Advice of Using Filters and Flash for Indoor Photography

[naila_johnson]

<p>Hello.</p>

<p>So I am going to be attending a few redeployment ceremonies starting at midnight for our troops that are returning back from Iraq.<br>

The building that we will be in is kind of warehouse like, horrible flourescent lighting i might add.<br>

I currently use a flash diffuser on my 3100 right now for most outdoor photos since thats usually what i use my camera for. and i do own a uv filter, neutral density filter and circular polarizer filter. However, i am uncertain that i will have any need for a filter but much more the proper flash. what are your suggestions?</p>

<p>i also usually have my lens hood on. should i remove it?</p>

<p>thank you!!</p>

[tommyinca]

<p>For best color use a fluorescent lighting filter plus shoot in raw format, if you know which type of fluorescent lights are used (Day, Warm and etc) in the site. Lack of that or maximum color fidelity are not needed , just shoot raw or bring a grey (or known white) card and use custom white balance. Shooting in raw and convert later will also remove the need to worry about switching and mix light (flash + fluorescent). Same for filter.</p>

<p>It will help raw post processing if you also take a picture of a color chart or grey/white card/paper at the site prior.</p>

<p> </p>

[gdw]

<p>Do not remove the lens hood (unless you use flash and the hood casts a shadow). Do not use any filters over the lens.<br>

You have three choices. Not knowing exactly how much light will be available it would be difficult to say which is the best choice.<br>

First, shoot by available light, fluorescent only. Set the camera to fluorescent white balance. If you camera has more than one fluorescent setting, many do, shoot some test shots under the lights before the ceremony and check the LCD to see which setting looks most natural. Do shoot RAW so that you can tweak the white balance in post. If the lights are high overhead you most likely will get raccoon eyes and other bad shadows which would be better filled with flash, but DON’T. This is probably the easiest solution but possibly far from elegant. <br>

Two, you can use basically available light with the flash for fill or supplement. If you do that you will want your white balance set to fluorescent and you MUST have an GREEN filter on your FLASH. If you use straight flash without the green filter you will end up with photographs that will be impossible to white balance even if you shoot RAW. The green filter is available from most well stocked camera stores or from Adorama or B&H. This will probably be the best solution but again it depends on the amount of light you have available in the building.<br>

Three, you can attempt to overpower the fluorescent with the flash--highly unlikely except for people that are fairly close. In this case you would want the white balance set to flash and use no filters on the flash. You will still have a very off color background if you pick up any available light at all and you most likely will. Areas that are not well exposed by the flash will also be off color and impossible to correct in post.</p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Test your set-up before the start of your photography: the Nikon D3100 has several types of flourescent light settings. If you can use ISO 800, and the color is good...you may not need the flash. A UV filter on the lens does no harm...should someone at the happy event toss any sort of liquid -- better to clean a filter compared to the front element of your lens.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

 

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>If you need to supplement the fluorescent light with flash, then the way I'd do it is set the camera at fluorescent white-balance (but be aware that there are 3 commonly used types of tube - cool white; warm white; daylight - and more!), and to use a greenish filter over the flash to match the fluoro lights. But rather than guess what type of fluorescent tube is being used, it would be far easier to set a custom WB, IMO.</p>

<p>As for the flash; I believe that you can get a clip-on fluorescent matching filter for Nikon flashguns, but personally I would just use a Lee filter sample out of their (free on request) swatch book. These samples are plenty big enough to cover the front of most hotshoe guns and the filter you want is a Lee Plus Green #244 or a CC30G. However the short notice means that you might have to improvise. So if you're lucky you might find a pale green sweet wrapper that'll do the job!</p>

[naila_johnson]

<p>Thank you for your advice/tips! the ceremony was beautiful!<br>

i have one more ceremony to attend, and that will be the return of my husband so i will have time to get the green filter. thank you again </p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Naila, I checked out the results of using that Lee #244 filter over the flash together with setting a custom WB from warm white fluorescent tubes. The flash turned out a bit too blue I'm afraid, so you might want to add a pale yellow filter as well as the #244. Lee don't appear to do a suitable yellow-green filter, but if you get their swatch book you can add a light yellow or pale amber sample on top of the green.</p>

<p>Unfortunately there are so many types of fluorescent tube around that it's almost impossible to predict results accurately. Worse still, tube types get mixed in real life, and old tubes aren't the same colour as newer ones. It's all a bit hit-and-miss! So I'd also advise to shoot RAW to maximise your options of post-processing correction.</p>

[naila_johnson]

<p><img src="http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/317039_294582413905084_223938874302772_1062935_832334933_a.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="270" /><br>

This is what most of my photos turned out like. Not sure what i did wrong if anything. What can i correct next time? I adjusted the iso, aperture, flash diffuser, lens hood ( on some cases bc it did add a ring) and other advice given.</p>

[naila_johnson]

<p>btw i did shoot raw. i always do :)</p>