NEEd HELP ASAP!!!!

[Shameless Productions]

Ok i am shooting a play for my school and they would lie to get the effects of the light and that but i dont know how to do so. I tried lowering shutter speed so i get more light in but then the actors move which ends up giving me blur so i do not know what to do.
Im shutting 40D with a 17-85.

Thanks a lot advance

Moe

[Chrazer]

You have to boost the ISO and shoot wide open and shoot raw. The art is in making the acceptable tradeoffs. How much noise can you accept? How much motion blur? Some is acceptable some is even beautiful.


I imagine that the 17 - 85 is pretty slow at the long end so....

Can you borrow a 50mm or 85mm prime ? These lenses could help but also have there own issues so do not learn their limitations on the night.

[Mhappy]

When is this play? Do you have time to borrow or rent a fast lens?

[DreDaze]

if the school wants that...tell them to buy you a faster lens...

[Shameless Productions]

lol Sadly not gonna happen cause well goverment want to tear down the school so tough because it would cost them 47M to repair it so tough luck on that one sadly.

And also there is no place in town where you can rent its all buy and bank account is pretty low after spending 3000 buck for a trip to Scotland

[DreDaze]

yeah, i didn't think the school would pay for it...but really you do need faster glass if you want to get the results they are asking for

i'd pick up a canon 50mm f1.8 if funds are low...goes for about $100 US...i'd talk to one of the shops about them lending you out the lens for a day...it'd be about the same thing as them selling it to you, and then you returning it in the amount of time they give for a return...

[Minjo 22]

Ok i am shooting a play for my school and they would lie to get the effects of the light and that but i dont know how to do so. I tried lowering shutter speed so i get more light in but then the actors move which ends up giving me blur so i do not know what to do.
Im shutting 40D with a 17-85.

Thanks a lot advance

Moe

I have a degree in technical theatre. When we had photoshoots of any production, it was a scheduled separate event. Not during a performance. We would pose scenes and everybody just held a static position so the photographer could use whatever shutter and stop settings were necessary to capture the lighting.

Could you schedule a pre-performace shoot?

[yogestee]

Ok i am shooting a play for my school and they would lie to get the effects of the light and that but i dont know how to do so. I tried lowering shutter speed so i get more light in but then the actors move which ends up giving me blur so i do not know what to do.
Im shutting 40D with a 17-85.

Thanks a lot advance

Moe

Moe,,stage photography is one of the most challenging types of photography.. Stage lighting is designed for effect,, not to be photographed.. It can be dim as a coal mine one minute and bright as the sun the next.. Performers, especially dancers move so a highish shuterspeed is necessary.. You can be lucky to catch a performer that split second when the are still..

To make it easy you need a wide aperture lens and high ISO.. Exposures of 125th at f/2.8 shooting 3200 ISO are the norm especially during amateur productions..

Good luck with your shoot..

[themadman]

Play with the iso, don't be afraid to go high.

[DreDaze]

I have a degree in technical theatre. When we had photoshoots of any production, it was a scheduled separate event. Not during a performance. We would pose scenes and everybody just held a static position so the photographer could use whatever shutter and stop settings were necessary to capture the lighting.

Could you schedule a pre-performace shoot?

this seems like a great idea to me...probably your best bet if you can't get a faster lens...

[mattograph]

Moe,,stage photography is one of the most challenging types of photography.. Stage lighting is designed for effect,, not to be photographed.. It can be dim as a coal mine one minute and bright as the sun the next.. Performers, especially dancers move so a highish shuterspeed is necessary.. You can be lucky to catch a performer that split second when the are still..

To make it easy you need a wide aperture lens and high ISO.. Exposures of 125th at f/2.8 shooting 3200 ISO are the norm especially during amateur productions..

Good luck with your shoot..

Solid advice.

[yogestee]

Solid advice.

I used to shoot a heap of theatre productions and stage photography in the '80s and 90's using film..

One professional theatre company in particular I was their resident photographer.. I'd shoot programmes, front of house, dress rehearsals etc.. I'd shoot dress rehearsals pushing Tri-X to 1600 ISO and selling 10x8s to the cast and crew.. I could easily shoot ten rolls of 36exp Tri-X during a 90 minute production.. I'd have them processed, numbered and proofed for the next evening.. Then I'd spend the next few days printing 10x8s..

I only experimented shooting colour a few times but gave up.. There wasn't a tungsten balanced film fast enough..

[Brikwall]

Too late now. I believe the last of the productions he was referring to was scheduled for yesterday evening.

Personally, I would have shot the dress rehearsals for a little more freedom of movement and, perhaps, a tad more light. I haven't been in that auditorium since I graduated from there... ummm... a while ago... but I don't recall any good locations for shooting during actual performances.

I didn't realize they had finalized any decisions to tear down the school. Last I heard they were still discussing the possibility of refurbishment. Regardless, I doubt they would purchase camera gear for student use.

[Shameless Productions]

Ya thanks a lot guys this really helped.

By the way i think photographers are the nicest poeple on Earth i happend to meet a fellow photographer with some nice glass 24-70 2.8 and a 70-200 2.8. He gladly lent all of this to me.

THank you so much Craig Norris for lending me your gear.

They havent decided to tear it down but it is still a slim chance of it but its still here till i graduate so its all good.

[neilwood32]

Apologies for the late arrival and glad to hear you got the event shot.

Never be afraid of high ISO's. Yes you will get noise but noise can be dealt with by using a Noise reduction programme (noise ninja, Noiseware, etc).

Better to get a properly exposed shot (correct DOF/shutterspeed to freeze motion) with noise than not to get the shot.

[Aaron Peabody]

I have a degree in technical theatre. When we had photoshoots of any production, it was a scheduled separate event. Not during a performance. We would pose scenes and everybody just held a static position so the photographer could use whatever shutter and stop settings were necessary to capture the lighting.

Could you schedule a pre-performace shoot?

Awesome, my degree is technical theatre also, and that's exactly the way we did it too (with out color balanced Kodak slide film). What school did you attend?