When there is no ambiant light (well...not much)

OK....I got suckered into doing another wedding even though I told

myself never again. When asked, the first words out of my mouth

were "Id be happy to help you find a qualified professional". I'm

still not sure how it came to this again. Luckily, it's at the

beach, late enough to catch the sunset. I'm very comfortable

shooting there. I've had lots of practice lately shooting dead

fish.

 

My question (or dilemma)is the reception. It will take place at the

MOB's home-in the back yard. The lighting will be twinkle lights and

tiki torches-that's it unless you count the glow from the sodium

vapor street light that will likely be visible.

 

I've seen very few reception photos shot under these conditions,

probably because they're not portfolio material. I'm assuming I have

no choice but to end up with nearly black backgrounds dotted with the

glow of twinkles and orange flame from the torches. While I don't

think the bride will even notice, I'm cringing as I pre-visualize

these photos-like tiny UFO's-I hate messy backgrounds. I plan to

shoot around this as much as possible, use tight crops etc. Dragging

the shutter won't help unless I plan on using my bulb setting. If

anyone has a magic solution or suggestion I'd love to hear it.

 

It's very possible I'll convert many of these to B&W.

 

I'll be using a D2X with SB800 mounted on a stroboframe. I have a

mini softbox that I'll use as needed. (Before I'm scolded, I will

have a D70 for backup. Should my flash fail, I'll have a Canon film

body with flash ready to go) I suppose I should figure out which of

my lenses has the best bokeh for pleasantly rendering OOF twinkle

lights.

They can be fun- I tend to shoot those wide open while at around 1/10 of a second at 400 or 800. Maybe you can even talk them into putting up a couple of Japanese paper lanterns. They're inexpensive and add at least a bit of light.

 

Don't be afraid to experiment a bit (but make sure you get the key moments) and I'm sure you'll do fine.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob<div></div>

If it wasn't clear I meant that I shoot wide open 1/10 with the flash doing the exposing once it gets dark. I would tend to stay away from the softbox unless I'm really close, otherwise it just eats up your power. It sounds like you know what you're up against. Good luck.

 

Awesome galleries by the way, your dead fish comment aroused my curiosity.

 

Rob

I would recommend not shooting the wedding. Your attitude is certainly not for it and that will transpire into your images and be one more reason brides should give throw away cameras to their guest instead of hiring a professional.

Robert, busting a little heavy I think. Laurie will get some great shots because she seems well prepared and she has a clue, which many people don't. The D2X and SB800 combo will produce some great results. I would use the diffusor and move in close.

I disagree Robert, I think Laurie actually has a refreshingly delightful attitude about approaching this wedding in a way that will give the B/G some good results. She appears prepared and is doing her homework. I wouldn't worry so much about catching the available ambient light, let your flash do it's thing. Use direct flash with a Stofen difuser or the mini-softbox and look for the moments of emotion and action. I would shoot at 1/60th and let the background go dark....if you get some light twinkles I doubt it will be a big deal and you won't need to worry about casting dark shadows. You might want to load up the film camera with a roll of 3200 B&W and have some fun, especially around the vapor lights....place your subjects near them and fire away. Also, suggest you try a couple of test shots in similar conditions and see what you think of your results. The situation you are dscribing is very similar to many receptions once the dancing is in full swing, the alcohol is kicking in, and the hall drops the lights way down low....the biggest hassel is likely getting your focus to lock in,....if there is a videoguy with a camera light, you can use their lite to help you autofocus otherwise you'll have to pre-focus manually.

Laurie- we just a wedding like this last weekend. Just the guests and the mosquitos dancing in the darkness. I would've been very happy to have a few extra twinkle lights :) The best images are the ones with off camera flash, but I also found that keeping the flash at about 45 degrees with the bounce card out was able to put for the better looking light if I was pretty close. Good Luck- atleast up until total darkness you'll have very nice outdoor/sunset photos!

Stand above it (mentally). Fire away, do your job. - O.K. the actuations might be wasted compared to your portfolio but who cares? - You'll frame better and flash a bit softer than others, that's enough! As long as you can focus somehow you should just do it.

 

Why did you even try to talk the MOB into hireing a pro? - I believe there are few who are able to bring about 3 strobe setups with independent radioslave circuits to make something perfect out of the situation.

 

I recently goofed up a birthdayparty in a backyard. I had no chance to focus my DSLR properly when I tried available light pictures (with non AF lenses) and caught lots of camera shake too. Trying to be on the safe side with f8 -11 and lots of flash seems a better solution to me now. If I have to do it again, I'll grab a Rangefinder and Metz 60. At least I'll be able to proof who was there with how many wrinkles.

I've done a couple of parties like this. If you do it, in addition

to the flash shots you were going to take anyway, try at least a

few "atmosphere" shots where you use a wide angle lens, tripod, and

no flash. Use as long a shutter speed as necessary (I've used

several seconds). That'll capture the mood and the lighting the way

the guests remembered it, and it's a shot that "Uncle Joe" with his

nice camera is unlikely to get.

<p>

Sure, anybody who is moving will be blurry, but if you do it

while the guests are seated and eating, most people

will be sharp enough, and of course the non-moving background will

be fine. Blurred people on the dance floor may even be a nice

effect.

Dragging the shutter does help, especially if you try to get your shots from angles that include the house in the background. You'll get some reflectance from the house and pick up some of the house lighting. If you shoot with the vast expanse of back yard in the background, yes--you'll get black. Another option is to set up one or two off-camera flashes to light up the backgrounds.

Wow, lots of great advice and encouragement. I hadn't considered the light coming from the house. Perhaps I can convice the MOB to let me open a few blinds and turn on some interior lights to add even more (if it seems like it would help). Then, dragging the shutter might be just the ticket.

 

I appreciate the specific recommendations for exposure settings and techniques. I'll try some different combinations this evening to see what works best. Likely, I'll use a combination of your suggestions throughout the evening since the lighting will be different from angle to angle.

 

The wedding is tomorrow and it looks like we'll have partly cloudy skies. That tends to make for the best sunsets so I'm very happy about that.

 

Robert(Medina)-Are you feeling a tad cranky? My "attitude" about shooting this wedding is that I am not a wedding photographer and don't plan on becoming one. That's why I offered to help her find a pro. The bride is on a very tight budget, hence the beach wedding and casual reception at her mom's house. Her engagement was very short. It boiled down to me or no one. Despite all that, I want to do the very best job I can for her. While her wedding won't be extravagant, it's still her wedding day and it will be nice if she has some quality photos to look back on 20 years from now. That's why I posted my question here.

 

I phrased my question a bit "tongue in cheek". Perhaps you misunderstood. Despite my apparent "attitude", I take my work very seriously no matter what I'm shooting.

 

Now...off to the camera store to pick up a few rolls of fast b&w film-and some point and shoot disposables.

 

Thanks again to everyone for all of the great advice. I'll put it to good use!

The "drag the shutter" approach doesn't work for me anymore. I can't handhold steadily below 1/125 second. That's why I got the 24-120 VR lens. While it's not technically as sharp as the 28-70/2.8 or other top shelf midrange zooms, it has more *practical* sharpness for me because I can handhold it down to 1/30 sec easily and slower if I'm really careful.

I hear what you're saying Lex. I'm so accustomed to shooting with a tripod that I haven't really developed a steady hand. I will have my tripod handy if it seems it might be useful. My only VR (IS) lens is an 80-400. It's unlikely I'll find an appropriate handheld use for that lens after dark-it's pretty heavy. I do have a surprisingly capable Tamron 70-300 that's pretty light and I've been successful handholding that down to about 1/50th as long as I was leaning against something. Couple that with some high ISOs (not a terribly fast lens) and I can probably make it work. More than likely, I'll be using my 50mm F1.8 for many of the later shots. I love that little lens, especially at the 75mm eqiv. Couple that with a short focal distance, and I'll be in good shape. My husband still scratches his head when he sees me grab that $100 lens over some of the others I paid a fortune for.

I just shot a wedding very similar to this. Very little, if any light, in the backyard. I used the SB-24 & SB-600 on a film body, dragging the shutter @ 1/60th. The snaps look great! Aperture @ f/8 or f/11.

 

Russ

Thanks Russ!

If it will be as dark as you describe, then your flash is going to be your key light. In that case, you won't have to worry about subject blur, unless they are wearing capes and can move faster than a speeding bullet! So, I'd suggest a slow shutter speed - perhaps 1/15 or 1/30 (it won't matter except for the traces of background light, and if those lights are blurred because of camera movement, it's really a nice effect) and a wide aperture. You can always adjust the shutter speed to produce the amount of ambient exposure you want. You might want to start out at 1/60 if that feels more comfortable, but don't be afraid to really slow it down if your backgrounds are showing totally black.

 

I also use the D2x with the SB-800 and it's a great combination. Most of all, have fun! It sounds like your head is in the right place for this job. Wish I was shooting it!

I did a lot of available light shots at a friends wedding using a monopod. didn't slow me down much and I got a few shots I couldn't hand hold but was still pretty mobile. Collapsed I would prop it in my belt and I'd extend it when I had a chance.

hope the wedding went well as I am late to the thread. Anyone that can make dead fish lying on wet sand appealing shouldnt have too much to worry with twinkle lights. bokeh, who ordered the bokeh...I'll take the tofu substitute. ;)

Rich, Tony, and Knicki-Thanks! I got home a little while ago and did a quick review of the photos. Under the circumstances, I ended up with plenty of shots the bride will be happy with. There are a handful I'm very happy with myself.

 

The lighting ended up worse than expected. While there were twinkle lights and tiki torches, they were nowhere near the deck that functioned as the dance floor. The deck was no larger than 12x15 feet. It was raised and had a railing so there was no way for me to shoot while standing off the deck. I ended up having to use a wide angle for most of the shots (If I wanted a whole body in the frame). I used my 50mm and 105mm for some close ups of the guests. The only light was the glow from the DJs light. I was lucky enough to come across a flash light and used that to focus. Once I had it, I didn't move from my position and just framed from there. To make matters worse, no matter what angle I shot from I either had the AC compressor (reflective metal) Three white ice chests, the sliding glass door, or the back of the DJs equipment (dangling cords etc.) In such tight quarters, It wasn't possible to throw those OOF. So.......I let the background go black as much as possible. It was the best solution. I just framed tight or waited for there to be so many people dancing (line dancing to country music) that the group filled the frame. It was so hot and humid, the bride danced only the 1st dance and spent the rest of the evening inside. Me...I was soaked with sweat. I kept going back and forth between the bride and the dance crowd. Needless to say, I didn't have a chance to eat anything.

 

The room where the tables were set up had a very low ceiling. Clearly no one living in the house is very tall. If they were, they would end up with a concussion every time they walked near the ceiling fan. I clipped my soft box with it twice while shooting (yes, it's that low). Bouncing off the ceiling wasn't an option there, it was just too low. I had to have the cake moved. It was set up on a table against an upright piano. Nearly touching the cake was a tall ship replica and at least 30 figurines. There was no way to shoot the cake without having all of that clearly in the frame. Frankly, there was no way to cut the cake in that position. I was just grateful they agreed to move it.

 

But that's just the second half of the evening. The getting ready photos were shot in a very small bedroom with two unmade beds stacked with luggage. I personally moved an inflatable mattress that was stacked against the wall and other large items to the garage. I had to bring a lamp in from the other room for light. There will be heavy use of PS on those.

 

 

The beach wedding started very late. By the time the ceremony was over, it was dark. All the formals were shot on the beach, after dark. The only light was the flash. I had to cut it short because it got too dark to focus, manually or otherwise. We were also being kicked off the beach by the Park Rangers. I did manage at least one shot of all the important groupings.

 

To top it off, I had $200 stolen from my purse that I thought was securely tucked away under a bed, out of sight. Aaarrgh.

 

All that said, The ceremony shots came out great and I managed to get all the important stuff. The rest will be fine but not great. I was happy that despite the challenges, I was able to find a solution. There was no way to change the setting, the light, or the circumstances but I at least had a good idea about the best way to handle it. I owe that to all the help and advice I've found in this forum.

 

I haven't asked the bride permission yet to post any photos. I'm sure she won't object. I'll post a sampling in the next week or so, once I've sorted through them all.

 

Now..I'm done with my whine and off to drink some wine.

Good heavens. Sounds like a real ordeal! I knew you'd get some good shots though, and look forward to seeing them. It's unfortunate that on such a happy occassion some sneaking weasel was busy thieving from the guests. Pity there weren't any alligators under the bed.

I usually carry a little flashlight in my camera bag and keep one in the truck also. You never know when it'll come in handy!

Al, The funny thing is, I normally keep a small flashlight in my bag. I took it out to make room for the backup gear. I should have known better.

 

Kathy, I should have known better than to even take my purse with me. Keeping my eye on my gear was enough. I should have just locked my purse in the car. It's much easier to keep a watch gator in there than under a bed.

I have one of those "last forever" penlight type attachments for my key ring (my car keys) so it goes wherever I go. I use it to see my camera settings when I'm in pitch black, and it is useful in any case for other situations. Also, when I'm shooting, I carry a Taxi Wallet and cell phone in a small pouch which is on me at all times. I know you don't do this for a living every weekend, but getting a pouch to carry your wallet in is easy enough to do. I have enough trouble guarding my gear from theft let alone carrying a separate purse.

This was taken wide open at f2.8 I believe at a very slow shutterspeed.(no flash

obviously)..maybe an 8th?I should really look at the info in photoshop....but I

tend to use the flash manually at 8th of a second at f8 as a staring point(asa

200)and seems to work well as an all around ambient/flash mix.Good luck!<div></div>