First event shoot- 1 year old bday party

Hi all,

 

I will be shooting my first paid gig tomorrow, and need a few opinions on lens and lighting.

 

It is a 1 year old's birthday party at a lakehouse in CT. It will be all outdoor shooting, from 1pm-4pm. I'm planning on getting there an

hour early to take some creative shots of the toddler with my 50mm fixed lens (I have a Canon 40D). This will be a nice way to get

warmed up & take some more creative shots. I'm having anxiety over the rest of the event though. I feel confident and comfortable

with my composition & choices of shots, but not so much the lighting. I'm worried because it will be the middle of the day, with hard

sunlight. I know there is a tree on the location (that is apparently really big), but what if I have dappled lighting through the leaves?

What if the lighting in the sun has hard shadows as well? You can't set up shots at an event, I need to capture moments and have

my technical stuff squared away in advance. I'm bringing a flash, but am VERY new with it. I'm worried I'll waste time fiddling around

& possibly missing good shooting opportunities. But I don't want shots with shadows on faces... whether in the sun or through breaks

in the tree leaves. I'll be very happy if it is overcast or the tree has even shade...

 

The Mom was laid back & said not to feel too much pressure. She booked me on a cheap rate, and not as a professional

photographer- but amateur.. She's expecting me to capture the event, like a wedding would be captured.. journalistically I'd say.

 

So here are my questions...

 

Should I shoot with my 24-90 lens during the event so I have flexibility of zooming in and out, not missing key moments? Or should I

shoot with my fixed 50mm (equivalent to an 85mm on full frame), because it takes such gorgeous photos? Or should I mix it up-

50mm to start when I'm there early, then switch to the standard zoom?

 

Should I nix the flash altogether if I'm too uncomfortable (and will the Mom even notice shadows in some photos on faces?) or take

this as a learning opportunity since it is a cheap gig anyways? I know I might just have to make an last minute judgement call as well

since I have never been to this location. It feels weird to me running around in the middle of the day with a flash... but my aunt who is

a wedding photographer says she brings a flash to EVERY event.

 

Tips please!! I appreciate your help!

<p>Bring the flash, with which you should be practicing like mad today to try to arrive at a viable fill-flash setting. A zoom will make your day much easier. I am assuming that your flash is a Canon flash, correct?</p>

<p>Recently photographed my friend's daughter 1st birthday. Just for fun, as a guest.<br /> I used my 40D + 50mm. It was midday, sunlit and shadowy beneath a tree.<br /> I felt that the field of view of the 50 was too small, but very up- close shots with 'half' guests does take the viewer inside the action...<br /> And it is a wonderful portrait lens on a 40D! I had lot's of fun watching and documenting the playing kids.<br /> Looking back I found a lot over exposed shots mostly because I used spot metering (I think). Partial metering would've been better in a contrast rich environment as the manual says...<br /> Of course I'm largely to blame. I ignored the blinking and the histogram peaks at the right, expecting Lightroom to fix all my 'expose to the right' attempts. <br /> I did buy a 28mm 2.8 (second hand) a couple of weeks later. But the image quality of the 50, well I guess you know...<br /> I didn't bring a flash, sorry I can't be of help here.</p>

<p>Enjoy! Nico</p>

<p>bring the flash and use it. </p>

<p>I would suggest for the event itself use the 24-90. </p>

<p>I have a couple of birthday parties - be forewarned that in some cultures the 1st birthday is the most important event next to the wedding. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

If it's a sunny day there's going to be a lot of light. If you shoot with a large aperture on your 50 mm lens your shutter speeds will be

very fast. They could exceed the maximum flash sync speed. So if you want to use flash in bright sunlight

 

- use a small aperture such as f/16

- use a low ISO number such as 100

 

To avoid unintended mistakes, shoot in P mode. Avoid A or Av, S or Tv, or M. Please.

 

ALWAYS double check your focus. Aim for the near eye and be sure that the focus hasn't slipped over to some object behind the

subject (this can happen without you realizing it).

 

Unless you know how to use high speed flash sync, but don't even bother trying unless you have practiced with this technology before.

 

Also, bounced flash is softer than direct flash. If you use direct flash, try dialing flash compensation down a bit, especially if you are

less than ten feet away from the subject. For large group shots, dial the flash power back up to 0.0.

Thanks everyone! Yes, my flash is Canon- the 580ex II. I've practiced using it a few times this week.. so we'll see how

I do. I have the Gary Fong diffuser also, so I feel prepared. I appreciate all your tips... they're very helpful. I'll let you

know how it goes..

<p>This is probably too late, but it would probably be best to have a medium size gold reflector. Take it easy and ask any of the guests to hold it for you when you take a shot. It's easier to see what you'll get before you click. Use the flash at -1 flash exposure compensation when there's no one to hold the reflector. Use a 1/4 CTO on the flash if you have one.</p>

<p>I'm guessing you know how to use metering and I don't know if canon flashes have the backlight option like nikon... but if you don't, center weighted metering when you're using flash should work fine (check beforehand).</p>

<p>I'd start with the zoom to get a sense of the pace and space, and then switch to the 50 based on what I anticipate...</p>

<p>Relax, talk to people and make them feel relaxed, and have a great shoot!</p>