First "Professional" Shoot!! - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/16/2005 05:26:09 PM · #1

That's right, tomorrow morning I'm joining my grandmother at her "One-Room Schoolhouse Reunion", here I've been "hired" to take both candid and group shots of the old classmates from the different one-room schools in the Binghamton area. I say "hired" because the group hosting it has limited funds, and because my grandmother's a member, I'm really doing it for a homemade dinner afterwards, which is more precious than gold to a college kid! I will be offering prints of each group shot for sale, though, and it'll be really cool if I'm able to see even a few! I'm pumped!
And clueless...

I've never really done this kind of work before, and haven't actually seen the site where it's to be held. I am also lacking any fancy equipment... So, with that lovely bit of info in mind, does anyone have some advice to share?
I'll be using my 18-55, as its all I currently own, and was thinking about bringing a utility light and a homemade paper diffuser just in case the lighting was really awful. Thoughts on this?
And please don't tell me I'm a hopeless amateur, I don't think I could take it... lol :)

Erin_K

Canon EOS-20D

09/16/2005 06:01:04 PM · #2

Hi Brent,

Good luck with your shoot tomorrow! I'm doing my first "real" shoot next weekend (also for free) and I'm also lacking in the equipment department. I chose to splurge and buy a 42" silver/white reflector (the shoot is being done outdoors) and a 420EX external flash (just cannot afford the 550EX right now, as my husband and I are moving and buying our first home soon)

As for lighting, are you using the on-camera flash on your Rebel or are you using an external? I've noticed the difference is night and day between the two. I always wondered why my indoor shots were always sub-par with overexposed pieces and dark unwanted shadows no matter what I seemed to do with the exposure settings. Best purchase I ever made!

That's about all the info I have on lighting, as I haven't experimented with studio lights, etc. I can't wait to see samples of your pics!

wavelength

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

09/16/2005 06:01:42 PM · #3

I'd drop by a local camera store and pick up a real diffuser.

If you have a flash, and they have them in stock, Lumiquest (I think that's right) has some passable bounce attatchments that will be better than nothing.

Being that they're for free, I wouldn't worry too much though.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/16/2005 06:24:12 PM · #4

Utility lights do work in a crunch but they are very hot and BE SURE to do a custom white balance as the work halogens put off a very, very yellow tone...

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Sigma

09/16/2005 06:26:45 PM · #5

Thanks for the input, guys!

Erin K: I've played with a 550EX at my internship, and it rocks! Wish I had one...or two or three! lol I'll have to take a look at the 420EX, but for the time being, all I've got is the built in, which I learned the hard way at a shoot the other day not to use if I can avoid it. Hence the unility lights...crude, but effective (I hope) :)
And good luck on yours! I'll check out the pics when you post them!

Wavelength: thanks! I'll look into a real diffuser, although I don't know what I'll be able to find locally. And the whole thing is free, so I won't get too worked up!

Anyone else out there with wisdom to share?

Message edited by author 2005-09-16 22:28:14.

16point2mm

Sigma SD9

09/16/2005 07:35:08 PM · #6

Having used the worklights in places where I'm battling some natural sunlight, I would strongly urge you to pick up some 200W silver clip lights instead, plus some 200W standard socket lamps (to most of the world, bulbs). Best bet would be GE Reveals, unless you can find some actual daylight balanced lamps, but I'd doubt it. This will get you a LOT closer to a reasonable white balance that doesn't have to be corrected selectively. Oh, and you'd be looking at about $17/fixture total at Home Depot or the like. And did I mention you can clip them anywhere, bounce them off even dark walls (lighter the better, though, obviously), and they get nowhere near as hot as halogen? It all assumes you can find power in a one-room schoolhouse, btw...

And ya, I'd STRONGLY suggest a 5-in-1 bounce; easilly portable, infinitely useable (even after you buy the really good flash), and quite packable. A lot more expensive to buy in town instead of online, but very much worth it.

Message edited by author 2005-09-16 23:42:17.

gclark

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

09/16/2005 08:13:37 PM · #7

the best investment for those types of events are the boom. make sure that you buy a hot shoe as well you can rotate the flash to eliminate shadows that is the only thing that i use when i shoot weddings free ones for family or friends are the most fun good luck!

you can purchase a boom for between 30 to 130

09/16/2005 08:19:05 PM · #8

Hmmm...clip lights are in the budget range (aka trade-groceries-for-equipment), and the boom is a good one too. looking into both right now, thanks!