Event photography Camera settings

[joeman]

Hi all,

I took some events shots but because the event place lighting keep on changing from dim to bright lights and the place is using those incadent lights, some of my photographs are towards the orange tone...

I was also not allow to shoot direct flash light at the subject and hence I do a bit of bounce light but the subject is very blurry which I understand is because of the lack of light, low shutter speed

My ISO settings was already set to 1600

What other settings do you set to get a more sharper and more clear skin tone picture during event ?

Do you play around with your WB ?

 

[dingaroo]

You have a sample pic we can take a look at? Maybe there is some way we can try to figure out to overcome such problems in future with other CSers' events.

 

[joeman]

I have one shot without people in it...

 

[sabee]

The easiest thing to do in a situation like this is to find something white (white shirt, bouncecard, etc) and take a picture of it. Use that to set your custom white balance.

Sometimes the events are way more complicated with different lighting as you walk into different sections of the room, that IMO is best adjusted in post process.

 

[ngck12]

Some advices, set ur aperture to the widest usually i use AV mode. Use a bounce card, shoot using RAW.

 

[joeman]

I didnt bring a bounce card and so I bounce the light off the ceiling but I think is not helpful as you can see even from the photo attached above.

Is shooting RAW able to help ? I can only think that u can play around with the WB at the end of the day to change the settings ?

 

[RyanG]

Becareful of where you bounce. Even if the wall/ceiling is white but the ambient light cast is towards orange on the wall/ceiling, do change your WB to suit the environment.

Shooting in raw helps but imagine you got 200 or more of these color corrections to do in post-processing. :sweat:

 

[joeman]

Ok, I used a diffuser to do together with the bounce.

If I leave my diffuser on and add in a Big White Card, this is because I use a velcro tape on my diffuser and stick a big plastic card. Do you it will help or should I take out the diffuser and shoot with the card itself ?

I think the next thing is to play with the WB? What settings are good ?

 

[RyanG]

I shoot with either of these 3 methods - 1. Using my lightsphere with the cup on, 2. DIY Bounce Card (same as ABBC) or 3. Nothing on.

You can shoot in RAW but first thing is to get the correct color on and leave the PP to other areas.

Wat settings you are looking at? :think:

 

[joeman]

I shot at AE with at least SP of 1/30 to 1/60 with aperture at 3.5 or lower.

I then play around with WB from AWB to the setting with flash and light.

I think without the bounce card, I wont be able to get a correct exposure shot as the ceiling is quite high in the hotel room...

 

[RyanG]

I shot at AE with at least SP of 1/30 to 1/60 with aperture at 3.5 or lower.

I then play around with WB from AWB to the setting with flash and light.

I think without the bounce card, I wont be able to get a correct exposure shot as the ceiling is quite high in the hotel room...

For WB, you really have to play around with it. But I usually leave it at AWB when using flash.

Camera settings really depends on what you wanna capture.

Group shots - 1/50 to 1/60, f/5.6

Candid or others - really depends already. But these settings are all about exposure. Darker or brighter. Do understand about the different metering modes too.

 

[ed9119]

use the Professional Mode found on the cam ..... its usually denoted by 'P'

and set exposure to General Evaluative or General Matrix

Then just focus on getting people to pose......... situations like this are too fast moving for you to want to risk mucking around with settings

 

[catchlights]

I have one shot without people in it...

to cut down the orange tone, you need to let your flash be the main light.
how much is the ratio? that need a lot of experience to fine tune there and than, no magic setting on WB, flash or camera available.

for this place the ceiling is very high, my guess your flash is not powerful enough, can't see any sign of flash light being used.

Your goal is get usable shots, so ed9119's suggestion is good, just top it up with a powerful flash.

 

[night86mare]

ceiling here is way too high, you won't achieve much bouncing yoru flash off that height.

 

[jopel]

to cut down the orange tone, you need to let your flash be the main light.
how much is the ratio? that need a lot of experience to fine tune there and than, no magic setting on WB, flash or camera available.

for this place the ceiling is very high, my guess your flash is not powerful enough, can't see any sign of flash light being used.

Your goal is get usable shots, so ed9119's suggestion is good, just top it up with a powerful flash.

I hope this sample is just a test shot, cos there is no focus point too. Slow shutter handheld required some skills, hope he is covering this event for personal experiment.

 

[catchlights]

I hope this sample is just a test shot, cos there is no focus point too. Slow shutter handheld required some skills, hope he is covering this event for personal experiment.

many people get a very decent cameras, hope that will help them get decent shots,
many people also hope there is a magic setting or formula to tackle all sort of situations,
and also many other people think that getting someone have a decent camera, hope they should able to deliver decent shots,

we have seen so many cases like these so often, we shouldn't hope too much, whatever it is, it is not our hope for us to hope.

 

[catchlights]

ceiling here is way too high, you won't achieve much bouncing yoru flash off that height.

if the photographer is very tall, that might help a little.

 

[joeman]

This is sample shot...dont want to put people in cos need to respect their privacy...

Some ppl suggest to me to put at Manual mode :-

1/60, F4, ISO: 200; use Flash bounce card

are this general settings for indoor event ?

I hope this sample is just a test shot, cos there is no focus point too. Slow shutter handheld required some skills, hope he is covering this event for personal experiment.

 

[yrh0413]

This is sample shot...dont want to put people in cos need to respect their privacy...

Some ppl suggest to me to put at Manual mode :-

1/60, F4, ISO: 200; use Flash bounce card

are this general settings for indoor event ?

doh... since when there is a so-called "universal" setting for indoor events? Give a few test shots, compensate your exposure and WB, nail the correct focus.

I don't think anyone in here can provide you the best setting; if you want a better answer do what Ed said: shoot in Program mode.

 

[jopel]

This is sample shot...dont want to put people in cos need to respect their privacy...

Some ppl suggest to me to put at Manual mode :-

1/60, F4, ISO: 200; use Flash bounce card

are this general settings for indoor event ?

As some had stated there is no magic formula. If you want to use Manual, play with ISO 640 - 800. If the subject/s are post and cue by you, you can get away with 1/30. If you are taking group photo use at least F5.6 or slightly safer F6.3, assuming that you will use the wide end of your lens. As for flash I only use omnibounce or the small bounce card that came with the flash. Most of the time omnibounce is suffice.

This suggestion is based on your sample shot.