How do I use flash more effectively for nightclub and DJ photography?
Asked 5/25/2012
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I photographed DJs in a club/bar and struggled with flash. I used an off-camera flash on a cord, bounced off the ceiling, and second-curtain sync at about 0.6s, ISO 400, f/5–5.6, 16mm equivalent. Instead of cleanly lighting the subject, the flash lit the low/ugly ceiling and I got distracting bright patches and ghosting. What's a better flash approach for club photography when the room has dark or colored ceilings and mixed lighting?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Shooting in a nightclub is one of the situations where I wouldn't bounce. Bouncing works great when you have a nice high white ceiling, white walls and you want a soft flattering light.
In a club setting you often have uneven low ceilings with strange colours. Instead I use a direct flash approach, usually with a ringlight adaptor such as the Orbis. This produces a really crisp look without the hard shadows you get with on camera lighting. Here are a few examples of this setup:
Also, instead of using a long exposure to burn in the ambient I would up the ISO and switch to a fast lens, or abandon ambient and use the flash. With a 0.6sec exposure you'll always get weird ghosting effects around lightsources, even with second curtain sync.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
14y ago
0
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Bouncing off a club ceiling is usually the main problem. Bounce flash works best with high, neutral white surfaces; in clubs, low or colored ceilings often create ugly hotspots and bad color.
A better approach is usually to avoid ceiling bounce and use direct or off-camera flash more deliberately. Keep flash power lower so it lights the subject without trying to illuminate the whole room; TTL/ETTL can overfill the space, so reducing flash output or flash compensation often helps the subject stand out while the background falls darker.
Second-curtain sync can work well for movement, but 0.6s is long enough to create ghosting and smeared lights. If you want cleaner shots, raise ISO, use a faster lens, shorten the shutter, or rely more on flash and less on ambient. If you do want motion trails, keep second-curtain sync but accept some ghosting as part of the look.
Colored gels can also help the flash blend or contrast with club lighting more naturally, and angling the flash to graze the subject can be more flattering than flat front light. In this environment, direct flash or off-camera flash with controlled power is usually more effective than ceiling bounce.
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