Shooting a Hafla

So, whats a Hafla?

It's a meeting of belly dancers - this particular one will be a fund raiser for one of the dancers who is doing the Panmass Challenge to raise money for cancer research.

My wife is a dancer, and through her, I'm going to be the official photographer for the event.

I'm mentally troubleshooting how I'm going to light this - it won't be my first dance event, but every one I've done before has been unofficial, and was with my XTI, 50mm f1.8 lens and no flash - so high ISO and grainy results. Nothing I'd call professional, or put in my portfolio.

This time, I've negotiated the use of flash, I've upgraded to a 7D and a 28-75mm Tamron f2.8 lens. I have a 580EXII, and potentially, two of them, if I can negotiate a loan from a friend.


So, here's my challenge. The dance floor is circular, with people seated 3/4 of the way around. The ceiling is high and has a crystal chandelier right in the middle that I suspect will play havoc with bouncing.

Here is a shot of it (not my photo - that of another belly dance husband)

http://www.flickr.com …in/set-72157616595160707/

i'm running two lighting setups through my mind.

1) on camera - I can put a 580EXII on a flash bracket with an ETTL cable, or directly on the hotshoe, gelled for tungsten, and either bounced off the ceiling or bounced off a lumiquest pocket bounce. I can be mobile, but not too creative with the lighting.

2) Off camera - put one, or both (if I can get it) 580 EXII's on flash stands and stick them high up off the ground, then bounce them off the roof - I have one umbrella bracket I could fire one through / bounce one off, but could get another bracket if needed. Then I fire them remotely with the on camera 7D flash trigger functionality.


So, what would you do? Advice or thoughts? Suggestions?

i do have genesis 200 studio lights, but wasn't planning on taking those - I could if you think it would be a dramatic improvement?

I don't think it's going to be all that easy, I have to say...

You don't happen to know anyone wth a theatre lighting/disco lighting background who could lend you or the organiser some brighter lights to illuminate the stage area, do you? That way the performers are better lit for the audience, the dancers might get more of a buzz and you get more light for your pictures.

Shooting digitally you naturally take _lots_ of pictures... that's a lot of flashes, which could become tiresome for the dancers.

How much processing did you do with your photographs from last time? I'd have thought that at ISO1600, f/2.8, and bit of noise reduction before reducing them to, say, 2100 pixels on the long side would give you something pretty decent... and I've yet to meet a dancer who objects to the slight skin smoothing effect that the noise reduction gives

regards,
/alan

I didn't shoot those last sets of pics, but they were all done without flash - I'm thinking that using the 580 as a fill, and exposing for or close to the ambient is the best option I have

No additional equipment available, I'm afraid - and typically, dancers don't like flashes at all, so I'm nervous about putting too much flash - hence avoiding the Genesis lights and going with bounce flash.

Well, that shot was at f/1.8; 1/80s; ISO 1600, and it's underexposed. At least by a stop I'd say.

Use higher ISO as needed. Then again, you don't have much room there, using an XTi.

Still, that's not the biggest problem IMO. That qualification goes to the quality of the lighting: It sucks. No spotlights, walls and audience are better lit then the dancers. So, that makes it pretty tough.
So yes, probably adding light is a good option.
Make sure you don't just add quantity of light, also add quality. Think about where you want the light to come from, and what you want illuminated (and what not).

Then place your light accordingly.

I was at a hafla last night, and took along my 7D, my 580EX II and an Omniquest Pocket Bounce.

Setting the flash with pocket bounce on the table next to me (flash head vertical), and triggering it with my wireless settings on the 7D, I was able to shoot these

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