Flash lighting for indoor restaurant wedding reception

[lblongs]

A good friend of mine has asked, that as a wedding gift to her, I photograph her wedding/reception which will be a small dinner party type event at a high end restaurant in a private dining room. (she didn't actually phrase her request that way, but you get the idea). I have yet to work with external flash and was wondering if anyone could recommend the proper way to use an sb600 or something comparible for her event in July of this year. I have been shooting with a Nikon D300 for over a year and have quite a bit of natural lighting experience but indoor stuff is new to me. I want to do the best job I can for her so any and all advice is welcome.

Thanks - Jennifer

[OsmosisStudios]

You have to go through the menu on the D300 to find the flash control, set it to commander. This is how you control your flashes remotely. Once it's in commander mode, you'll want to set a group and a channel (ch1, group A/B). Then take the SB600 and press+hold the bottom and left buttons (they'll have lines point to a CSM on the back). When the screen changes, use the +/- buttons to change the settings until you see a S shaped line with an arrow: turn that to on. Set the channel and group for the same as the camera and you're good to go.

The pop-up flash fires to trigger the strobe, so you may have some issues with range but indoors shouldnt be too much of a problem.

You may also want to look at getting more than one light, and maybe some modifiers. Flash light can be quite strong and harsh.

[lblongs]

Good info for sure, but I was thinking more like, should it be bounced, etc while in an indoor location and should I have other lighting equipment on hand even though she has not requested an area for formal portraits? Would a flash plus diffuser suffice in this situation?

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by lblongs

Good info for sure, but I was thinking more like, should it be bounced, etc while in an indoor location and should I have other lighting equipment on hand even though she has not requested an area for formal portraits? Would a flash plus diffuser suffice in this situation?

The short answer is yes...but first you want to scope out the place for a few reasons. There may be natural / window light opportunities to check out. Also you want to check the colors and height of the ceilings (and walls which you can also bounce off of)...bouncing off a puke green ceiling produces pretty nasty skin tones Use of a diffuser will help soften and distribute the light...no need to go crazy with elaborate lighting setups that will only give you more to worry about and reduce your flexibility

Vinnie

[Benji]

I doubt she is looking for works of art that she can order 16 x 20s of on canvas to hang over her fireplace, it sounds to me like she is looking for what almost everyone else in today's world is looking for, some spontaneous candids of people having fun at her wedding reception.

I've been a professional photographer for nearly 30 years, and people today don't seem to be interested in formally posed portraits that are well lit and well posed, instead it seems a glorified snapshot will do them just fine. Of course the shots should be properly exposed, well composed, have good white balance and focus but they need not be lit with multiple flashes. Besides adding a second flash adds secondary shadows that can ruin an otherwise nice shot. If you have been "at it" for 30 years like me the additional light is not a problem, but for a novice I suggest NOT adding another light. I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method.

My suggestion. Place your speedlight on the hot shoe, turn the ISO way up, and shoot a whole bunch of Raw images. Edit them and give her a cd of them.

Benji

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by Benji

I doubt she is looking for works of art that she can order 16 x 20s of on canvas to hang over her fireplace, it sounds to me like she is looking for what almost everyone else in today's world is looking for, some spontaneous candids of people having fun at her wedding reception.

I've been a professional photographer for nearly 30 years, and people today don't seem to be interested in formally posed portraits that are well lit and well posed, instead it seems a glorified snapshot will do them just fine. Of course the shots should be properly exposed, well composed, have good white balance and focus but they need not be lit with multiple flashes. Besides adding a second flash adds secondary shadows that can ruin an otherwise nice shot. If you have been "at it" for 30 years like me the additional light is not a problem, but for a novice I suggest NOT adding another light. I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method.

My suggestion. Place your speedlight on the hot shoe, turn the ISO way up, and shoot a whole bunch of Raw images. Edit them and give her a cd of them.

Benji

Benji, I totally echo your comments...KISS is what's called for here

[Benji]

Originally Posted by auto-focus

Benji, I totally echo your comments...KISS is what's called for here

Vince,

Thanks. I still remember the first time I tried a second flash off camera at a party. What a disaster. Huge dark shadows everywhere from the raw off camera flash. If and when I do it nowadays I use a 32 inch umbrella positioned rather close to the camera, to give me soft shadows.

Benji

[KenRC51]

Originally Posted by Benji

I doubt she is looking for works of art that she can order 16 x 20s of on canvas to hang over her fireplace, it sounds to me like she is looking for what almost everyone else in today's world is looking for, some spontaneous candids of people having fun at her wedding reception.

I've been a professional photographer for nearly 30 years, and people today don't seem to be interested in formally posed portraits that are well lit and well posed, instead it seems a glorified snapshot will do them just fine. Of course the shots should be properly exposed, well composed, have good white balance and focus but they need not be lit with multiple flashes. Besides adding a second flash adds secondary shadows that can ruin an otherwise nice shot. If you have been "at it" for 30 years like me the additional light is not a problem, but for a novice I suggest NOT adding another light. I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method.

My suggestion. Place your speedlight on the hot shoe, turn the ISO way up, and shoot a whole bunch of Raw images. Edit them and give her a cd of them.

Benji

Wouldn't bumping up the ISO cause more noise to the picture?

[inkista]

Underexposure will add more noise than bumping up the iso, and with the iso high the flash doesn't have to work so hard to get the whole scene illuminated.

I think I'd recommend two things to add to the flash (aside from the obvious like extra sets of batteries). 1) A colored gel so that the color of the light from the flash matches the color of the lighting at the venue. This typically means a CTO. This way, you can actually white balance your RAW files in post without resorting to four-letter words and compromises because you have a mixed lighting nightmare.

And 2) Neil van Niekirk's $2 black foamie thing, with all the attendant practice and thinking-through-the-lighting. You may also want to make one side black and one side white and use the white side as a reflector when you have nothing to bounce off. But read why he wants it to be black, first.

[inkista]

Underexposure will add more noise than bumping up the iso, and with the iso high the flash doesn't have to work so hard to get the whole scene illuminated.

I think I'd recommend two things to add to the flash (aside from the obvious like extra sets of batteries). 1) A colored gel so that the color of the light from the flash matches the color of the lighting at the venue. This typically means a CTO. This way, you can actually white balance your RAW files in post without resorting to four-letter words and compromises because you have a mixed lighting nightmare.

And 2) Neil van Niekirk's $2 black foamie thing, with all the attendant practice and thinking-through-the-lighting.