I have an oppurtunity- help please

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

11/28/2006 06:00:40 PM · #1

A friend has passed on a photo up for this coming Sunday. He doesn't have the time to do it and figured I could use the exposure. It's a business party at a local hotel. They want someone to take pictures and if people want to order they can.
They'll have a backdrop of some sort. Problem is I have no external flash- friend may have one that is compatible with my camera but not likely. I have not done ANY indoor portraits. I have no eqpt. Everything I've done has been outside. I don't have the money to go out and buy eqpt either.
It's nothing really formal- in fact the picture thing is a last minute decision on their part. Thing is I can take pictures, they can order what they want, and the money would be mine.
Is it possible to do indoor portraits without all the bells and whistles and any pointers on camera settings?

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

11/28/2006 06:18:10 PM · #2

I would suggest renting the proper flash equipment and visiting the local library for a book on standard studio flash setups. You'll be out of pocket but without proper light the chances of this being a disaster are good.

Tim

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

11/28/2006 06:19:25 PM · #3

Unless you want to do very stark moody photos (ie just one light source) then you are in trouble. You really need an external light, or two.

In-camera flash is one of the easiest ways to kill a good portrait. But hopefully your friend's flash has the ability to be used as a slave - in which case you can use it off camera and use your in-camera flash to fire it - that way you have two light sources. \

There are plenty of threads in the forums about lighting setups so have a look around.

Canon EOS-20D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

11/28/2006 06:21:48 PM · #4

Do you feel comfortable selling your services professionally for something you've never done before? Exposure can good, true, but make sure it's the right kind. :)

Message edited by author 2006-11-28 18:21:58.

jemison

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/28/2006 06:27:35 PM · #5

Frankly, I would pass on this one. You are not prepared nor confident. Also, I suspect that the reason your friend is passing on this may have less to do with his/her busy schedule than with the fact that you will be lucky to get a single order from that type situation...spoken from hard experience.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

11/28/2006 07:58:04 PM · #6

If it's an informal company party, it's probably no big deal - particularly if you know at least some of the people - as long as it is crystal clear you are doing this as a favor for your friend and you are not a professional.

As far as buying prints - you may get a few to purchase the staged portraits, but your best bet is to wait til the last few hours and mingle with the crowd, getting candids of the CEO hitting on the receptionist, the guy from shipping mooning his pals in the parking lot, the woman from sales hiking up her dress for the camera, etc. NOW you have a chance to make some real money! ;-)

Good luck.

11/28/2006 08:06:22 PM · #7

Originally posted by jemison:

I suspect that the reason your friend is passing on this may have less to do with his/her busy schedule than with the fact that you will be lucky to get a single order from that type situation...spoken from hard experience.

I tend to agree...

Unless you are set up to get the instant gratification sell.. (print on-site) you're probably not looking at big time sales.

You'd need to rent equipment (if you can't borrow it) to do this right, so you could end up losing money on this gig.

IMO, if you want to start getting into charging money for portraits, start by taking portraits of friends outside. As you get better, friends of friends will come and then thier friends... so on and so on...

11/28/2006 08:10:27 PM · #8

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

lol Art, thanks

It's not supposed to be something professional. I emailed the lady- the part is on Sunday and she is JUST NOW looking for a photographer. I'm confident if I do little research and practice a little in my own house where it's dim that I could get the lighting right. If I can borrow a flash even better. But I honestly don't think they are looking for something formal. And after talking to our friend they don't even know WHAT they want.
Jemison our friend is doing two weddings this weekend. He said he'd do it and has done functions like this before and done fairly well- not a huge amount of money but nothing to really turn down either. I'll take his word for it because I've done two shows with him now and he's quite well known in the art community around here.
Renting eqpt is not an option. If renting it were an option I'd buy it myself lol.

I won't know anybody there. And he passed on my info and that I was NOT a professional. I do more candid shots anyways so I was thinking I could go that route and see if they are interested in that.

I'm still on the fence about it. Exposure is always good, and considering I wouldn't know anybody there, would be a good way to get my name out somewhere other than my own county.

11/28/2006 08:12:19 PM · #9

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by jemison:
I suspect that the reason your friend is passing on this may have less to do with his/her busy schedule than with the fact that you will be lucky to get a single order from that type situation...spoken from hard experience.

I tend to agree...

Unless you are set up to get the instant gratification sell.. (print on-site) you're probably not looking at big time sales.

You'd need to rent equipment (if you can't borrow it) to do this right, so you could end up losing money on this gig.

IMO, if you want to start getting into charging money for portraits, start by taking portraits of friends outside. As you get better, friends of friends will come and then thier friends... so on and so on...

I've done senior portraits outside- 12 to be exact now, plus a few family friends. I've just never worked inside. I've got the outside thing down.

The fact that the lady doesn't need to know till Friday makes me wonder just how planned out this party really is.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

11/28/2006 08:17:56 PM · #10

Anyone know where the ping-pall ball diffuser is?

Seriously, if you can get a plastic ping pong ball or plastic toy golf ball to put over your pop-up flash, you might be able to get some decent stuff like that.

Ofcourse you know pop-up flash eats camera batteries... so use sparingly.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

11/28/2006 08:28:45 PM · #11

Originally posted by missinseattle:

They'll have a backdrop of some sort.

It's nothing really formal- in fact the picture thing is a last minute decision on their part.

These two statements are kind of at odds with each other.

If they have a background, that implies an indoor, posed and lit portrait, something that, by your own admission, you are not equipped to provide.

If they just want someone to wander about and take "party candids", well, without an external flash that you know how to use and can consistently get good results, you still aren't really equipped to take the job.

This "job" might get you exposure, but I'm afraid that it may not be the kind you want.

If no one buys anything, do you just go home empty handed?

dtouch1

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical for Canon

11/28/2006 08:29:49 PM · #12

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

you can also tape a piece of tissue paper or cleas celephane (the kind used on cigerette packs on your pop-up flash, those make great diffusers.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

11/28/2006 08:37:54 PM · #13

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

I have 6 of them in my daughters toybox lol.

Spazmo- I know that doesn't make any sense. I've talked to 3 people now- my friend, my friends friend who gave him the info, and the lady who is actually planning the party. Get the picture?

And yep, if nobody buys I go home empty handed. I get a free meal out of it lol.

The base offered me a job for their CHristmas party also- pretty much the same thing. I turned that one down because it was too far away and nothing at all in it because I couldn't sell anything or offer to sell. At least with this I can offer.

They're going to have it set up in front of a Christmas tree there. No backdrop or anything, just the tree and they'll have a stool and chair available if it's needed.

Part of me really wants to do it, the other part feels like this is totally last minute and the last time I did something last minute it was a waste of time and I'd much rather spend a Sunday evening with my husband and daughter then watching a bunch of drunk idiots bumbling about lol. That's what I envision anyways lol, then again it's on a Sunday and they DO have to work on Monday right?

Still not sure what I'm going to do. Going to see my friend tomorrow to return a couple books and get his input. There's three of us that get together to shoot, do shows and he and the other guy do weddings, motorcycle races, and other gigs. I'm the peon who tags along lol. Just trying to get my feet wet and try some new things.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

11/28/2006 08:42:12 PM · #14

Originally posted by missinseattle:

Spazmo- I know that doesn't make any sense. I've talked to 3 people now- my friend, my friends friend who gave him the info, and the lady who is actually planning the party. Get the picture?

And yep, if nobody buys I go home empty handed. I get a free meal out of it lol.

Sounds like a Duck Cluster to me.

I'd talk to the lady doing the planning again to see exactly what they want and if it sounds like something you want to do, go for it.

11/28/2006 08:44:40 PM · #15

I think the part of me that wants to do it is because I'm done doing seniors and I'm bored. I'm itching for something to do.

I was told there would be 50 to 80 people there. I'll be talking to her tomorrow afternoon hopefully.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM for Nikon

11/28/2006 08:48:14 PM · #16

Originally posted by missinseattle:

By all means go for it then...

OK people let's get her up to speed for shooting indoors :-)

How well does the EVOLT handle high ISO?

Message edited by author 2006-11-28 20:49:09.

ShaneBlake

Nikon D7100

11/28/2006 09:01:22 PM · #17

i agree w/ leroy... if they know you're not a pro and still want you to come, go for it. even if no one buys a print, you got some free food and free experience.

so on to how to do indoor shots. w/o a flash and with 3.5 being your lowest aperture, i hope the e-volt does well at high iso. the ping pong ball is actually a wonderful idea. if you don't have one, you could cut out a section of a milk jug, too...

crank the iso up to 800 or 1000 to start, but you may have to go higher... if anyone wants a print, fix the noise in post they'll probably never know it was there to begin with.

i'd only use the flash for the staged shots w/ your homemade diffuser. and i'd have that lens open as far as it'll go. for candids, just make sure you're set to shoot in continuous mode and take several shots of each person... more likely to get a keeper that way...

most of all, just be friendly and have fun. your attitude goes a long way when it comes to your reputation as a photographer. sometimes it means as much or more than the photographic skill. people would rather hire a decent photog with a great attitude than an absolute genius that drives them crazy all night.

good luck.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

11/28/2006 09:11:33 PM · #18

BTW, keep aware of how fast you are shooting with the on-board flash with that ball on it... don't let it get too hot.Would hate for you to burn it up. Take a few shots and let it rest for a few.

I've got a black spot on the flip-down diffuser on my Sigma flash from letting it get too hot.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

11/28/2006 10:27:19 PM · #19

this is a perfect example of the emerging 'quasi-professional' engagement that is being handled by people with just enough equipment and experience to be able to deliver a semi-professional result. it doesn't really take away from the big-time pros, because the client wasn't going to pay their rates anyway. and, for the most part, no one's expecting the same results as the would from a known professional. so, the semi-pro gets some experience, may make a few bucks, and people get hopefully better photos than if they'd had someone running around without a clue.

that being said, however, if the semi-pro has any dreams of doing anything more, then the semi-pro might want to revisit the business plan. EVERY SINGLE DIME of revenue should go right back into the business, until the business has the equipment necessary to do just about any type of job it wants to take. and the semi-pro should be doing whatever it takes to shoot a minimum of 1000 frames a week, practicing and learning different setups and lighting situations, so that when opportunities present themselves, they can be handled with absolute confidence. the most important thing for a semi-pro to do is to get themselves to a point where there are very, very few "oh-s#!+ what do i do now" moments. i realize this might sound a bit strong, but, it makes the difference between being a semi-pro, or being able to move up a notch...

just some food for thought ;-)

11/29/2006 06:45:03 AM · #20

Originally posted by skiprow:

thanks skip- I don't even consider myself semi-pro lol. I'm an amateur although the community has dubbed me as a freelance now after doing two shows and I'm dealing with one art gallery at this point.

Well I just may go for it then. I just took a couple test shops in our dimly lit living room. The ISO at 1600- that's as high as it goes on my camera, f3.6 and shutter at 1/25sec. They're not too bad for candids but for the staged shots I'll have to change the shutter speed I think and hope for no blowouts in the bg.

Thanks for the help and encouragement. I'm not really wanting to make money off of this. FOr me photography isn't about making money. This is my hobby, and while the money would be nice, I don't want it feeling like a job. That's how I felt with doing seniors this year. Ate up a lot of weekend time and my weekend time is very valuable since it's the only real time our family has together.

SO I'll see how this goes!

11/29/2006 06:46:25 AM · #21

another thing, I made up brochures and business cards a while back for the shows. I'll take my business cards, but should I bother with the brochures?