AF in the Dark!!! Do you use video light to focus??

[yuriyo923]

So here is the dilema I have.. I'm doing my first wedding on Dec. 20... Wedding starts at 2pm and I work till 7pm... It will get dark quick (in Seattle). So do I just use natural light to focus? How do shoot in the dark? I know it wont be pitch black, but still...

I Currently have 40D, 30mm f/1.4, 70-200 f/2.8, will get 17-55 IS, 580EX and 550EX...

[tim]

AF beam on the 550/580 will help, and the 40D focuses great in low light. Don't worry about it, but if you have trouble focus on an area with contrast, like where a black suit meets a white shirt.

At your first wedding keep things as simple as possible, and take along an assistant for an extra pair of hands. Also see the wedding FAQ, it's in the business forum, as a sticky.

[form]

An assistant would be a godsend for me. Yes AF assist on the flash is very, very helpful. Two out of three recent weddings were very greatly assisted by using it. Center point focus only.

Another point of weddings: Use the rule of thirds often and don't let any poles or other projecting objects come out of your subjects' heads.

[cdifoto]

Speedlite beam. Works quite well. I pretty much never use the center point.

[NathanJK]

I just guesstimate. Really once you've been doing it forever you just intuitively turn the focus ring to the exact right spot, you develop a laser rangefinder in your eyes! Oh yeah, and the AF assist beam saves me 9 times out of 10 if it is THAT dark. (yes, the first sentence was a joke, I do NOT yet have a laser rangefinder in my eyes...maybe when the Terminators take over I can get one from them though.)

[yuriyo923]

AF beam on the 550/580 will help, and the 40D focuses great in low light. Don't worry about it, but if you have trouble focus on an area with contrast, like where a black suit meets a white shirt.

At your first wedding keep things as simple as possible, and take along an assistant for an extra pair of hands. Also see the wedding FAQ, it's in the business forum, as a sticky.


Tim what do you mean when you say keep things simple? Wedding is in Dec. so it will get dark pretty quick. I'll probably have one flash on camera and one on a tripod somewhere pointed at the ceiling to bounce.

My brother might go with me for this first wedding he said so I don't screw it up!

Reading faq now....

[Ook]

I wouldn't worry too much about AF. I was out with 40D +17-55mm+430EX last weekend between 11pm and 5am and didn't have focus issues (took longer, but wasn't any less accurate). The 17-55mm is an AF monster.

[cdifoto]

You'll miss a few but if you let the beam do its thing, you'll be fine. Focus-wise at least.

[woodsie]

If you are worried about shooting in the dark, try it. The best way to learn is to practice and experiment. This will also let you play with what the flash can and can't do and what camera settings you want to use.

You should have this down to instinct by the time the wedding happens. During a wedding there is no time to think about camera settings and adjustments. Things are happening all the time and you want to be able to react and just shoot.

[yuriyo923]

If you are worried about shooting in the dark, try it. The best way to learn is to practice and experiment. This will also let you play with what the flash can and can't do and what camera settings you want to use.

You should have this down to instinct by the time the wedding happens. During a wedding there is no time to think about camera settings and adjustments. Things are happening all the time and you want to be able to react and just shoot.

And try it I will.. I shold get my second flash in a day or 2 and will try few shots every night...

[tim]

Tim what do you mean when you say keep things simple? Wedding is in Dec. so it will get dark pretty quick. I'll probably have one flash on camera and one on a tripod somewhere pointed at the ceiling to bounce.

I mean for your first wedding don't plan don't overcomplicate things with equipment. Trying to use video lights, off camera flash, etc, would probably be overload for most people at their first wedding. Put a flash on the camera (and one on your 2nd camera), bounce the light, and shoot away.

[yuriyo923]

Ok, so I got Elinchrom EL-Skyport set from a member here.. The plan is to use oncamera flash most of the time, but for reception, I'll have second flash on light stand and I'll be using Skyports to triger second flash :) What you think?

[tim]

I think you have a challenge ahead of you.

[sapearl]

Yuri - I'm with Tim in keeping things simple. You can probably do quite an acceptable job with one flash on your camera.

Since it's going to be fairly dim, set the camera in Manual mode, use ISO 800, shutter speed 1/30 sec or a little faster, f/5.6 - 7.1, mount the flash in your shoe or bracket, set for AUTO - ETTL, and use it in bounce mode with the white card extended, or a bounce diffuser like the Lumiquest 80/20.

[tim]

I'd not use F5.6, i'm usually around F2.8 or F4 indoors at receptions, and even with IS I like 1/50th or faster to stop the movement. I don't mind higher ISO either.

[sapearl]

Yuri, by "dragging" the shutter at a lower speed, you allow some of the ambient background light to creep into the exposure, avoiding the picture in the coal mine shot. Your choice of aperture with flash will control depth of field, amount of brightness on the subject, and also influence background illumination to a degree.

[yuriyo923]

I'd most likely keep the shutter speed at 50-80, maybe 30 if the subject is sitting to avoid having blured pictures. Maybe few slower speeds during the dance for some effect! I'm gonna play around with my flash once I get my second one and my trigers to get familiar with it.

You guys are right on keeping it simple for the first few gigs... I need to get comfortable shooting and getting some good angles, rather than running around setting and resetting my second flash. But for the reception, I think I'll have it with me and set it up pointed at the couples table to get some more light..

I'm about to put my son to sleep and gonna try some shots indoors with only few laps and flash :)

Thanks guys!

[tim]

Just to add a little more information on the basics, assuming the flash automagically lights the main subject properly, F4 at 1/60th will have the background the same brightness as 1/30th at F5.6. The only significant difference will be depth of field. It's basic exposure, but how you use it is an artistic choice. Stu also uses full frame, so he will have to stop down a little more than I would with a 40D to get the same depth of field.

[sapearl]

Good additional commentary Tim - thanks. Not shooting crop I neglect to think of those issues.;)

Yuri, you are correct in stating that the slower shutter speed can increase the possibility of "blur action.".... been there done that, sometimes with very pleasing results, and sometimes not. The flash duration may be as slow as 1/500 - don't really know the Canon spec on that - but that will give the effect of a 1/500 second shutter speed. Of course if there is sufficient ambient light due to your slow shutter speed, or existing lamps, you will get "comet tail" blurring on fast moving limbs, people, etc.

This can result in some very interesting dance floor effects with band lighting, smoke, spotlights, etc.

[elader]

AF beam on the 550/580 will help, and the 40D focuses great in low light. Don't worry about it, but if you have trouble focus on an area with contrast, like where a black suit meets a white shirt.
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perfect response.