Need tips for an Event

[mrvgson]

Need tips for an Event

Hi friends. We have our annual running club party in a month. It will be in the evening, informal, indoors, in a rental hall. We will have about 40-60 people attending it. I would like to use this event to practice my photog skills.

I consider myself a beginner/amateur.

I was thinking of setting up something like a studio in a separate area(away from the food and party) where I can take shots of our club members either individually or in small groups as they arrive to the party or sometime during the evening. My desire is to get some good portraits but frankly I dont think I am there yet. My objective is to use this event to practice and learn how to take some nice candids/portraits indoors.

I am looking for suggestions or ideas on how I can make the most out of this event? Tips and suggestions for set up? (may be some sort of backdrop). I am on a very low budget and am not looking to spend much on new equipment/stuff (Current Equipment - Nikon D70 with 18-70mm and 70-300mm lenses. I just purchased a SB600 flash and am still trying to learn the basic features).

I realize that I am being very vague here, and that is because I myself am not clear on the what/how/etc. Appreciate any thoughts or experiences that you have had with taking pictures at events. And if you think this is a stupid idea, dont hold back.

Thanks,
Siva

 

[Sideburns]

Get a backdrop going, and go visit

abetterbouncecard.com

For a few bucks you can use bounce lighting, and you don't have to invest hundreds in lights to get a decent effect. For starting out, that should be enough, and won't be a long time to set up.

 

[JIP]

Or the Strobist...

http://strobist.blogspot.com/

 

[RyanLilly]

If you want to set up a backdrop and do individual/group photos, you could do a simple, "strobist" set up for very cheap, and then when the portraits die down a bit take your camera out and mingle while shooting.

[SIZE=-1]www.strobist.blogspot.com

since, you are doing this for fun and experience, and these people are your friends, you could offer prints at cost, and I could bring in potential future customers when/if you feel ready for it.
[/SIZE]

 

[mrvgson]

thanks eveyone. Any good sites for less expensive backdrops?

 

[jstuedle]

Have you been in the hall yet? A painted wall, fireplace, nice woodwork, ornate bar? All these provide a lot of free potential.

 

[RyanLilly]

jstuedle Has the best Idea if there is something available; a photo with something in the room as a background will be more memorable than the generic backdrop in every studio.

But If you do go with a backdrop, you can make one fairly easily just search google and youtube, there are some good DIY's using canvas tarps, dye and other such hardware store goodies.