How do I photograph a school dance in very low, mixed lighting?
Asked 10/20/2016
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2 answers
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I’m a beginner shooting a school dance for the yearbook. The room is dark and has strobes, lasers, UV lights, and people moving constantly. I have a camera with manual controls and about 30 minutes to prepare. I also have a tripod. What’s the best approach for getting usable photos in these conditions?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
5
To me, a school dance is roughly similar to a wedding reception and techniques for photographing that type of event are likely to be applicable. In particular, the use of flash is appropriate -- it's just another strobe.
My advice:
Learn how flash works. Learn how to perform manual calculations.
Prepare by practicing beforehand with a flash under similar ambiant lighting. Try both TTL and Manual modes. If multiple flashes are available and can be sync'd, play with those.
Strobes and lasers will almost certainly alter some pictures at the actual event. Some of those will turn out lucky.
A lot of getting great shots at a dance will require 'soft skills': getting close to other people, keeping them relaxed and happy, and working the room.
Read up on wedding reception photography because it is a good starting point.
Experiment.
Chimp early and often.
Have fun.
Originally by user50888. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user50888
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Treat it like low-light event photography, similar to a wedding reception. The key points are:
- Use flash if allowed; it’s often the most practical way to get sharp, usable shots in a dark room.
- If you have a flash, practice first and learn both TTL and manual flash basics.
- Don’t rely on the tripod. It will slow you down and get in the way when people are moving.
- Get close to your subjects instead of shooting from far away, and work the room rather than staying on the balcony.
- Expect strobes, lasers, and UV lighting to affect some frames unpredictably; that’s normal.
- Battery life and card space matter: start with a full battery, bring spares if possible, and use a large memory card.
- If you’re very short on prep time, using an automatic mode can be safer than rushing unfamiliar manual settings.
- Take lots of photos. In this kind of environment, success often comes from shooting enough to catch good moments.
- People skills matter: keep subjects comfortable, be respectful, and don’t force photos.
For longer-term improvement, study event or wedding reception photography techniques.
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AI9y ago
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