Shooting in low light - question

[texassand]

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone can answer my question. I'm an amateur so bare with me.
I was asked to take pics at a "Midevil Party" this weekend. It's going to be pretty dark, lots of candlelight. I'm using a friends regular old digital camera. It has manual capabilities however. I don't want to just slow down the shutter speed because there will be lots of people and I don't want them to be blurry. Is there anyway around this?

[etaf]

it will be very difficult with candle light
you dont sat what equipment you have
make Model camera
lens and inparticular its aperture and if it has any vibration control (Canon = IS lens)
do you have a tripod
would it be OK to use flash and if so what flash do you have

[texassand]

That's the problem. It is just a regular point and shoot digital camera like I am sure everyone's neighbor, grandma, and friend has. I do have a tripod but I just didn't want to have that slow of a shutter speed where people are blurry. it is a party so people won't be exactly standing still. There will be some light there, dimmed about a ton of candles. The camera has a built in flash like any regular point and shoot. Nothing fancy at all. I just get confused about shutter speed, aperature and what needs to increase, what needs to decrease, and so on. If this is going to be totally impossible, you can just say that too!!

Thanks

[etaf]

whats the purpose of the
I was asked to take pics at a "Midevil Party" this weekend
what do they want or expect from the photos?

[Jon]

It's going to be impossible based on what you've said. You'd need a fast lens (large opening, something like f/2.8 or f/2.0). The flash will limit you to a fairly close subject, and will certainly kill the "medieval" feel of the candlelight. The camera will probably be too slow in responding to a shutter press to catch any spontaneous moments (Wow! Press - wait, wait, wait - click! darn! Missed it by that much!).

If the camera gives you a choice of exposure modes, "Aperture value", set to the largest aperture the lens allows (that's the smallest number, paradoxically), turn off the flash, and use a tripod and as high an ISO (light sensitivity) setting as possible. Unless there's a lot of motion, you should get some usable pictures that way. It's supposed to be medieval - ask them to pose, and hold their poses, for longer exposures. After all, painters back then had their subjects pose for hours at a time.

[texassand]

Thank you for your help. Hopefully it will turn out ok.

[tim]

I suspect there won't be enough light for a baby camera (my terms for P&S cams) to do a good job. You could try using flash with the intensity turned down if the camera does it, but have a quick look on the LCD and see how the lighting is. Otherwise your only choice is to shoot on aperture priority mode, use a low F number, brace the camera or your arms against something when you take a photo, and hope for the best.

[PhotosGuy]

I do have a tripod but I just didn't want to have that slow of a shutter speed where people are blurry. it is a party so people won't be exactly standing still. There will be some light there, dimmed about a ton of candles. The camera has a built in flash like any regular point and shoot. Nothing fancy at all. I just get confused about shutter speed, aperature and what needs to increase, what needs to decrease, and so on. If this is going to be totally impossible, you can just say that too!!
No light, no slow shutter speed, etc - you're making it tough on yourself. A flash is just going to ruin the atmosphere if you use it, & you aren't going to get noise free pics at ISO 1600 with a P&S. The only possible options I see are:
1. Gell the flash with a warm filter like an 81EF (pic attached), orange candy wrapper, etc. & bounce the flash of the ceiling or a wall. You can do that with a P&S cam by directing it with some tinfoil.

2. Or you're going to have to set-up some shots at a slow shutter speed using a tripod. Tell everyone what you're doing beforehand & say "Everybody freeze!" when you shoot. This will get old very quick, so don't do it every 2 minutes. Someone will move anyhow, but that's life.

3. Just shoot with a tripod & slow shutter speed & try to time your shots when at least one person is in focus & not moving. Let the others just blur. Edit & throw the bad shots away. You might be surprised at how much you like some of these shots unless you hand-hold, in which case you're going to delete almost everything.

Re: "I just get confused about shutter speed, aperature and what needs to increase, what needs to decrease, and so on." Geeez! Buy some candles & do some shots in your home tonight so you at least have some clue as to what to do before you go to the party.

Oh... re, "I'm an amateur so bare with me." Not likely! Check your dictionary. ;)