Indoor House Party - Flash? ISO? WB?

René Damkot wrote in post #7611868
I'd take ISO 800 over ISO 50 for an indoor party at night *any day of the week* (and twice in the weekend).

You can stop down a bit for more DoF, use less flash power while still getting a hand-holdable shutterspeed if you want to let the ambient light play any role whatsoever.

If flash is your main light (which it will be at ISO 200), you'll get a bat in a cave party....

will ISO800 be sufficient for prints?

i haven't mastered my 580 quite yet, so i was planning on using it in ETTL. care to tell me how to use less flash power?

René Damkot wrote in post #7611868
I'd take ISO 800 over ISO 50 for an indoor party at night *any day of the week* (and twice in the weekend).

You can stop down a bit for more DoF, use less flash power while still getting a hand-holdable shutterspeed if you want to let the ambient light play any role whatsoever.

If flash is your main light (which it will be at ISO 200), you'll get a bat in a cave party....

He has barely used his flash and is shooting a house party tonight. With all due respect to the OP he is probably no where near ready to start a discussion about balancing ambient.

MacFly wrote in post #7612016
will ISO800 be sufficient for prints?

i haven't mastered my 580 quite yet, so i was planning on using it in ETTL. care to tell me how to use less flash power?

While you can use it on ISO 800, there is no reason to. Put it on ISO 200 to start. If you are using it in E-TTL mode when the flash senses it has provide enough light it shuts itself off. That is the whole concept behind E-TTL, as I understand it. I am not a lighting expert by any means. I am a sports photog.

When you get to your party. Take a few test shots. If they are underexposed at all, which they shouldn't be, then go ahead and up the ISO. 400 at first, then 800. But again, you shouldn't need to.

MacFly,

I was thinking about one other issue. If the house has standard 8 or 10 ft. ceilings you will be great with bounce flash. If there is very high ceiling then you may not be able to get enough light by bouncing.

That is when you want to put your diffuser on and shoot direct. Not ideal, but it will get you through and much better than just straight bare flash.

Again, have fun.

matonanjin wrote in post #7612237
While you can use it on ISO 800, there is no reason to. Put it on ISO 200 to start.

.......

When you get to your party. Take a few test shots. If they are underexposed at all, which they shouldn't be, then go ahead and up the ISO. 400 at first, then 800.

The reason for going to 800 is 1) less strain on the flash (less important in this case), and 2) allowing more ambient light in the background to come through - the flash won't be illuminating that.

If the flash is in E-TTL, and the shot is underexposed at 400, bumping to 800 shouldn't solve the problem unless the flash had been firing at full power. Most likely, you'll raise the ISO and the flash will reduce power by one stop to compensate. Raising the FEC is the way to alter exposure on an E-TTL flash-dominated setup. I agree about the test shots.


MacFly, I shot a house party not too long ago with primarily flash with good results, I was able to bounce of a fairly low ceiling. One thing I would have done differently, is tape a small piece of paper around the flash like a hood for shots where I was low and angling up - in these cases, I got bounce from the ceiling but there was also a direct line of sight from the subjects to the face of the flash, so I got some (significantly less flattering) direct flash and hard shadow lines. In future, I'm going to tape a paper around the flash that I can slide up and down.

MacFly wrote in post #7612016
will ISO800 be sufficient for prints?

IMO, yes. But some people are overly concerned with noise, so YMMV

matonanjin wrote in post #7612206
He has barely used his flash and is shooting a house party tonight. With all due respect to the OP he is probably no where near ready to start a discussion about balancing ambient.

Good point
Then again, after tonight he might want to read this: Link

Ook wrote in post #7615895
If the flash is in E-TTL, and the shot is underexposed at 400, bumping to 800 shouldn't solve the problem unless the flash had been firing at full power. Most likely, you'll raise the ISO and the flash will reduce power by one stop to compensate. Raising the FEC is the way to alter exposure on an E-TTL flash-dominated setup. I agree about the test shots.

Good points

Ook wrote in post #7615895
MacFly, I shot a house party not too long ago with primarily flash with good results, I was able to bounce of a fairly low ceiling. One thing I would have done differently, is tape a small piece of paper around the flash like a hood for shots where I was low and angling up - in these cases, I got bounce from the ceiling but there was also a direct line of sight from the subjects to the face of the flash, so I got some (significantly less flattering) direct flash and hard shadow lines. In future, I'm going to tape a paper around the flash that I can slide up and down.

580EX has a built in bounce card

So MacFly,

How did it go?

René Damkot wrote in post #7617761
580EX has a built in bounce card

Interesting - I assumed the card was located at the back of the flash head (if it were pointed at the ceiling) - thought I imagine you could just turn the head around 180°. Canon's thought of everything!

It's Sunday morning. How did it go?

Ook wrote in post #7621520
Interesting - I assumed the card was located at the back of the flash head (if it were pointed at the ceiling)

It is...
Here's an image Google found: Click

sorry for the delay everyone.

ok, the pix didn't come out as good as i wanted them to. the one room with the kids, the ceiling was low and it was painted an earth tone color!

all C&C welcome.

here's a few samples..

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one thing all the ladies complain about, including the wifey, is the exhaggerated "bags" under the eyes. what can i do to fix that when shooting?

Pull out the bounce card a bit, that will throw some light forward, and fill those shadows.

Pretty decent series!

René Damkot wrote in post #7630437
Pull out the bounce card a bit, that will throw some light forward, and fill those shadows.

Pretty decent series!

yes, i will try the bounce card going forward.

MacFly wrote in post #7629687
sorry for the delay everyone.

ok, the pix didn't come out as good as i wanted them to.
here's a few samples..

I don't know what you were expecting, they look pretty good to me. Awfully good first time try!