# Nightclub Photography



## MrsMoo (Feb 24, 2011)

I have a D60, normal lens and a pop-up flash. What equipment would you suggest pimiping out my camera with to get http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150114536084697&set=a.10150114533319697.288285.132358979696&theater
I've seen somewhere that a fish eye lens is a good effect, but I dont want all my photos to look the same!
I have limited money aswell :thumbdown:

Any help would be appreciated though :thumbup:


----------



## bigtwinky (Feb 24, 2011)

Define limited money.

And that image is pretty damn bad.  Boring shot, badly exposed.  If that is what you want, then stick with what you already have and buy a wide angle lens.  Is that acutally a nightclub or some bad frat party?!?

If you want to step it up, keep the D60 as this isnt your limited factor. Get a hotshoe flash (SB-600 $270 - i don tknow Nikon too well), learn to drag the shutter, get a wide angle zoom lens (Sigma 10-20 for $475).

The wide will not be a fisheye but allow for some distortion.  

Total $745

You can start with just the wide angle and learn to use the 2nd curtain shutter on your popup flash with low shutter speeds to drag the shutter.

But also learn to take a good picture, not a P&S snapshot of people in a room.


----------



## MrsMoo (Feb 24, 2011)

I meant the lighting in the photo haha not how bad it is! I want the photos to be better than that! 
The nightclub is pretty dark, I don't want to over expose the subjects' faces with the flash.

Limited money meaning I'm not paying over £30 for an external flash. I've seen wide angled adapters, you add them to your lens. Not sure how good they are!

I've also been looking into how to drag the shutter. That gives the effect that everything behind is moving, but the subjects are in focus, right?


----------



## bigtwinky (Feb 24, 2011)

Yep... its working with the 2nd curtain setting of the flash, not the first, and with lower shutter speeds.
Think the shutter is open, allowing for light to get in, motion in the people,... and right before the shutter closes (2nd curtain), the flash goes off to freeze motion, but leaving the blurs
It would work with 1st curtain as well, but the motion would be in front of the subject and not in back, not giving the sense of motion.

For the adapters, you are on your own.  I have no experience (and no want for experience) with them.


----------



## Fujito (Feb 24, 2011)

I would not recommend a fisheye. It warps people towards the ends, and those people will not like that effect.

Wide angle is the way to go. I'd suggest getting a pretty strong flash. The problem with clubs is bouncing light. If the ceiling is too high then you have to really bump up the flash exposure.

I would hate to shoot at clubs though. I see guys do it and they aren't having fun, they aren't picking up girls with their big ass camera, and they risk having some drunk guy or girl bump into them on the dance floor and break everything, or someone may spill a drink on their equipment. A lot can go wrong in that environment.​


----------



## MrsMoo (Feb 24, 2011)

Would a flash gun be better for that? In terms of diffusing the light too?
I'll need to experiment 

I'm buying a lens adapter, a macro and wide angled one for £12.99. If its pants I'll let you know and sell it on lol


----------



## MrsMoo (Feb 24, 2011)

the fisheye would be a pretty cool effect for some of the photos tho 
I'm already looking into getting a flash gun, and the ceiling isnt too high where I work downstairs, but upstairs its pretty high!


----------



## Fujito (Feb 24, 2011)

"If its pants" hahahaha is that an expression in Scotland?

Anyway, fisheye might be fun at first, but the novelty wears off fast.


----------



## bigtwinky (Feb 24, 2011)

A fisheye is a specialty lens.  I believe that while they make cool effects, they are not something you want to use 100% of the time.  Well, not something *I* want to use 100% of the time.  If you want this to be your defining style, go for it.

Specialty lenses are something I either rent or wait until I have every other lens that I need before I actually buy.  I'd prefer to pay $40 for a lens rental for a weekend that $800 and only use it a handful of times.  Specially when I am charging clients, I'll just up my price somewhat to cover the cost of the lens/gear rental


----------



## Zrock (Feb 25, 2011)

When i was working in clubs all i had was my pc of crap point and shoot... I just stumbled across the solution by acident one night but i started puting my findger over the flash on the point and shoot. The pictures whould turn out perfectly everytime and actually look exatly like we were in the club. Not to sure how to reproduce that same effect with the slr as im still pretty new.


----------



## gsgary (Feb 25, 2011)

MrsMoo said:


> Would a flash gun be better for that? In terms of diffusing the light too?
> I'll need to experiment
> 
> I'm buying a lens adapter, a macro and wide angled one for £12.99. If its pants I'll let you know and sell it on lol



They are pants


----------



## gsgary (Feb 25, 2011)

MrsMoo said:


> I meant the lighting in the photo haha not how bad it is! I want the photos to be better than that!
> The nightclub is pretty dark, I don't want to over expose the subjects' faces with the flash.
> 
> Limited money meaning I'm not paying over £30 for an external flash. I've seen wide angled adapters, you add them to your lens. Not sure how good they are!
> ...


 

You won't get a flash for £30 that will work on your camera, a cheap old flash for off camera flash yes


----------



## MrsMoo (Feb 26, 2011)

I've been lookinh at flash guns, and there is one about £80 :/
I've seen one the same brand but for £50 less!
Pants is just something I say instead of swearing haha!


----------



## bigtwinky (Feb 26, 2011)

You will need to adjust the flash power and range manually while working with your camera settings.  Not the easiest, but do-able with practice and experience.


----------



## itf (Feb 26, 2011)

why dont you get a fisheye adapter to go with that wide angle adapter? xP


----------



## KKJUN (Feb 28, 2011)

Don't buy a cheap flash. At some point, you will want to get a more expensive one.


----------



## MrsMoo (Mar 5, 2011)

KKJUN said:


> Don't buy a cheap flash. At some point, you will want to get a more expensive one.


 
I don't really have the money and I need one now :/


----------



## RyanLilly (Mar 6, 2011)

MrsMoo said:


> KKJUN said:
> 
> 
> > Don't buy a cheap flash. At some point, you will want to get a more expensive one.
> ...


 
Actually, I would buy a cheap flash. You can do a lot with manual flash. Look for a used Vivitar 285HV, or even one of the random Chinese flashes, with similar output. You don't get TTL metering control, they recycle pretty slowly, the build quality leaves something to be desired, no auto zoom, or any other fancy crap like that.

But, they have good output, they are cheap, great for off camera flash, lightweight, very portable, and they come in handy all the time. They will work just fine manually with the second curtain setting on your camera. In a club, your exposure is not going to change much, as long as your subject is about the same distance form the camera, from shot to shot.

I like to keep a 285HV, cheap wireless triggers, a super clamp, and a few ball bungee cords handy. This combo is pretty inexpensive, and can be extremely useful. 

A good cheap flash is a nice budget way to start, then when you want something nicer, buy it and add to your lighting collection. That cheap flash will still come in handy often as a slave, or second light source, back light/hair light, backup, or as an accent with a snoot. The uses are limitless.


----------



## mwesley (Mar 10, 2011)

You'd be fine with big twinky's suggestion - the SB 600.  A simple 18-55mm lens would be just fine, and wide enough ... also a versatile enough lens that you can use elsewhere, outside the nightclub.  You can use your pop-up flash along with the SB while dragging the shutter ... the SB 600 can be set to optical slave, so your pop-up flash will trigger the SB to fire at the exact moment that your pop-up flash fires (rather than using a flash gun).   You can either hold the SB in your hand and direct the light, or mount it elsewhere to bounce light, or direct the light anywhere you want to.  Find a second-hand lens, and perhaps even a second-hand SB flash ... you'd be far better off with more versatile equipment.  RyanLilly's suggestion about the Vivitar 285HV is also great -- I've had one in my bag for 15 years, and it's still firing away ... my only issue with this flash, in your case, is that this flash can not work in auto mode (though as Ryan points out, this would not be an issue in a club where your exposures will likely remain consistent).  The Vivitar is definitely another good, cheaper option ... but not as "user friendly" as the less-antiquated Nikon SBs.  

It has been a while since the last post on here ... have you worked out your issues?  How are the nightclub shoots going now?


----------



## KKJUN (Mar 10, 2011)

Yes, you would want to get a cheap one for off camera flash, but i really wouldn't recomend a cheap one for a main flash.


----------



## MrsMoo (Mar 14, 2011)

Hiya! I've been working two jobs, so not much time for the computer sadly! I got some photos this weekend and tried dragging the shutter, I personally, don't like the photos.
I've attached one, as I've not approved the logo with my boss yet so don't want to go saving all the photos with the logo lol


----------



## fokker (Mar 17, 2011)

The facebook photo you linked to looks like it was taken with flash bounced off the ceiling - ie a hot shoe flash like an SB-600 pointed towards a white ceiling to turn the whole ceiling into a light source. Not so ideal for close-quarters face shots as it gives weird looking shadows.


----------



## UUilliam (May 1, 2011)

Sorry to revive an old topic but there is some information here that is inaccurate (only read the first few posts)

1. Don't second curtain shutter.
The reason I say that is; Most people will assume the first flash is the photograph done, then move.
You can acheive the same results with the first curtain flash.

2. Your camera settings are not-necessary for exposing the people.
The people are exposed by the flash, the camera shutter speed and iso etc are simply to acheive background lighting.

3. Aperture remains the same   (controls the DOF)

I have just recently done my first nightclub photoshoot (look in the people forum to find it.)  and feel I done fairly well with it.
It landed me a job in a nightclub photography business so 

here is a good source to look at:  Nightclub Photography Tips & Nightlife Photography | Nightclub Photography TV

P.s. I used my 18-55mm kit lens.


----------



## uriljack (May 4, 2011)

i just love that


----------

