Evilmerlin said:
I happen to be in the position whereby I need to take photos of events in pubs and discos once in a while. Would appreciate it if any of you have any tips and tricks to offer.
I'm especially interested in flash techniques in such places. How to capture the ambient lighting and stuff like that.
Thanks!
i agree with the comments on don't use flash. But, hey guys, he specifically asked for flash technique.
Bring a flash with a tilt/swivel head, but turn it off.
You don't need an SLR/dSLR, but you'd probably need the features below, some which are only found in SLR systems:
1. Fast lens. Shoot at f2.0 or wider if you're not going to use flash. If you're using a fast prime wide open, make sure the image quality is acceptable to you. If not, stop down 1/3 or 1/2 stop.
2. Fast film/sensor. 800, 1600 or 3200..
3. Manual focus. Even the very top end AF systems have trouble in really dim conditions - 'dim', meaning where the human eye can barely make out details. It'll be faster to manual focus sometimes. If your system has fulltime manual focussing, practice it at home first. (Don't load film.) Do 'focus-bracketing' when it's really dim, ie aim nearer a bit, shoot, focus a little further, shoot, then a little further, shoot, etc. Hopefully one of them come out right-on.
4. Manual mode. The camera's metering will go crazy with combination of dim areas and bright lights. Meter once, and stick to it. i used something like f1.6, 1/15 @ ISO3200 for campfire lit shots. BTW, don't go slower than 1/15 for human subjects - you'd get movement blur. A dSLR helps a lot here - you can get continuous feedback.
5. Use wider lenses. They enable better handholding. A 35mm or a 50mm would be fine. If using a zoom, don't zoom in, unless you're very sure you can handhold and shoot an 'acceptable' shot with that shutter speed. Is better to underexpose or handshake the shot? Your call. i'd choose underexposure.
6. Using the flash in such a place will typically annoy people and give you blacked-out backgrounds. Use it only for must-get shots, eg one or two shots of the performer on stage. Bounce it off the ceiling. Use the flash also for posed group shots - and remember to switch your mode to Av or P.
What's your gear, and do you have an upgrade budget?