My First Shoot

AlexColeman · Feb 6, 2009

I have finally got an assignment. Sort of, :wink:

. Our school is having a Valentine's dance coming up. We are selling multiple things, pizza, roses that sort of stuff. I came up with the "brilliant" idea of selling prints of them and their dates. I have most of the equipment I believe I need. I currently have a 16-85, 50 1.4, and 80-210. Lighting conditions may be difficult, I have nothing other than a built in flash. It will be sort of a step up, take photo, go back to dance process. So I want to make it as efficient as possible. My budget at most would be $75. Any tips or recommendations will be appreciated.

BTW: I have a D90.

Thanks!

tsaraleksi · Feb 6, 2009

To be honest you really need lights. Some kind of external flash would be alright but a couple of strobes (or even just one) would make all the difference.

AlexColeman · Feb 6, 2009

Yeah, I thought so, what sort of strobe would you recommend? I might be able to go up to $125.

tsaraleksi · Feb 6, 2009

Depending on where you are you would probably be able to rent some strobes for the weekend. What you got would depend on what you could get, but most any monolight would do, I think. I've never shot a real dance in the way you describe (the dances I shoot I do candids or I kinda roam and people stop me and ask me to take a picture) but I've shot similar stuff. I did this with an Alienbee B800 and brolly box. If I did it again I'd probably go to the trouble of putting up a second light to get more clean illumination but this wasn't a super-serious shoot so I didn't worry too much about it.

Eldrich · Feb 7, 2009

Can you set a sheet up somewhere as a background, and maybe make some homemade reflectors etc. Or are you going to shoot it all candidly?

AlexColeman · Feb 7, 2009

It will probably be just a setup with a backdrop, so they can just move right through if they want their picture.

ANDS! · Feb 7, 2009

Get a SB600 (one will do, depending on the location - low ceilings?) from RITZ. Return it when done. Problem solved.

AlexColeman · Feb 7, 2009

Lol, good plan. I am actually going borrow a few Canon flashes with PWs, it will be manual but better then nothing, and because of the process, it can be setup, and i can forget about it.

AlexColeman · Feb 8, 2009

Bumpity.
Any other tips?
Also, I am actually going to be picking up an SB600, its time, aswell as a light stand and diffuser. What do you think?

gsgary · Feb 8, 2009

Get there early with someone to practise on, once you have it set you should be able to shoot away all night

ANDS! · Feb 8, 2009

gsgary said:
Get there early with someone to practise on, once you have it set you should be able to shoot away all night

Pretty much. Don't spend the first couple of people trying to figure out what is going on in your scene. Depending on your location, you really shouldn't need a diffuser - can just bounce the light for some quick and dirty portraits (which will be infinitely better than they can grab on their little camera phones).

AlexColeman · Feb 8, 2009

Great guys, thanks for the advice.
I will probably shoot tethered to my Macbook pro, so I can instantly print.
I will be sure to let you know how it works.

Mongoos3 · Feb 8, 2009

Im not sure whether i read it or not so...Do you have a tripod? It's a lot easier to take portraits if you have a tripod.

AlexColeman · Feb 9, 2009

Yeah, I have a tripod.
Do any of you know how to setup CLS on a D90 and SB600?

ANDS! · Feb 9, 2009

Yea. Mount the SB600 on the D90, or set the SB600 to wireless mode: hold down Zoom+"-" buttons on your SB600 to access the Custom Settings Menu (Abbr. CSM on the SB600 body). Wireless setting is the FIRST one that pops up. Press Mode to switch it from "OFF" to "ON". That's it. CLS is just the way you can set up one (or multiple) speed lights. It's not an actual in-menu option.