly and reacting quickly. Which is why a lot of practice and knowing what to do can enable you to be successful. But it can help at least to know what will be happening where, so you can anticipate what's coming next.

If this will go into evening I'd get everything (the photos) you need early before you start losing light. If this goes after dark and they set up lights it might still be low light so I'd be prepared for that.

I usually use a short telephoto or a 50mm, depends on the size of the place. I like to get in close enough without needing to actually have to move in too much because I'd rather shoot without people noticing me too much. Except for shots that people like to wave or ham it up for the camera! lol those can make for fun photos too. I wouldn't like the distortion of a wide angle myself and guess I haven't shot where I need a wide view.

And someone on Facebook offered to loan you equipment?? I don't know... depends on how well you know the person I guess since that would make you responsible for it. And doesn't Adorama or maybe B&H rent equipment that they'll ship?

From looking at your page you seem to be seeing good photos but the exposures seem to vary. It looks like you'd benefit from learning to get proper exposures on a consistent basis before you get any further into trying to do this as more than taking photos for yourself. I'd try to get in a lot more practice with just you and your camera (or with friends/family members) before you're doing more photos for other people.

 

[beagle100]

a longer telephoto would help - 70-200 2.8 100mm 2.8, 200 2, etc.

 

[johnny5dmkii]

Thanks! Well I have been playing with the D4 for a couple days I shoot in AV so there is not much different then the Canon... Another problem is that they predict rain tomorrow so everyone will be inside!.. 30 persons in a living room.... don't feel confident about that though.


This is the location


Google Maps

 

[johnny5dmkii]

Just like u to know everything went fine! I shot around 1500 pictures and ended up with 270 pictures that are looking good. How many pictures should I deliver? I guess 270 is still to much right?

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-N910F met Tapatalk

 

[tirediron]

Glad it worked out; 270 images sounds like a LOT to me, but it depends. Assuming that I understand correctly the nature of the event, my goal would be to deliver at least one image of everyone (Unless it's a really big event with many hundreds of attendees), candid group shots, and, ideally, an overall group.