Shooting Prom!

[TheCameraLady]

I was asked to shoot my school's prom but I haven't shot a dance in about 2 years and it was only Homecoming in a place where I knew the location well (but I only had a pop up flash, Yikes!) I usually only shoot portraits (mostly outdoor), classroom environments, and plays.
I recently bought an external flash but I am still learning to use it.
I assume that prom will be like a wedding reception because of the low light and dancing so I've been reading up on those but I will only have my one external flash and most tip threads I've read require 3.
What lens should I bring? I have a 50mm 1.8 manual focus and autofocus, kit, and the yearbook staff has several other lenses but I haven't been in their room for about a year.
Do you have any general tips? What power should I shoot my flash, I'm just really lost.
This is the venue, and it will be nighttime.
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Thank you SO much for your time. I feel like I was just thrown in to this. I haven't been on staff for a year but I'm the only experienced shooter that isn't a senior that will be at prom.

I have a D5100, the staff has a D7000 but I've never used it. So I don't know if I should use it because I wouldn't be comfortable with it.

 

[TheCameraLady]

Ack. I meant to post this in the beginner's forum. I know my camera very well, I just have no idea how to use my flash. Power wise and zooming. Ugh. I just feel really overwhelmed since it's so soon.

 

[Mach0]

What's a 50 1.8 manual and auto focus. Do you have the d version or the g versions.

 

[tirediron]

Stick with the body you know; for this sort of work, there's not going to be a whole lot of difference between a 5100 & a 7000. As far as the flash goes, going off of the venue images you posted, you're in luck! Low, white ceilings... perfect for bounced flash. Set up for TTL flash, angle the flash head about 30 degrees down from vertical, and shoot. Lens-wise, the zoom range of the 18-55 will be more useful than the prime, and the flash will deal with the smaller apertures.

 

[Derrel]

Stick with the body you know; for this sort of work, there's not going to be a whole lot of difference between a 5100 & a 7000. As far as the flash goes, going off of the venue images you posted, you're in luck! Low, white ceilings... perfect for bounced flash. Set up for TTL flash, angle the flash head about 30 degrees down from vertical, and shoot. Lens-wise, the zoom range of the 18-55 will be more useful than the prime, and the flash will deal with the smaller apertures.

If it's really DARK in there, and it might be, there are two things I think might help. First would be to set the camera's focusing system to S, for Single-shot autofocusing. This means the camera will not fire until it determines that the subject is IN-FOCUS!!!! This is very helpful when shooting flash in dark rooms, because of two things. First, S-focus mode (not to be confused with single-FRAME advance or single-frame firing mode) keeps you from shooting out-of-focus flash pictures and second, in S-focus mode, many cameras have a focus-assist option that can be turned on in the menus for custom function camera set-up preferences.

The focus-assist on the D5100 is item a2 in the Custom Function Menu ( Nikon D5100 Custom Setting Menu).

Due to the very small maximum aperture of the 18-55 kit zoom, in low light, it is very possible that the lens will not focus accurately UNLESS the AF assist light is set to be ON. And to be ON, most cameras must be in S-focus mode. For this reason, I think in some ways, a 50mm prime lens might be a better choice.

Last thing: indoors, if you have to shoot a lot of flash photos, the best thing you can do is to elevate the ISO, to 400, or 500. This cuts down the amount of flash needed and speeds up recylcle times and adds life to the batteries. Please, do not waste your time, effort, and batteries by shooting at base (ie, lowest) ISO value. For flash, use ISO 400, or 500. And have plenty of extra batteries on-hand! I would say, use the 50mm f/1.8 lens for most everything, and shoot at ISO 500, at f/4.8 at a shutter speed of 1/125, hand-held. Good luck!

 

[tirediron]

If it's really DARK in there, and it might be, there are two things I think might help. First would be to set the camera's focusing system to S, for Single-shot autofocusing. THis means the camera will not fire until it determines that the subject is IN-FOCUS!!!! THis is very helpful when shooting flash in dark rooms, because of two things. First, S-focus mode (not to be confused with single-FRAEM advance or single-frame firing mode) keeps you from shooting out-of-focus flash pictures and second, in S-focus mode, many cameras have a focus-assist option that can be turned on and off in the menu's for camera set-up.

The focus-assist on the D5100 is item a2 in the custom Function Menu ( Nikon D5100 Custom Setting Menu).

Due to the very small maximum aperture of the 18-55 kit zoom, in low light, it is very possible that the lens will not focus accurately UNLESS the AF assist light is set to be ON. ANd to be ON, most cameras must be in S-focus mode. For this reason, I think in some ways, a 50mm lens might be a better choice.

Last thing: indoors, if you have to shoot a lot of flash photos, the best thing you can do is to elevate the ISO, to 400, or 500. THis cuts down the amount of flash needed. Please, do not waste your time, effort, and batteries by shooting at base (ie, lowest) ISO value. For flash, use ISO 400, or 500. And have plenty of extra batteries on-hand! I would say, use the 50mm f/1.8 lens for most everything, and shoot at ISO 500, at f/4.8 at a shutter speed of 1/125, hand-held. Good luck!

Indeed! What Derrel said!

 

[TheCameraLady]

Wow! Thank you guys so much. I am really grateful for this forum. Should I get a softbox that I can put onto my flash? Or Get one of the plastic caps? Or is it fine the way it is? It has a little white card on it, is that a bounce card? What is it used for?

 

[TheCameraLady]

What's a 50 1.8 manual and auto focus. Do you have the d version or the g versions.

I personally have the D version. The staff has the G version.
Which should I bring?

 

[Derrel]

Bring the 50mm 1.8 AF-S G Nikkor...it is a nifty focuser in low light!!! Also, on the D5100, it WILL autofocus!!!! The D-series 50mm will NOT autofocus on the D5000-5100-5200 series cameras.

If you are going to bounce the light off the ceiling, I would rotate the flash so that it points almost straight up, but just a slight bit forward, and have the bounce card pulled out, to kick just a tiny bit of flash "forward", which can prevent raccoon eyes, which are dark circles under the eyes. I am assuming tyou are going to shoot almost all "talls" on two-person shots, and probably "wides" on dual-couple shots.

Whatcha' need to do is to make SURE, no matter how it gets done, is that your flash exposures are simply "solid". You need to figure out how to get a good, well-lighted shot from 12 feet, with a 50mm lens. That could be done with a Sto-Fen or Nikon white plasrtic diffuser cap, or with bounce flash off that low ceiling, or bounced flash in "tall" camera orientation with the flash aimed at a nearby white wall, and the couples posed a few feet away from the wall, where the light will "bounce" off the wall and then illuminate them "on the rebound".

One thing is that when bouncing a flash, it is often a good idea to MANUALLY set the flash's zoom setting to the NORMal or TELE zoom settings. If you use an 18-35mm zoom, the flash will want to zoom to its widest setting when the lens is set wide...and THAT alone can mess up bounce flash shots, by spreading the beam out so much that the "bounce" is very spread out and weak. AGAIN--years of experience have told me...with small speedlights, its almost always best to shoot bounced flash at ISO 400, 500, or 640!!!! And, with the 50mm lens, you eliminate all the "variables", like the flash unit constantly wanting to zoom in and out.

You want to be able to shoot a whole bunch of solidly-lighted, simple prom shots. Using one flash. You need to figure out an approach, and test it out at the venue, and then stick with it, all night long.

 

[TheCameraLady]

Yeah, I'm mostly supposed to get dancing pictures. The real tough part of the night will be getting pictures before everyone looks completely disgusting and sweaty and getting pictures that wouldn't make moms cry when they see them.

 

[TheCameraLady]

Update: All of my gear was stolen a couple days ago, I rented a D7000 and a prime lens from the yearbook staff. But my second shooter rented it before me so I have the D3000 and since she shoots full auto I convinced her to let me use the 7000.

But honestly, having any other DSLR in my hands right now makes me want to cry.

 

[Patrick Simmons]

Awww, that's sad to hear. If you have time be sure to play around with the camera and get familiar to the body difference and how it shoots. Good luck!

 

[bunny99123]

Use to teach and chaperon proms. It is dark, but you could ask to be outside of the prom. For example, in a hallway or community area. Seen that done and you will have more light there. Are you taking the normal 2 poses or taking random event shots. Good luck!

 

[TheCameraLady]

It was for the yearbook. It turned out alright. My second shooter was late so I didn't get to practice before I had to start shooting. I was taking dance/entrance/basically everything because it was for the yearbook/paper.
Here's a few samples.




All of these except one are straight out of camera except one that a bumped up the highlights a teensy bit, but I just got home.
Welp, I survived this hell of a week and shot prom.
There was one silver lining, I got an internship with a wedding photographer after talking to her after prom. She was doing the posed pictures. Ahhh!

 

[TheCameraLady]

Oh and I couldn't figure out how to upload on this website from my computer so I had to upload them to tumblr and then link them here. That's why they are weird sizes because it compresses them into a collage.