Some snapshots at Asian Young Fashion Designer Contest 2006 with my prosumer cam

[Clockunder]

Nikon 5700

No.of pictures : 14

As my built-in camera flash couldn't reach the subjects, I relied mostly on the ambient light to lit my subjects although I did fire the flash. Shutter speed 1/125 used was too slow to freeze the model walking. Although ISO 800 is the highest available, ISO 400 was used because ISO 800 is practically unusable. Any faster shutter speed above 1/125 would underexpose grossly.

This is probably the 4th or 5th time I'm shooting a fashion show and I'm still learning from the posts in this forum.

Host was Beatrice Chia

#1 & 2



#3 & 4



#5

[Clockunder]

#6 & 7


#8 & 9


#10

[Clockunder]

#11 & 12


#13


#14

[Jesmun18]

not bad for Prosumer cam.... keep it up...

[Outlook]

Very good pics.

[smallaperture]

As usual, very well done for a prosumer cam. Not for those with inferiority complex

But then, these days, dSLR w kit lens might cost less than your prosumer cam....

[Clockunder]

Thanks for all the kind comments.

I'm sure that there are many who are keeping their negative comments to themselves.

Picture 11 & 12 are a tad soft because of the serious focus + shutter lags which I experienced under such light condition. In the end, I used pre-focusing on the adjacent steel structure, locked the focus with half-pressing the shutter release and then fully pressed it when the model passed by at a certain spot next to the steel structure. This is definitely not ideal.

If I just tried to focus the model directly with a half-press of the release button as the model approached towards my position, the focus seemed to take quite a while (and sometimes couldn't even find focus especially if the model wear black clothes against the black background). By the time focus was locked and the shutter release was fully pressed, the model had already come nearer and the picture taken had a high rate of out of focus or soft.

Wondering if I can solve this problem with "continuous" focus mode here? Last year when I tried this mode for Wakeboard Worldcup at Bedok reservoir, it didn't turn out well and I resorted to "pre-focus" technique and the result was not too bad. Think I should use "continuous focus" mode here and that's what this mode is for?

[ddumbledoresarmya]

hey did you happen to be there at the FRESH! show at Raffles City Shopping Center on the 5th? Can anyone send me the pictures of the TP collection?

[mpenza]

Nice pics and pretty good background as well I used to take pics of fashion runway shows with a Fujifilm prosumer S602Z 4 years back too

Pre-focus should be better because continuous focus usually does not live up to what it promises, especially on prosumer cam.

[Clockunder]

Originally Posted by ddumbledoresarmya hey did you happen to be there at the FRESH! show at Raffles City Shopping Center on the 5th? Can anyone send me the pictures of the TP collection?

Yes, I was there after attending the SCC Rugby Sevens @Padang.

Haven't post-processed yet. Anyway, don't know what I've got until I've reviewed and post-processed.

[Clockunder]

Originally Posted by mpenza Nice pics and pretty good background as well I used to take pics of fashion runway shows with a Fujifilm prosumer S602Z 4 years back too Pre-focus should be better because continuous focus usually does not live up to what it promises, especially on prosumer cam.

Thanks for the kind comment and pointer.

Ideally, it would be bright/white clothes on dark background or dark/black clothes on not so dark background (white/bright background not exactly ideal?). However, I couldn't get it done as I wish because I used the pre-focus technique and lacks the flexibility. All I could do was to position in a spot where I would avoid as much as possible catching the steel structure, clutterd shop lights and signs within the picture frame, with a possibilty of an uncluttered black or screen bright background.

I tried continuous focus before only once last year and didn't get good results. I wasn't sure if it was more because of my technique or my prosumer camera.

May be the Fujifilm S6500fd (got face detection) can solve this problem here. Moreover, noise at ISO 800 is exceptionally low when compared to others. This would probably enable me to shoot at faster than 1/125 (although max. aperture is a slightly smaller F/4.9 compared to F/4.2 at the long end here) to avoid the motion blur, especially in their limbs (look at the first picture which was taken at 1/60. Beatrice Chia's left hand was captured as blurred due to her gesturing).

[renegade150]

great full body shots! this is a fashion show & u covered it well!

[Clockunder]

Originally Posted by renegade150 great full body shots! this is a fashion show & u covered it well!

Thanks for your kind comments.

Taking full body is good because I don't have to come early to be right in front row but be right behind the last row.

To me, how long the dress is (to knee or shin or ankle or dragging on the floor) and the kind and colour of footwear they put on are also important in showcasing the fashion.

I usually arrive not more than 30 minutes before the show time, find the angle which I can avoid a clutter background and then position myself behind the last row.

[adelynn88]

Great pics, great skills, great composition, great achievement!
All these pics send out a message-What matters most is the photographer's skills.

[Clockunder]

Originally Posted by adelynn88 Great pics, great skills, great composition, great achievement! All these pics send out a message-What matters most is the photographer's skills.

Thanks for the kind comment. But look at my signature.

Thanks to all the info, help and pictures in this forum, I would be contented with just improving over time.

[Zaknafein]

nice nice series. even with a limitations of a prosumer u managed to capture their poses well.

i am using a prosumer, and i have tried fashion shoots & events before. i find that the most difficult part(s) would be focus, lighting, and getting a nice pose from the models. u done a great job here!

[Clockunder]

Originally Posted by Zaknafein nice nice series. even with a limitations of a prosumer u managed to capture their poses well. i am using a prosumer, and i have tried fashion shoots & events before. i find that the most difficult part(s) would be focus, lighting, and getting a nice pose from the models. u done a great job here!

Thanks.

Yes, focusing and lighting is very difficult. Have to pump up the ISO to at least 400 in order to get some decent shutter speed and the pictures from my camera are quite noisy even at just ISO 400. These 2 reasons are mainly why I seldom shoot fashion shows.

To me, DSLR is too cumbersome. So I will be getting another prosumer with good ISO performance before deciding whether to go into DSLR (mainly for Sports where good quality long Zoom lenses are essential in capturing details of far away subjects). For prosumer, I'm considering Fujifilm S6500fd and S9600 but am waiting for more users' reviews and any bug to be resolved first before jumping in. (I know that you're using S9500 and I'm impressed with the many good pictures from your posts).