Nightclub photography

[nicoe5]

Hi all,
I have got an offer to photograph at a nightclub and then I wonder if my equipment is good enough. What is your opinion?
I got:
Olympus E5 (Micro four third, 12,3mp)
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED lens 12-60mm 1:2,8:4,0 SWD
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED lens 8mm 1:3,5 Fisheye
Olympus Electronic Flash FL-36(r)

 

[jaomul]

It is if you are

 

[DB_Cro]

I'll agree that the camera and the lenses are fine, but I don't know anything about that flash.

You need a focus assist beam from the flash or the camera body or you'll most likely be unable
to focus at all. The flash has to be bounced (white bounce card works great, stofen difusor
sometimes even better) and strong enough.

You'd want to make sure your flash fires at the end of the exposure (slow sync, 2nd curtain sync,
whatever it's called in there) which should be rather long.. like 1/8s or 1/10s , wide open
aperture and iso at 800 is a good start.

I have a lot of nightlife experience and some shots posten over on my flickr page which you can
check out, EXIF info is on all of them.


Smile! by Dalibor Bauernfrajnd, on Flickr


Purple! by Dalibor Bauernfrajnd, on Flickr

 

[desertrattm2r12]

It depends on what they want. People dancing? People sitting at tables? Entertainment -- the floor show/singer(s)/dancer(s) on a stage? How's the light? Can you shoot "available darkness"? You might need a strobe on a stand and a remote trigger to get some romantic side light of dancers. Can you talk them into a test session? Tell them you want to gauge the lighting/vibes/karma/whatever. Take a few and afterwards you'll know if the gear you have will do the job. Have they shown you samples of what they like? Good luck.

 

[DB_Cro]

Also, I'd go to the location and take shots ahead of time.. i.e. a weekend before or something.
I practiced a lot to get fast enough with my settings, especially the flash.. to know intuitively the
more or less correct power depending on the room shape, size and wall color and how to bounce.

 

[chuasam]

And if someone spills beer on you, you can just rinse it off the E5