Shooting with flash in school gymnasium - novice flash user

Looking for some help...

I am a strictly sports shooter, and not used to using a flash at all. I do have a 600EX RT that I have used very sparingly (and yea, I've already heard all the crap about why I have a 600EX RT when I don't know how to use it or don't use it enough).

Anyway, my son's elementary school wants me to shoot a few things in the next few months that take place in their gymnasium, so I wanted to run the scenarios by you all:

1. Next Friday is a dance, so for this I'd think I would have the flash on-camera and walk around to shoot the goings-on. I know about bouncing flash off walls/ceilings, but in a gym with 20-30 foot ceilings, how should I handle the flash so I don't get so much isolation on my subject? Maybe using less power on the flash? Maybe a diffuser that attaches to the flash (not a Stoffen, but one of the big box-type things).

2. In December they want me to shoot the kids sitting with Santa. I do have a Canon off-camera cord, so I would figure to put the flash on a stand with maybe an umbrella or something like that? For this scenario I know I'll have to buy stuff but want to be as minimal as possible.

I've been wanting to learn how to use speedlites, but as always, I say I'm going to make time for it but never do. So I hope that some of you all can give me some quick pointers about these two different situations to get the most out of what I have, or to make minimal purchases to get the effect I need.

Thanks for any and all help....

I wouldn't stress too much about your first shoot. I do this type of shoot a lot at my highschool and I think you will be best off by tilting the flash head 45 degrees and using the bounce card. Also use your SS and ISO to get enough ambient light in the shot. If you can get enough ambient light in than even a direct flash would do. The main thing to consider is the distance between you and the subject. The techniques I wrote apply to distances up to some 10 feet in my experience.

For the second shoot I think it is necessary to buy at least a basic radio trigger for the flash. Forget the cord - its way too much hassle.

You could spend a fortune on Canon ST-E3 but even a yongnuo 603 would do. Just remember that yongnuo is manual only trigger, which is fine, sice stationary shots like this are preferably shot with flashes in manual mode.

In order to get beautiful light you will need a light stand, an umbrella adapter and an umbrella.

I bought such a set (without triggers) for 50€. I don't know the pices in your area, but they should be in the ballpark.

One of the first things to do is to find out what type of lighting they use in the gym. The answer to that can open up a lot of problem-solving dialog for you.

D 550D wrote in post #16360962
I wouldn't stress too much about your first shoot. I do this type of shoot a lot at my highschool and I think you will be best off by tilting the flash head 45 degrees and using the bounce card. Also use your SS and ISO to get enough ambient light in the shot. If you can get enough ambient light in than even a direct flash would do. The main thing to consider is the distance between you and the subject. The techniques I wrote apply to distances up to some 10 feet in my experience.

For the second shoot I think it is necessary to buy at least a basic radio trigger for the flash. Forget the cord - its way too much hassle.

You could spend a fortune on Canon ST-E3 but even a yongnuo 603 would do. Just remember that yongnuo is manual only trigger, which is fine, sice stationary shots like this are preferably shot with flashes in manual mode.

In order to get beautiful light you will need a light stand, an umbrella adapter and an umbrella.

I bought such a set (without triggers) for 50€. I don't know the pices in your area, but they should be in the ballpark.

I was toying with the idea of getting an inexpensive light stand and umbrella anyway, so I might just do that. I do have a Yongnuo 602 set, so I'll toy with that as well.

Thanks for the reply.

SkipD wrote in post #16360970
One of the first things to do is to find out what type of lighting they use in the gym. The answer to that can open up a lot of problem-solving dialog for you.

Typical gym lighting, metal halide I believe... the lights that take about 30 minutes or so to warm up (I'm sure not that long, just sayin'...)

D 550D wrote in post #16360962
You could spend a fortune on Canon ST-E3 but even a yongnuo 603 would do. Just remember that yongnuo is manual only trigger, which is fine, sice stationary shots like this are preferably shot with flashes in manual mode.

In order to get beautiful light you will need a light stand, an umbrella adapter and an umbrella.

I bought such a set (without triggers) for 50€. I don't know the pices in your area, but they should be in the ballpark.

Question though... I was thinking about the Santa pictures. I'll probably have the camera on a tripod, so since it's not going to move, would I still be ok using a cord?

I am researching stands and umbrellas now.

Bouncing a speedlite in a gym is going to be tough. The ceilings will be pretty high. Maybe a big dem flip it diffuser or a rogue flash bender would help.

Ratjack wrote in post #16362050
Bouncing a speedlite in a gym is going to be tough. Especially since you will want a faster shutter speed which means HSS which of course means less power.

Yea, i do understand that part... pretty much impossible to bounce a flash off a 20-30 foot ceiling. I know for the first event that I will be close to the subjects, but didn't want the flash to be overpowering. 45 degree angle with bounce card seems like the best solution so far I think.

Was told today that the dance really isn't going to be a dance, more of a get-together type thing, so people won't be moving that fast...

kenjancef wrote in post #16362055
Yea, i do understand that part... pretty much impossible to bounce a flash off a 20-30 foot ceiling.

Not so - It is quite possible! Curtis posted a good example of what can be done; it changed my ideas!

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=451770

kenjancef wrote in post #16362044
Question though... I was thinking about the Santa pictures. I'll probably have the camera on a tripod, so since it's not going to move, would I still be ok using a cord?

I am researching stands and umbrellas now.

I would always use a radio trigger. Imagine what might happen if someone was to trip over the cord.

D 550D wrote in post #16363631
I would always use a radio trigger. Imagine what might happen if someone was to trip over the cord.

Yea, this is true...

kenjancef wrote in post #16362001
Typical gym lighting, metal halide I believe... the lights that take about 30 minutes or so to warm up (I'm sure not that long, just sayin'...)

You should check the colors when shooting with those lights. You may not even need flash if the lights are bright enough and provide good color. Some lights, particularly gas discharge types (including fluorescent) are really tough to shoot with because the color and intensity changes at the power line frequency.

If the lighting is bright, you'll quite likely have one heck of a time overpowering it with small flash sources.

My suggestion - experiment before the event....