if i were to photograph a party and wanted all the shots to have the same feel, would you all be so kind and share info and tips? would i set my camera to M and keep the same A, S, ISO, WB for all the shots? what if the focus is not found for a shot?
also which lens would be best 50mm or 18-55mm or should i be shooting with a different one, (i am planning to purchase another lens)
If you use the wide-angle ennd of the 18-55, and get in real close, you'll get a photo-journalistic, in-you-face kind of quality to the shots - whether that's a good thing or not depends on what you're trying to communicate. It also has the advantage of being much more likely to employ your widest aperture.
A lot of the feel will be determined by lighting in the location anyway - so long as you don't blast it out with overdone flash.
Also, trust your own eye: if you think about your shots, shoot what is interesting to you, then the common 'feel' should look after itself.
- Is the event outdoors? If not, what will lighting be like?
- Do you have a separate flash, or are you using the built-in flash?
Personally I would use Aperture priority. White balance depends on if you're using a flash or not, and if it's indoors/outdoors.
If it's indoors and/or not very bright it may be worth increasing the ISO a little over 100 (maybe 200 or 400).. From my experience you don't want it too high, as faces can look really unattractive if they're too noisy.
Lens wise, I'm sure a lot of people would say the 50mm would do the job well. Certainly the wide aperture will help in non-bright situations.
I've read here the 24-70/2.8 (or 28-70) lens is used for model photography/etc.. You can get the Canon L range if you're feeling rich, or the Sigma 28-70/2.8 is pretty cheap - only a couple of hundred pounds (and probably the same in dollars). I've got a Canon 85mm/1.8, which cost about $340, which wedding photographers sometimes use, I believe. Again, the wide aperture will probably help you.
A good lens for something like this would be 28-135 IS.
I like the 28-135 for outdoors shots, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be suited well to party if it's anything other than fairly bright. Also not sure about the deep DOF?
I like the 28-135 for outdoors shots, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be suited well to party if it's anything other than fairly bright. Also not sure about the deep DOF?
True it won't give the most shallow DOF, but the IS will help compensate (a little) for the low light.
it'll be indoors, lighting will be regular home lighting bulbs on ceiling and i only have the flash on the camera, but think i shouldn't use it as the shadows might not look attractive, the DOF i think should maybe be 5.6
also i find with the 50mm i have to back away quite a bit to get full length shots
it'll be indoors, lighting will be regular home lighting bulbs on ceiling and i only have the flash on the camera, but think i shouldn't use it as the shadows might not look attractive, the DOF i think should maybe be 5.6
Sorry Lelani, indoors, at F/5.6, without a flash - I think the shutters are going to be way too slow..
Originally posted by lelani:
also i find with the 50mm i have to back away quite a bit to get full length shots
I can't offer any specific advice on wedding/party photography, but I've done some shooting in dark conditions without a flash.. You really want the widest aperture you can get. An F/2.8 lens would probably do ok, but a F/1.8 would be even better.
I'd suggest taking a few shots in your house, preferably of a subject that isn't stationary, and seeing what you think..
If you are unsure of settings to use and you want your photos to be consistent, your best bet would be point-and-shoot mode. If it's indoors, use your flash and your photos will be consistent.
If you are unsure of settings to use and you want your photos to be consistent, your best bet would be point-and-shoot mode. If it's indoors, use your flash and your photos will be consistent.
