Flash for night clubs

[ChronosMonos]

Hey there
I'm new to photography and I wanted to ask about taking pics in night clubs.
What flash is good to buy for this? what are the basic settings to use on a cam for such situations?

I have a Canon 550D with an 18 - 55mm lens.

Just some sort of guide for me to work off would be nice :) I'm learning as I go along but I would like some help from professionals on here to see if I'm doing anything right or not

Cheers!

[digital paradise]

Any flash that has dedicated ETTL will work for as you will definitely want ETTL for this. I have the Canon 580c and 580 II. You will need learn how to use the flashes FEC (flash exposure compensation). Later you may want to learn how to use your flash in manual as it is more consistent when you fixed in one position and are repeating the same exposure under the same lighting conditions.

Typically advanced strobists will put the camera in Manual mode. This gives the photographer total control of shutter of the speed and aperture. A good starting point is 1/60, 2.8 to 5.6 depending on lens and DOF you want. In a club scene you will want to push your ISO as high as you can - 1600 if you can but I'm not sure how clean the 550D images are at that ISO. When you try this at home you may notice that the light meter is showing underexposed which is normal. You will definitely notice this in a nightclub. That is normal in M mode as the camera is only measuring ambient (available) light and has no idea what the flash output will be. ETTL will provide the correct flash exposure however it can get fooled thus you need to learn how to adjust FEC. Soon after you should start to learn what the shutter speed and aperture/flash power controls.

As for flash you should learn how to bounce however this is not always possible. If I cannot bounce I just put my flash on a bracket and shoot direct. That is just a personal choice. Many people use modifiers and may suggest ones for you to purchase. Based on personal experience I wish I had learned about flash photography and how to bounce the flash first looking for modifiers.

If you want more info about anything just ask.

[Curtis N]

The current Canon flash unit models suitable for this sort of work are the 430EX II and the 580EX II. The 580EX II is more expensive and will give you about 1 stop more power. A used 550EX or 580EX would work just as well. There are several aftermarket brands that would also work fine, but I can't make a specific recommendation.

If the ceiling is white (or something close) you can bounce the flash.
Tutorial here:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=177622

Dark ceilings are more common in night clubs, in which case bouncing won't work very well. For those situations I would recommend a small softbox to soften the shadows a bit.
Here's one:
http://lumiquest.com/products/softbox.htm

In dark environments, redeye can be a real problem, and it gets worse as you get further away from your subjects. You may want to consider a flash bracket and sync cord. This will reduce the redeye problem by moving the flash further from the lens. Flash brackets can be a pain to use but they make you look very "official."

Focusing is another problem in dark environments. The focus assist light on a good flash unit works amazingly well, even in total darkness. But you need to be in "One Shot" autofocus mode (not AI Servo) to make the focus assist work.

Understanding your equipment is important, but understanding the theory behind it is more important. The flash-related links in my signature will benefit you greatly.

[Jmark11207]

I actually use 2 flashes 1-430exII on the hot shoe 1-Yongnuo 460II handheld
Never use ETTL
Manual everything
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jt6NqatFrdA/TM_J2I32m4I/AAAAAAAAZ54/43ecC4w6nVg/s720/IMG_0001.JPG

Results
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/5719398210_3690743b3c_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5702402855_4dc64dea15_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5655068851_37f557cac7_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5588580400_2d82523935_z.jpg

More images on my Flickr
EXIF available

[Curtis N]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5588580400_2d82523935_z.jpg
If you ever need a second shooter, I think I just became available.

[ChronosMonos]

Thanks for your replies guys, they are very helpful

@digital paradise
I actually discovered bouncing by accident, it made some very nice shots in certain places.. I haven't actually even checked what the color of the ceilings are in any of the clubs that I DJ for, but I'm guessing it's black. one of the bars has a wooden ceiling though and gives very warm looking shots.

The flash bracket idea is cool but I fear in a crowded bar it would be a bit of a handful/ could more easily get knocked.
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll56/Chrismonos/34232_410098295671_639560671_5053254_6245256_n.jpg
This is what one of the sports bars I DJ for ends up looking like (whilst football is on)
Since I'm not a dedicated photographer to the bars I DJ for I will have to keep putting my camera back in the case every time I need to do more dj'ing, which means the smaller the camera can be the better it will be for me.


@Jmark11207
I've seen people do amazing things with a hand held flash but I've never tried that. what do i need to make a flash hand held? is it a wireless system, or is there a wire you can buy or what?


@Curtis N
Don't suppose there is a small softbox I could get for the integrated flash is there? The little flsah on the 550d seems useless in most night situations but might be improved with something like that... I only ask because buying one of the flashes youre recommending me is a good few pay checks away ;) and in the meantime need something to help.

[Curtis N]

There are some gizmos out there that will diffuse and soften a camera's pop-up flash. Here's one:
http://lumiquest.com/products/softscreen.htm

Any of these will rob most of the power of an already underpowered flash. In a dark environment they can work if you crank up the ISO enough, but you'll still get the redeye problem.

Yes there are some aftermarket units out there that are quite a bit cheaper than the Canon models. I haven't kept up with that market but maybe someone else can make a recommendation. You don't need a lot of features, just an E-TTL flash that's compatible with your camera model and has bounce/swivel capability and a focus assist lamp.

[dmward]

Based on my experience as an event photographer, I think a single off camera, via TTL cable or radio trigger, is a great starting point.

Alternatively, something radical like an on camera ring speedlite and an off camera (hand held) key light.

[digital paradise]

@digital paradise
I actually discovered bouncing by accident, it made some very nice shots in certain places.. I haven't actually even checked what the color of the ceilings are in any of the clubs that I DJ for, but I'm guessing it's black. one of the bars has a wooden ceiling though and gives very warm looking shots.


Be careful of blue and green as it messes with skin tones. If you must bounce Neil van Niekerk suggests to make them B&W and call them art.

[Thonex]

Nice work Jmark11207!!

Cheers,

Andrew K

[Jmark11207]

@Jmark11207
I've seen people do amazing things with a hand held flash but I've never tried that. what do i need to make a flash hand held? is it a wireless system, or is there a wire you can buy or what?



The way I had it set up in the picture is the RF-602 is connected to the PC port and sends the wireless signal to the handheld.
Current set up: I ditched the RF602 and only use the optical slave that's built into the flash (when the flash on the hot shoe fires the slave sees the flash and goes off automatically)
I hope that made sense lol

1 last thing... Dont be afraid to crank that ISO over 800. Most of my shots are at 1250 or higher


Thanks Andrew

[canis89]

If you ever need a second shooter, I think I just became available.

hahaha me too (: