which lens to take on a photo shoot

<p>I'll be doing a photo shoot on a Circle Line boat Thurs. The purpose is to photograph several people on the boat who will be showing the sights of NY to tourists. I have a Nikon d90 camera and want to know which is the best lens for this. The people are more important than the sights and I want natural shots probably three quarter and some close-up<br />Any recommendations? Don't worry if I don't have the lens you recommend. I can get or borrow it. Also, would you use a tripod?<br />Thanks so much!!</p>

<p>If you have the 18-105 kit lens, that would be fine. The lens isn't going to determine how good you pictures will be. If it's bright and sunny, watch your exposures. I've been on several boat tours around Manhattan; a tripod will be about as useful as a surfboard.</p>

<p>If the objective is to show NY landmarks in the background, I think some fill flash to even up subject exposure and background exposure is more important than lens selection. Especially if you are all outdoors, any mid-zoom should get the job done.</p>

<p>Tripods are great on solid land. Aboard watercraft which has gasoline/fuel oil engines they transmit the engine vibrations to the camera, so you definitely don't want to use one on the water in this case. I think a 28-50mm lens would do you just fine for what you are seeking.</p>

<p>If it's a pro shoot and you're not precisely sure what the conditions are going to be, bring your normal range of lenses. I mean if you get there and find out you can't work at the distances/closeness you're anticipating, a 28-70, for example, might be two limiting on both sides. If it's a job, do like a boy scout and be prepared. </p>

<p>On a DX body I would use the 17-55/2.8.<br /> And yes, to second Shun, bring a flash for evening up the exposure. Don't rely on the built-in flash, use an external Speedlight with a dome or small soft box.</p>

<p>I normally use a tripod about 80+% of the time, but on a boat--no way. The engine vibrations will really screw you up. I agree a little fill flash from something like a Nikon SB-700 would be first priority. Second priority would be something like a Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 OS lens. Really though, the f2.8 will mostly help if the light level is low or you are trying to isolate someone from the background. My final suggestion? SB-700, off camera if possible. (Use a "human light stand."</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>There are light reflectors that widen the output area of the flash. I`m thinking on the "bouncing" ones made with a flat white sheet of plastic (some have reflection sides). They are attached at an angle directly over the flash head. I used to use the Metz one for hammerhead units and worked great. <br /> You need to experiment with fill flash, to get the colors and most natural looking at the close plane and a good background illumination under different conditions.<br /> The same, -but detached-, flash head could be interesting for some nice effects.<br /> Personally, I`d use a normal range zoom (16/17mm on the short end). If the zoom extends to 85mm, it `d be great to isolate a face with an interesting building/subject on the background</p>

<p>I would never bring a tripod to a shoot. It limits movements. D90 should shoot well at ISO 1000. Flash if that is a problem.</p>

<p>I'm thinking of using the 18-105 kit lens and an off camera flash with a diffuser. I'll bring my 35mm lens as well. No tripod. I get that. What do you think? Otherwise, I have to buy a new lens. Since this is a volunteer thing, I'm not sure I want to buy another lens just for this and rush into a decision. I also have a wide angle Tokina 14-22 and a 55 to 300 Nikon but those seem really wrong. <br>

Thanks all for your input and help.</p>

<p>Most shoe mount type flash, light modifiers work by spreading the light around and bouncing it off surrounding surfaces. If you're outside, there's isn't much to bounce the light off of. To soften the light, the light source has to be made larger so that it doesn't act as a point source. Unless you have an assistant handling the light, simple, on camera fill flash is probably the best thing. A flash that supports high speed focal plane sync would be handy so shutter speeds above the x-sync speed can be used. All it needs to do is open up shadows and possibly balance to ambient levels. If it's an overcast day, fill flash is a must. Clouds act like a giant soft box directing the light straight down creating shadows around the eyes.</p>

<p>The 35mm prime is good for a shallow depth of field, but you may not be able to use a very large aperture on a sunny day unless you also have a neutral density filter. The Tokina should be useful for getting some other perspectives at the wide end: take it. The 55-300 can be used to change the buildings in the background from a lot of little ones, to a few large ones. Unless you have someone watching your gear, you may want to keep things light and simple.</p>

<p> </p>

I've a tripod on a boat, on a pilot boat leading the parade of tall ships in The New York Harbor in '86 during the re-

dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Several of the photos (shot on Kodachrome 64) were subsequently published as full

page images in coffee table size books. Good thing there wasn't such a thing as photo.net back then otherwise the

"experts" would have convinced me I shouldn't have bothered with the tripod!

 

For that assignment I used lenses from 15 to 400mm. I think it worked out pretty well.

<p>I think the OP's shooting condition is drastically different from Ellis Vener's. The OP will be on Circle Line, which is more like a ferry and typically with many passengers around. Most likely the OP will be using a mid zoom such as a 17-55mm or 16-85mm type lens, nothing near 400mm. I don't think I would use a tripod either in the context of this discussion. Ellis' situation on a pilot boat, apparently with some capacity as one of the official photographers for a major event, was very different.</p>

<p>P.S. Years ago (late 1990's), I have taken the Circle Line once in New York City. I had something like either an F5 or F100 with a couple of lenses. I also has no need for a tripod in that situation.</p>

<p>I'm taking the Nikon 18-105 lens, the 35mm lens, an off camera flash and want to know if I should use a polarizing filter? </p>

<p>You can take a polarizer with you, but it's probably not necessary. You always have to be aware of the angle of sun when using one. I just learned a good trick, make your hand into a pistol, index finger pointing at the sun like the barrel of the gun, thumb pointing up like the hammer of the gun. Then rotate your hand left and right, wherever your thumb is pointing is the proper direction to shoot for the polarizer to do its job.</p>

<p>I like the trick, Michael... thanks!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Good thing there wasn't such a thing as photo.net back then otherwise the "experts" would have convinced me I shouldn't have bothered with the tripod!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>...And then they would have told you how in the good old days, real photographers would have used a 11x14 glass plate camera ;~)</p>