Nightclub Photography Help

[RedMatrixXRS]

i know, i know, use the search button. read some threads now i need you help to fine tune my search.

first off, i'm about to get into nightclub photography. i'm just wondering if you guys would know some good threads here and on the net about nightclub photography. if you have any personal tips and pointers, feel free to post.

[livewire-photography.com]

depending on Lighting, i use ISO 800 - 1600, <.> one shot, and a shutter speed of about 4 to 6 Secs mainly but it can also go from 0.3 to well what ever, always take 2 or more shots of your subject as the light constently changes so you could have 2 very different shots, or one of them could be blown by another light moving on to the subject etc etc.

Get some light behind the subject, i Use F2.8 to 1.8, but mainly 2.8 as the 1.8 is the nifty fifty so normally to close to the subject.
if i think of anything else il post lol
Cheers.

[livewire-photography.com]

hope it helps if only a little lol

[johnstoy]

Concert Photography Tips: A FAQ Perhaps

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=226809

[Liveengineer]

Or u could go for the 1/5 to 1/20 of a sec, iso 400, f5.6-f8, rear curtain sync with your flash, and your sigma 17-70 and your good to go if your shooting dancers.
Keep in mind to get in close, use wide angle and have the dancers between u and the colored lights for wild effects.

[livewire-photography.com]

Good call on wide angle forgot about that and yeah get close, and of course if forgot the main thing for nightclub photogrpahers rear curtain sync, Live do you use F5.8? i find at F2.8 and 1/6 near perfect for the clubs round by me, how come you are at f5?
Cheers

[Zilly]

dont use second curtain sync as youll miss the moment and catch just after what you wanted youl get the same effect using first curtain sync

ps live enginner teccies rock :D

[Liveengineer]

Ummm, thinking.........oh yeah, habit i suppose. I only have a 17-40 f4 and i figured my lens is sharper at 5.6 - f8 and it gives me a little more DOF so i adjust every thing around that, in relation to amount of light and trails im after, even wind the flash output down a little sometimes as it is there for stop motion fill light. No bounce just a diffuser straight on the subject

[Liveengineer]

Sorry Zilly i have to disagree.... With a wide angle u wont miss anything and i would prefer the subject ontop of the light trails than light trails going thru someones face. Practice makes perfect...

[livewire-photography.com]

i always use rear curtain gets more color and i hardley ever miss what i want (i say that with out sounding up myself and big headed lol) if i miss something its because the drunk people that im taking photos of are well drunk and just turn around or somehting. I dont have a Diffuser yet, so i do point my flash up, i think Diffusers are really expensive for a bit of plastic, so waiting to find a good priced one.
Cheers

[brettrobsonphotography]

FYI I wouldnt go anywere above ISO 800 less you want to be loosing image quality

[René Damkot]

I don't use 2nd curtain. When using longer shuttertimes, it causes the subject to blink or look away, cause they think the preflash is the actual photo.
IMHO the effect you get with a long time and flash is no different with first or second curtain flash: Movement on a dancefloor is pretty random, so you probabely won't have light trails 'going the wrong way' (like you would have with a moving car for instance).
Colors certainly are *not* influenced.

Here is a thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=311441) with a few links.

[bacchanal]

I tried some flash last night for the first time (580ex on 30D), and it was great fun. I was bouncing off of everything I could find including my light grey t-shirt and an unused keyboard. I was in Av at -2ec, ISO 800 so as not to completely blind people, and 2nd currtain. My pics came out a little soft probably due to some motion blur and my lack of focussing skill, but overall I was pretty happy with what I got.

[gcobb]

I don't use a flash if there is enough lighting. I've had some decent shots at 1600 too. Second sync will cause background trails if someone is moving in the back. I've had that happen. But I did post about a week ago a shot I did like that where there was no motion and it didn't look too bad.

[livewire-photography.com]

man ur clubs must be light, mine u need a flash to fire just so you can see the crowd lol
cheers