Motion photography

[chloe]

Well, I meant to post this question and then I saw this week's photo challenge @ TYSE and it was the perfect push! LOL

I have to take pix of a hip-hop/break dance show this Friday for work. The room will probably be quite dark and there will be lots of move on stage.

I have a DSLR with a basic kit lens and an extra flash (on camera, the kind that you can move and direct to the ceiling, IYKWIM). I can handle manual as long as I have enough time to choose my settings (=trial and errorS, lots of them!)

What are your tips to make sure I end up with a couple decent pix to show my boss?

[Charla]

I love the thought of your showing your boss (the mayor, right?) pictures of a hip-hop/break dance show. It just doesn't quite compute!!

Anyways. I would bump my ISO as high as possible. You can take out some of the noise later.
I wouldn't even bother using flash unless you're REALLY close. Otherwise, it will just illuminate the people's heads directly in front of you
You could put your camera on sports setting if you don't want to deal with Manual. If the lighting is changing constantly, I probably wouldn't be in manual. It takes so much longer to keep adjusting with the lighting.

Does that help a little?

[chloe]

LOL, yeah, we had a similar show last year and it was funny seeing him (a suit-wearing/bald/60 yo/very classic man) pretending it's his "favorite music"... Mmmmm, you sure???

It does help! Would using a tripod help or does it make no difference since my subject will be moving anyway?

[cardinalskate]

LOL, yeah, we had a similar show last year and it was funny seeing him (a suit-wearing/bald/60 yo/very classic man) pretending it's his "favorite music"... Mmmmm, you sure??? ?

LOL...yeah, I'll BET it's his favorite music!

[Charla]

A tripod might help if you're doing anything slower, to capture the motion as a blur. But if you're doing high-speed pictures to freeze, then I would think a tripod would just be in the way!

[chloe]

LOL I really don't need a tripod to have blurry pictures, I'm so talented I can do it aaaaaall by myself! I'm actually looking for the crisp style, this time.

Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how that went. Oh, and if you (and by "you" I mean anyone! ) have more tips to add, please do!

[Charla]

Oh, I know! Me too!!

You have a D40? D60? I don't remember anymore. I don't remember ANYTHING right now. But anyways, if you have room and the time, a tripod might not be a bad idea to give you the best options for not having blur. If you have the room, it wouldn't be a BAD thing. Just hopefully not as necessary as doing, say, landscapes at dusk!

[chloe]

You have a D40? D60? I don't remember anymore. I don't remember ANYTHING right now. But anyways, if you have room and the time, a tripod might not be a bad idea to give you the best options for not having blur. If you have the room, it wouldn't be a BAD thing. Just hopefully not as necessary as doing, say, landscapes at dusk!

I have both, one at work and the other at home. Blasphemy, I don't know which one is mine and which one is the mayor's! LOL

I'll see, maybe I'll take the tripod and play with my settings. I will definitely have space, and I'll make some if I don't! So far I've only used the tripod for Christmas decor pictures, my collegues from the "technical services" create awesome pieces of art so I spend a couple nights early december running around town with my yellow fluorescent shirt and with my tripod! LOL

[Charla]

I think I would take it, then!! It definitely does open up some options to have it!

LOL about not remembering which one is yours!! They're not all that different from each other, though, so it doesn't make that much of a difference

[cardinalskate]

I think whichever is the best one is yours

[chloe]

LOL Kate. I like mine better, I think the job one is having a hard time (the mayor and municipal counselors never know how to handle it. It makes me cringe!!) and it's starting to be blurry on the side, like a vignette but with blur. So I'll keep mine!