Flash Shooting for an NYC Ballroom - technique question - tomorrow!

MarcusPhotographic

Hi friends, I have been a lurker here for a short bit...spent the past 6 months figuring out smugmug...slow learner I guess! Forgive me...I should have asked for advice a long time ago...appreciate any suggestions by any fellow shooters.

Tomorrow, I'm shooting in an elegant ballroom in NYC for an event with about 300 people. It's black tie and saris / gowns...so lots of color and contrast. The room has multicolored paisley mosaics, oranges, tans, yellows, light wood floor, and i'm imaging the lighting is going to be mood and/or generally a bit low. I'm shooting mostly attendees and candids.

I have a D700 that can be pushed to 2500 ISO without difficulty, an SB900 flash and lumiquest diffuser that extends upward and allows a 45deg bounce through white, silver, gold, or about 40% card. I've had decent luck with this off camera - have a flash sync cable as well. I will mostly be shooting with Nikon's 24-70 2.8 - prime lens. i also have the 70-200 2.8 prime for distance. Will plan on f4 or f56 for the tables and 2.8 for the candids / will watch focal distance to get everyone sharp (i've made that mistake before...noses watery and eyes clear).

I'm imagining groups of 10-12 at tables at the most plus 1-4 persons at a time. My concern and weakness is flash photography. I'm wondering if I should use a color bounce card or a gel - i have 3 that came with the SB900 and/or any other adjustment. If any one has any advice...I am totally open. This is the most glitzy event that i've done so far...so hoping to get nice skin tones, even lighting, and good drama...the last of these being most likely with no flash. Table shots - should I use a bracket, off-camera hand-held, or on-camera with a diffuser or one of those plastic diffisers (i have that too)?

Thanks to anyone who has anything to share!

www.marcussimpsonphotography.com

here's the room:
http://www.princegeorgeballroom.org/the-prince-george-ballroom/


Warm Regards,
Marcus

brocot

Reply on this question would help my to.

Scott_Quier

A little late, but here's how I would approach this...

• What are the ceillings like? Are they white? If so, something like the better bounce card might be an option.
• If not or the ceilings are high, then something like the light scoop (see link in my siggy) might be an option.
• As for gelling the flash. That depends on what you have for light. If you arrive and it is, indeed, low powered tungsten light, then you are probably going to want to gel your flash with either an OTC or OTS gel (1/4 or 1/2 density) to better match the flash with the ambient.
• Oh, and longer shutter speeds are probably going to be the order of the day to avoid the "I shot them in a cave" look.

OBTW - if you have one, a well-designed flash bracket is going to make your life sooooo much easier.