Need Advice, Plan of Attack

[41(thirty)]

Hi. I am a amateur landscape photographer with a couple of friends who run a photography business. They heard that I would like to learn how to photograph people and have asked me to 2nd shoot an event next month to "see what I got." This isn't really a high pressure situation as they are not planning on using my shots, but I still would like to do well. The conditions that I'll be in are much like a club setting. Very dim lighting, very high ceilings, walls are all painted different vivid colours, etc. There will be nothing to bounce off of. :-/ They have suggested getting a gary fong collapsable lightsphere and renting a flash bracket. (They swear by this set-up) I trust them but I have always heard that straight-on light is the worst. The lightsphere will diffuse and soften but even on a flash bracket the light will be head on. Is there a better way to photograph this other than flash and drag the shutter? Thank you to to everyone in advance for advice.

[OsmosisStudios]

Ive always shot clubs with a direct flash with a Sto-Fen omnibounce-like contraption on the flash. Never had a problem with TTL bumped +1/3.

Nightclubs are tight quarters, and the smaller you can be, the better. You may wanna leave the grip off and simply fit a collapsible softbox (a small one would work fine). Something like Interfit's Strobies collection should work fine. They even have a pretty inexpensive but still very ncie beauty dish that works well for this kind of situation.

[i speak in math]

Those flash diffusers work by spreading the light in every direction. It then bounces off the walls, floor and ceiling which make the light source appear large thus providing soft light. If the walls and such are brightly colored, you are going to introduce color cast. If you just nuke the subject straight on, you won't be bouncing off the walls and won't introduce a color cast. Of course, then you will likely have pretty poor looking lighting. Perhaps some 1x1.5 ft softbox-like modifier would work.

Barring that, go with natural light, high ISO, fast lens and some noise reduction.

[fceexp1]

Hi. I've had good results with switching to shutter speed priority at my high sync speed, then using the flash on manual, keeping the power as low as possible in order to light the subject only and just a little bit of the folks around the subject. If the place is crowded, you won't have to worry about light bouncing off the colored walls back on to your subject. By hand holding your flashing (either with a ttl cord or a wireless flash trigger) you can really isolate your subjects, freeze them in their party motion and not have to worry too much about background problems. Just a thought and its only one approach., Using diffusers is a superb method too.

[zona5101]

The bracket suggestion is workable especially if you can't count on the walls or ceiling for consistent bounce. Of course the compromise is the light is more direct but at least no red eye and shadows will fall down and away and be less noticeable. Also flash on bracket with a ttl cord will generally give you a faster recycle time than bounce so if that is a consideration it might make the bracket worth consideration.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by i speak in math

Those flash diffusers work by spreading the light in every direction. It then bounces off the walls, floor and ceiling which make the light source appear large thus providing soft light.

I was actually using it with the flash pointed directly at the subject. Not ideal, but worked rather well.