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05/13/2005 11:58:48 AM · #1 |
I am going to be shooting a beauty pageant for the front page of a local newspaper. This is my first official photography "job".
I'm terrified!
These are the lenses I have:
- Canon EFs 18-55mm 0.28m/0.9ft
- Canon 28-80mm 0.38/1.3ft
- Phoenix 100-300mm AF 1:1.6-6.7
Which would be best?
The pageant will be indoors. The only lighting I have is the Speedlight 420EX.
God. I am so nervous. I want to look and act like a professional.
Help?
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05/13/2005 12:15:26 PM · #2 |
| Well the photos on your website look really good - I don't think you should be too nervous! I don't have any advice, just a bump for you. Good luck |
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05/13/2005 12:41:24 PM · #3 |
*smile*
Thanks david.
I know that portraiture is my weakness. I'm just so nervous. I don't want to screw it up... yanno?
Anyway... thanks.
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05/13/2005 12:46:54 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by MsCantBWrong:
I am going to be shooting a beauty pageant for the front page of a local newspaper. This is my first official photography "job".
I'm terrified!
These are the lenses I have:
- Canon EFs 18-55mm 0.28m/0.9ft
- Canon 28-80mm 0.38/1.3ft
- Phoenix 100-300mm AF 1:1.6-6.7
Which would be best?
The pageant will be indoors. The only lighting I have is the Speedlight 420EX.
God. I am so nervous. I want to look and act like a professional.
Help? |
I would suggest the 18-55 unless it's the kit lense. If it is use the 28-80. Depending on how close your going to be to the stage is the choice of which lense to use. My suggestion is go earily get someone to stand where YOU think is a goo place with the lighting and take some sample shots. If your zoom on to 28-80 isn't to bad and you happy with that lense then go with it. Being nervous is an emotion similar to pain... Believe it doesn't hurt and it won't. You seem to know what your doing so al you have to do is go and do. Worst case papers don't print high quality photos anyways so even your worst shot will look good in a paper. Hope this helps.
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05/13/2005 01:12:28 PM · #5 |
Okay. Cool. That's the type of info I was looking for. Thanks notonline. *smile*
Why do you suggest against the kit lens?
And I like your method of building confidence... "papers don't print high quality photos anyways so even your worst shot will look good in a paper". That made me laugh. *grin*
I was looking at the Sigma 50mmEX. Maybe I should buy that instead of a bigger CF card? The reporter said that I could shoot in JPG, that it would be converted to .TIF anyway...
But then I get myself embroiled in the whole conundrum of: Do I need/want the Sigma 50MM EX or save my money for the Canon 100mm f2.8.?
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05/13/2005 02:30:31 PM · #6 |
If you're shooting for the paper then I assume you'll have credentials and so will be able to stand pretty much anywhere you want. Depending on the lighting inside you may want to go with the fastest lens you have. Length is going to depend on how close you will be and if you're looking to shoot headshots, full body shots, or both.
Are you talking about the 50mm 2.8 or the 1.8 or the 1.4? The problem with primes in a situation like this is you have to physically move to get the shot you want instead of standing still and zooming in or out. So again it depends on where you'll be standing and how much room you'll have to work in. |
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05/14/2005 04:36:46 AM · #7 |
Originally posted by MsCantBWrong:
Okay. Cool. That's the type of info I was looking for. Thanks notonline. *smile*
Why do you suggest against the kit lens?
And I like your method of building confidence... "papers don't print high quality photos anyways so even your worst shot will look good in a paper". That made me laugh. *grin*
I was looking at the Sigma 50mmEX. Maybe I should buy that instead of a bigger CF card? The reporter said that I could shoot in JPG, that it would be converted to .TIF anyway...
But then I get myself embroiled in the whole conundrum of: Do I need/want the Sigma 50MM EX or save my money for the Canon 100mm f2.8.? |
I dislike the kit lense that I got with mine and would assume it is or was the same you recieved with yours. I find it very lose in manual focus.
I am glad you got a laff out of my confidence building but sometimes the answers are right there infront of you. All you have to do is look.
I would also recommend shooting in jpg and make sure your burst mode is set and working. On this same note I would also get at least a 1 gig card if thats what you were going to get instead of the other lense unless its the canon 100mm.
On a seperate note might I suggest VERY confortable shoes. Your feet will thank you.
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05/14/2005 05:06:49 AM · #8 |
Hi-ho,
Bearing in mind it's a long time since I shot a fashion/pageant event.. (over ten years).
Get there early and stake the place out. Find out from the events stage manager if you'll be able to roam around a bit, or if you'll have to stay in one spot.
If it's a largeish event you'll find you'll be stuck in one spot, as there will be more than just you taking photos. If you are stuck, and it's a conventional runway setup, a good spot is just off the side of the end of the runway, so you can get almost full-frontal shots of the models as they do the 'stop/turn' thing.
If you are able to, try and get backstage. You'll not be able to use flash, but at ISO1600 a shot using your fastest lens (The kit one wide open?) of the models waiting to go out on stage has a lot of potential...
As for the lenses.. Take the lot! You never know!
If you've not used the 420ex much before this, have a play with it, and learn how the EOS flash system works things out. My advice would be to use manual mode on the camera, set to 3 stops down from the 'average' meter reading you get in Av or Tv mode. This way you'll get the lights, and some of the staging showing up in your shots with the flash filling in the models/clothes.
Also take some shots without the flash... Use the kit lens, as it's your widest, in ISO1600, at F/3.5 and see what you get. Papers will often print a technically floored 'environmental' shot rather than a perfect detailed one. Remember, the paper has just a few words and pictures to convey the feel of an event. For the cover a wide shot of the stage and showing some of the crowd, or staging, might be better than a detailed crisp shot of a model.
Braketing is the name of the game here, use manual mode and watch the bargraph in the viewfinder.... It's quicker than setting up bracketing in the menus, and if something interesting happens that needs flash you just turn back on the 420ex and select your shutter speed and you're off... You don't need to fiddle with other settings.
Don't worry about the quality of the images in terms of noise or exact exposure/focus. Pick up a paper and look at what they're going to do to your perfect images.. They print them on newprint, at 10,000 copies an hour. For the flash shots ISO400 is fine, and 1600 without.
If the focus is OK on part of an image, don't sharpen it before you send it to the paper. They'll have their own workflow for cleaning up images.
That's just my 2c worth... Good luck! :-).
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05/14/2005 10:50:03 AM · #9 |
FWIW, if you're worried about memory card space, you should be fine shooting highest resolution, normal compression. I was told by my photo editor that the paper printed on is one step above toilet paper, so compression artifacts really don't show up.
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05/14/2005 02:23:45 PM · #10 |
From experience of shooting in poor light for magazines, I would personally try and buy a Canon 50mm/1.8. It's very sharp, has a nice wide aperture, it's light and convenient.
You will have to watch where you stand, but this shouldn't be too much of a hindrance.
If you're using the flash watch out for slow shutters. I've found the 300D doesn't compensate well for using the flash, so even though you get a sharp first curtain image with the flash you can end up with 'ghosting' caused by the slow shutter.
From my experience ISO 1600 looks particularly unattractive on faces, so I would try and shoot at ISO 800 if at all possible.
I can only speak from experience of shooting sports, but generally I'm asked for pictures of:
1) The winners
2) Something extraordinary
That said, a quote that always sticks in my mind from a pro is: 'Don't take photos OF and event, take photos ABOUT an event'.
The best advice I can give is make sure you're comfortable with however you're shooting, make sure you're not panicking or unsure about what you're doing.
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05/17/2005 07:39:56 AM · #11 |
so are we to guess the outcome??? or are you willing to share???
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