Photogaphy at a conference

[jamesev]

I attended a conference yesterday and was talking to the photgrapher who was using a 18-55 kit lens and 55-200.

It was located in a large conference room that accomodated about 180 delegates

everything the photog had was on full auto including the ISO setting. I had a flick through some of the shots which varied from ISO500 - ISO 2800.

What are the fundamental problems with doing it this way if any with respect in capturing imgaes that are usable?

Or what how and why could things have been done better?

[Woody]

Originally Posted by jamesev

I attended a conference yesterday and was talking to the photgrapher who was using a 18-55 kit lens and 55-200.

It was located in a large conference room that accomodated about 180 delegates

everything the photog had was on full auto including the ISO setting. I had a flick through some of the shots which varied from ISO500 - ISO 2800.

What are the fundamental problems with doing it this way if any with respect in capturing imgaes that are usable?

Or what how and why could things have been done better?

Hello James,

I've photographed a few conferences and it's very difficult to be unobtrusive and to get some candid shots, particularly of speakers.

At the very least, you need to do some test shots in the rooms from several angles, to get the lighting just right. You certainly need a good flash unit and and a lens that will provide sufficient range to cover close up intimate shots to wider angle group shots. Good flash control is compulsory, low white ceilings give an excellent opportunity to bounce the flash and not overwhelm the subjects.

I shoot in Raw and do a bit of PP in Lightroom and I use an 18-135 walk round lens for this work. However my ideal is a similar L lense to give a better low light operation and faster and sharper focus.

You need to be unobtrusive, do not distract the speaker and cause disruption by your presence.

I let the speaker know before hand what I'm going to do. I plan my shots before I take them and quickly leave the room after I'm finished.

I get good results during the morning tea and lunch breaks where people are more relaxed and a tad more co-operative. I try to capture any trade stands and groups as well.

I'm not a pro but as I'm involved in several trade associations and am well known by the trade, I can get away with a bit that some others may not.

Anyway just relax and have some fun. Your attitude will shine through.......or not.


Cheers,

John W

[SwissJon]

Ok.. First of.. Image quality..

You CANNOT guarantee that the image will come out as you want. The 2500 ISO images will be terribly grainy comapred to the ISO500 ones. Neither one would be particularly wonderful.
The two lenses will have pretty poor maximum aperture (F4?) And be around F5.6 or more at full reach. Really not very good for isolating your images. You're going to get the background in relative focus, which will make your images busy, especially at a busy conference.

Second.. Professional appearance.. If you cannot guaranteee that the images will look the way you want, then how can you present yourself as a pro? If you camera is taking charge of the photo, then you're really not taking the photos, the camera is. If your photos are no better than anyone elses with the same camera, why should someone ask you to come back and pay you for it?

Essentially, there's nothing wrong with the two lenses you mentioned, not for an amateur beginning their photographic journey, but for someone to present themselves as a professional, and then not invest in their equipment makes you wonder what the resulting images would be like.. Would you get in a taxi that was an old rust bucket or a taxi that was in good condition? Think about it.. The way you present yourself at an event is the way your potential clients will see you.. First impressions.. I wouldn't ask for thecard of someone wandering around with a cheap looking camera.

[jamesev]

Originally Posted by Woody

Hello James,

I've photographed a few conferences and it's very difficult to be unobtrusive and to get some candid shots, particularly of speakers.

At the very least, you need to do some test shots in the rooms from several angles, to get the lighting just right. You certainly need a good flash unit and and a lens that will provide sufficient range to cover close up intimate shots to wider angle group shots. Good flash control is compulsory, low white ceilings give an excellent opportunity to bounce the flash and not overwhelm the subjects.

I shoot in Raw and do a bit of PP in Lightroom and I use an 18-135 walk round lens for this work. However my ideal is a similar L lense to give a better low light operation and faster and sharper focus.

You need to be unobtrusive, do not distract the speaker and cause disruption by your presence.

I let the speaker know before hand what I'm going to do. I plan my shots before I take them and quickly leave the room after I'm finished.

I get good results during the morning tea and lunch breaks where people are more relaxed and a tad more co-operative. I try to capture any trade stands and groups as well.

I'm not a pro but as I'm involved in several trade associations and am well known by the trade, I can get away with a bit that some others may not.

Anyway just relax and have some fun. Your attitude will shine through.......or not.


Cheers,

John W

Thanks for your feed back just what I was looking for. A few questions on some of your points applicable to the session I attended and dialogue with the photog.

I guess test shots are easy as you can do those before the room fills up

With respect to getting the shot / being unobtrusive etc. Would you have asked for your remit eg can I use a flash. I guess would be a limiter if they said no - in which case would you need to manage their expectation as to what will come out if a flash was not permitted and explain your not a magician.

The back drop to the speakers was a white wall lit fairly noticable purple light that caused shadows to the left and right of the speaker. would this be problematic with focusing or would you manual focus? Matrix metered, area or spot?

Originally Posted by SwissJon

Ok.. First of.. Image quality..

You CANNOT guarantee that the image will come out as you want. The 2500 ISO images will be terribly grainy comapred to the ISO500 ones. Neither one would be particularly wonderful.
The two lenses will have pretty poor maximum aperture (F4?) And be around F5.6 or more at full reach. Really not very good for isolating your images. You're going to get the background in relative focus, which will make your images busy, especially at a busy conference.

Second.. Professional appearance.. If you cannot guaranteee that the images will look the way you want, then how can you present yourself as a pro? If you camera is taking charge of the photo, then you're really not taking the photos, the camera is. If your photos are no better than anyone elses with the same camera, why should someone ask you to come back and pay you for it?

Essentially, there's nothing wrong with the two lenses you mentioned, not for an amateur beginning their photographic journey, but for someone to present themselves as a professional, and then not invest in their equipment makes you wonder what the resulting images would be like.. Would you get in a taxi that was an old rust bucket or a taxi that was in good condition? Think about it.. The way you present yourself at an event is the way your potential clients will see you.. First impressions.. I wouldn't ask for thecard of someone wandering around with a cheap looking camera.

Thanks Jon, So basically you're relying on "getting lucky" as opposed to getting consistent results which is the difference between pro and bumbling fool (to quote a wise man

Take the point about a big f not being able to isolate the speaker with narrow DOF.


This camera malarky is easy when ppl in the know explain and share knowledge. its all beginning to dawn on me....