My First Gig... Ever

[plainAlicia]

Hey everyone! I've only been doing photography for about a year so i'm still learning about everything and now I have my first gig to do. Its a pre-school graduation and I am totally clueless. Usually I shoot flowers and wildlife so doing an event is leaving me with a lot of questions. Can anyone give me tips? How to handle an event and how to shoot 4 year olds? What kind of flash do I use? I have about a million more questions!!! Any help is much appreciated.

[zona5101]

Hi and welcome!
Oh sounds like you have a fun little assignment!!
What kind of flash? what kind(s) do you have? You will probably want something more than your pop up flash...and it would be nice to get it off axis and even off camera but that's going into a whole 'nother game. So since they are lil fella and gals, be sure and get low on their level so you can see into their faces, same with the lighting. Also we "always" see pics of kids from the perspective of us looking down on them...it is nice to get on the same level to give a better perspective.
Good luck and have fun.

[AnneWynne]

Hard to make suggestions not knowing what your venue will be like. If you can, visit the site the graduation is being held in and discuss where you will be setting up and what type of lighting will be used in the room. What type of image is wanted? The kids receivieng their "diplomas'", cap and gown formal portraits, casual snaps of the kids on stage?

If the preschool has photos from previous years, ask if you can see the favorite ones to give you an idea of what might be expected.

An on camera speedlight with a Gary Fong llight sphere (or someother gizmo to diffuse the light) may be all you need if they want shots of the kids getting their "diplomas."

I second the suggestion to get on the kids' level. If you are shooting on stage you may need a low stool to sit on while you shoot or, if shooting off stage, a step ladder

Have fun.

[plainAlicia]

Thanks for the help. The venue is a school gym. Will gym lighting give the photos a yellow color to it? Also, when browsing through the site I found something called a lightscoop. I have no budget to buy a new flash (I only have the pop up) so i'm looking into other options. Has anyone ever used one of these?

[SusanH1970]

See if you can "borrow" a few kids from family, friends, neighbors, etc. around that age prior to the graduation to practice. 4 year olds are not easy to photograph, LOL. They run, the make goofy faces, and they don't have a very long attention span when it comes to getting their photo taken. A little experience with shooting kids prior to the event will help prepare you. Hope this helps.

[AnneWynne]

Originally Posted by plainAlicia

Thanks for the help. The venue is a school gym. Will gym lighting give the photos a yellow color to it? Also, when browsing through the site I found something called a lightscoop. I have no budget to buy a new flash (I only have the pop up) so i'm looking into other options. Has anyone ever used one of these?

You need to get in early enough to do a custom white balance on your camera to avoid wierd lighting (read your manual for how to do this). Shoot in raw so you can easily adust any lighting problems in photoshop. I have not used a light scoop, but it looks interesting and might work. If you get one, let me know how you like it.

GL

[k8et]

In a gym, I don't think the lightscoop would work well. You need walls/ceiling that are closer to bounce the flash off of.


but thanks for posting that - I have a nice new flash, but didn't like traveling a lot with it because it's heavy. I grabbed a lightscoop to use for those times so I'm not using straight pop-up flash!

[dblayn]

Sounds like a fun assignment! Great advice above -- especially the practice photographing kids if you have the opportunity and check out the gym beforehand if possible. My child runs around like a little crazy thing and she isn't even 2 yet. In my present job and last couple I have been asked to photograph different events. Even though I love doing that -- I have to be on my toes!

Here are some ideas of what I think about as I prepare to photograph an event. It helps me to go in with a plan to get shots that are expected when it is over (photos that document the event as it happens? a photo of each child individually? group shots? speaker shots? parent/child interaction photos? . . .) and add shots spontaniously from there. If you are asked to do a photo of each child getting a diploa for example (do they do that for 4 yr olds?), I try to talk to the person handing out the diplomas beforehand to pose and look at me each time and make myself look obvious that I want to take their photo -- with a child you may need a little more help than that.

Also, I learn as much as I can about how the event is to go down so I can be in different positions when things are about to happen. For example, if there is a procession from the classroom to the gym, you may want to start at the classroom taking photos, run ahead to the gym and take procession photos and then move to where the kids are gathered and make the spontanious photos.

Natural light vs. flash -- I try to think ahead and have a plan A and plan B for what kind of light there will be (tungston, florescent, daylight, a mix) and have white balance ideas and shutter speed/aperture general ideas. I'm more nervous and just have to go with my gut when I'm not able to visit the site or show up early. If the ceiling is high, I don't know that the lightscoop will work well. If you have a speedlight, I'd try to shoot with it starting at 45 degrees attached to you camera for the event shots and allow the background to be warmer than you subject if there is a slight conflict between the gym light and flash. If it is a newer gym, it may be nice and bright where you could find a good white balance through trail and error beforehand and use a higher iso w/o the speedlight. This is a judgment call for what the light is like and what your vision is of the end-product. If you could get there before and do a few test shots, you have be a happier camper.

Sorry to go on and on -- all the best and have fun! Your best photos may be the spontanious ones!

[Nekrose]

Originally Posted by AnneWynne

You need to get in early enough to do a custom white balance on your camera to avoid wierd lighting (read your manual for how to do this). Shoot in raw so you can easily adust any lighting problems in photoshop. I have not used a light scoop, but it looks interesting and might work. If you get one, let me know how you like it.

GL

The Lightscoop will only really work if there is something to bounce the light off of. In a gym, that would be very difficult, because of the high ceilings. There is a max of about 8-10 feet for it.
Other wise, the lightscoop is a very cheap alternative to flash. Although, you will eventually want to spring for an external flash.

[AnneWynne]

Originally Posted by Nekrose

The Lightscoop will only really work if there is something to bounce the light off of. In a gym, that would be very difficult, because of the high ceilings. There is a max of about 8-10 feet for it.
Other wise, the lightscoop is a very cheap alternative to flash. Although, you will eventually want to spring for an external flash.

Thanks for the review. I had seen it advertized and wondered if it worked very well.