Wedding photos in an underground cellar

[SuperTan]

Hi, I'm going to be shooting a bride/groom in an underground cellar which is very dark with bottles lining the clay walls and dim lights. I've been down there already to take some test shots with my Canon 450D and while I can take fantastic shots on slow shutter speed, the couple in question are coming out blurry (as you would expect). I've tried the in-build flash and this puts them in focus, but ruins the ambiance of such a dramatic shot. Should I be using an additional flash or is there a technique I can use?

[GadgetRick]

You need to get comfortable with using flash--especially for this kind of a shoot. You need better than your built-in flash (imo). A speedlite and use ttl. You need to understand the interaction of aperture, shutter speed and ISO on flash photography as it seems counter-intuitive at first. Remember, when shooting flash, you're playing with two exposures (subject and ambient light).

Adjusting your aperture will affect the exposure on your subject. Adjusting your shutter speed will affect your ambient light. ISO can affect both. I'm simplifying this but I'd suggest getting out and practicing this before the shoot to get a handle on what's happening.

[bhursey]

Ya your gonna need to shoot in manual adjusting you iso and shutter speed to balance ambient like said before. What color is the roof?

[zona5101]

As Brian is referencing...you will probably want to gel and bounce your flash. which also means you will want to get an external flash...

[rharrison]

I'd light a cellar with more than one external flash. I never use the on camera flash because its about the worst place to put a light source. It sounds like you have an excellent location its just a bit of a challenge to light. Sounds like fun!

[candleman]

Originally Posted by rharrison

........ I never use the on camera flash because its about the worst place to put a light source. !

not if you bounce....

[BigFuzzy]

Even if you're stuck with using only your pop-up flash, there are things you can do to help (though in the end, they'll not be as good as you can get with off-camera or bounce).

Basically, the quickest guide I can give you is this.
Shoot in manual and remember the following: shutter speed controls ambient/background light, and f/stop controls the flash.

So, if you want to reduce/increase flash, you close/open the shutter. If you want to increase/decrease background light, you would then have to have a slower/faster shutter speed.

At the very worse, if you're still going to use some form of auto, or aperture or shutter speed mode, learn how to use the flash compensation which means you'll have to read the manual.

Best of luck.. and best suggestion, and I'm not trying to sound harsh, but don't take a job unless you're really confident you at least know the basics of the conditions/situation because in this case, if you shoot it poorly (as is likely with pop up flash) you not only let them down, but it may affect word of mouth for any future jobs. Is this a paid job?

[gturner]

Underground low lit situation is very tough to get remotely right without an external flash arrangement.

1 x external flash is your starting point, but you would be best served with 2. One to light the room and the other to light the couple.

The fuzz makes a good point about ruining the shots with a pop up. You will get harsh shadows and faces and walls, you will blow details on the brides white dress... it will not be good.

The cheapest and easiest to use option may be to get a Gary Fong Cloud/ diffuser.
LightSphere | Flip-Cage | Camera Flash Accessories | Flash Diffusers | Photography Point-And-Shoot Accessories | Photo Software

Check out his videos on how to set things up and you have an almost instant fix

[MrJones]

Originally Posted by gturner

The cheapest and easiest to use option may be to get a Gary Fong Cloud/ diffuser.
LightSphere | Flip-Cage | Camera Flash Accessories | Flash Diffusers | Photography Point-And-Shoot Accessories | Photo Software

Check out his videos on how to set things up and you have an almost instant fix

did you try the lightsphere yourself?
on the site it seems to get great results but you never know how real they are

[gturner]

I have used one and loved it. Sadly I cannot find the model I want in South Africa at the moment.
I have used it indoors and out and was mightily impressed.

I was actually shopping online for one last night when I posted about it.
There are a heap of reviews online