I Need Help on How to Shoot Indoor Activities, Please!

[helloadit]

Just a little background story to make things clear

My mother bought me a digital SLR just a couple of months ago, and I've been practicing advanced photography ever since, reading books, signing up to a photography class, learning from other medias like DPS, etc. though I realize that I still have a very limited skill even to consider myself as a beginner photographer.

But just yesterday, Mom asked me ("hired" is more appropriate, though, because she said she would pay for my service ) to photograph an office gathering event (feasts, blurbs, motivational speeches, office stuff that I don't understand yet ). I was surprised, and I hesitated at first, but then I thought of it as an opportunity to actually hone and practice photography skills that I have learned so far.

The event will take place in about a month, so I think I have just enough time to learn some more about the particular photography field. I was hoping for suggestions and tips regarding how to shoot in indoor activities, like what lenses should I bring, camera settings, or simply anything, from more advanced photographers like you, friendly guys in DPS So, do you have any? If you do, I'd really appreciate it if you'd like to share them to me, even if it's just a bit.

[Samanax]

Are you going to shoot with only available light or are you going to use a flash/Speedlite?

Do you have a budget for more photo gear if necessary?

[helloadit]

Originally Posted by Samanax

Are you going to shoot with only available light or are you going to use a flash/Speedlite?

Do you have a budget for more photo gear if necessary?

I think I'm going to make the most out of the available light, or at least using the built-in flash since the only gear I have is my tripod, and that's all that I will take with me.

And I think I do have a little bit more budget to get myself additional gear for the event. What particular gear are you suggesting?

[nategesner]

I'm not experienced with your equipment, but it probably works pretty well in that situation. I recommend a good flash and - if the money allows - a fast lens that can handle the low light better. Other suggestions:

1. Go to the location, study the layout, practice with the lighting, and identify photography problems BEFORE the party.

2. Know your equipment inside and out. Have extra batteries and memory, know how to change settings quickly, etc.

3. Practice composition fundamentals so it's second-nature. This includes reviewing shots or lessons to get more ideas.

4. Your shots will be primarily candid, making it difficult to get the perfect shot. So take a LOT of photos. See #2.

5. Develop a plan for some staged photos centered around key elements of the party. This could be guest speakers, leaders, or objects (cakes, food, place settings, etc.). For example, if you know there will be long tables and a toast at some point, you will be ready to get a good shot using a short depth of field.

I hope you find something useful in this.

[helloadit]

Okay, thanks for the tips!

By the way, how do you spot when the 'key elements' of the event are actually there in front of your eyes and avoid skipping the best of the event's moments? And how important is the use of a tripod in this kind of situation?

[inkista]

I'd recommend getting a 50mm f/1.8 II if you're on a low-low budget ($100), maybe something like a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 or a 430EXII if you've got substantially more to blow.

The problem with shooting available light indoors is that unless you can count on some windows and a sunny day, you may not have enough light to get a high enough shutter speed to freeze the action. The IS in your 18-55 can only help you if your subjects aren't moving, so for posed shots it and your tripod will stand you in good stead. But for the more candid stuff, unless you can crank up the ISO or open up the aperture, you may be up against it to get fast enough shutter speeds.

Prime lenses, like the 50/1.8 can open up much wider, and higher-end bodies have higher iso settings you can use. But the 50/1.8 also has the drawback of being a prime, and a slightly longer one at that on a crop body, so you may find yourself unable to frame the way you want, because you may have your freedom to move limited by the size of the room, or where they'll allow you to stand. Also, do not fear the iso 1600. It may be your best friend, so long as you expose correctly.

As nate mentioned, scouting ahead and practice can help out a lot. If you scout the location, you can see what kind of exposure settings you can get.

With indoors event shooting, here are the issues I tend to keep in mind:

• Shoot RAW. White balance is probably going to be tricky, even more so if you're moving around a lot, and the lighting changes in different areas of the venue. Might as well give yourself a little extra leeway here.
  
  
• Learn about digital push-processing--i.e., undexposing the shot and then adjusting the exposure in post. It'll add noise, but it might be worth it. Investing in some processing software for noise reduction (NeatImage, Noise Ninja) might also not go amiss.
  
  
• Work on timing. With event photography, timing is everything. Learn to use your burst mode in short controlled bursts, to wait for your autofocus to catch up, and to anticipate. If you don't have any willing volunteers, try shooting the tv. See if you can catch the good poses, and not the mid-blink, mid-gargoyle expressions.
  
  
• Don't just watch faces. Watch body language and hands, too. One of the things I've found out at booksignings is that when someone's moving their hands, they're often visually a lot more interesting.
  
  
• Don't just watch people, check your frame borders and the background, too. Background can add context/environment to your shot, as well as a good contrast and additional interest. You should be composing the whole time.

To illustrate the background thing, here's me in snapshot mode:



Here's me suddenly realizing, "hey, I could use that background...":



Both shots: Canon XT (350D), EF 135mm f/2L USM. iso 1600, f/2, 1/250s. (underexposed by 1/3EV because highlights were blowing out).

And to illustrate the push-processing, this was in a presentation where they were giving a slideshow, so I was literally shooting in the dark: three full stops undexposed, and I brought it up in post processing and applied noise reduction with Noise Ninja.


Canon XT (350D), EF 135mm f/2L USM. iso 1600, f/2, 1/80s.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by helloadit

By the way, how do you spot when the 'key elements' of the event are actually there in front of your eyes and avoid skipping the best of the event's moments?

Anticipation. See the possibility before it happens. You wait until it happens, and you'll probably have missed the shot. Continuous burst shooting can help, but only up to a certain point. You pretty much need to be within the second.

I shoot birds in flight a lot. After that, event timing is a breeze.

And how important is the use of a tripod in this kind of situation?

Not much unless you're using a very long lens. Remember that a tripod/monopod/IS just lets you use a slower shutter speed without adding camera shake blur. It doesn't do anything to help you freeze subjection motion--for that you need a faster shutter speed.