Opinions needed

reyvee61

Reworking some older .nef files from last years Gothla event as I've learned a few things about processing since then.

These were shot with the 35-70 2.8 & D700 combo wide open at ISO 1250 1/250.

The issue I think I resolved is the skin tone which were a bit unnatural looking in my initial renderings.

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I think most will agree that shooting dancers wearing black against black is a challenge withing itself let alone dealing with lighting issues. Still I prefer flashless for these types of events.
Thanks

MarkR

She looks like she's having fun! Nice. But, just out of curiosity, why do you prefer flashless? A good flash might help separate the subject from the background and give you more creative control.

reyvee61

MarkR wrote: »

She looks like she's having fun! Nice. But, just out of curiosity, why do you prefer flashless? A good flash might help separate the subject from the background and give you more creative control.

Good question
I suppose I could try sometime with the SB800 and a soft box but looking at some of my counterparts work with flash units I've come to the conclusion that it ruins the feel of the event not to mention other artifacts that occur.

No offense to Rich but same dancer, same event with flash unit and diffuser:

MarkR

I will admit, that's not a flattering use of flash. However, I believe that better results can be obtained using flash, with a bit of practice and maybe some creative use of light modifiers.

reyvee61

MarkR wrote: »

I will admit, that's not a flattering use of flash. However, I believe that better results can be obtained using flash, with a bit of practice and maybe some creative use of light modifiers.

I'll have to give it go next year to see what results I get since I'll be going back to close range shooting vs using the 70-200 2.8 as I did this year.
A flash would be useless at that distance.
Maybe I'll rent the new 24-70 2.8 and experiment with flash to see if I can get decent results.
Thanks

Caspian

I like the pictures. You were shooting in a very tough environment. You have done a nice job getting good exposure, which reflects your skill and the excellent equipment you are using.

I agree with you that shooting without a flash really captures the mood of the event. I was shooting some portraits a couple weeks ago and needed to use a flash to balance the light. I found that by reducing the power by 2 to 3 stops, I was able to even the light and still keep a natural look. I'm not sure if the same approach would work inside, but it might be worth a try. I don't know if I would do it in a event like this because it will definitely affect the mood of the picture. Also, I prefer to be "invisible" when shooting an event and the flash has a way of drawing attention.

reyvee61

Caspian wrote: »

I like the pictures. You were shooting in a very tough environment. You have done a nice job getting good exposure, which reflects your skill and the excellent equipment you are using.

I agree with you that shooting without a flash really captures the mood of the event. I was shooting some portraits a couple weeks ago and needed to use a flash to balance the light. I found that by reducing the power by 2 to 3 stops, I was able to even the light and still keep a natural look. I'm not sure if the same approach would work inside, but it might be worth a try. I don't know if I would do it in a event like this because it will definitely affect the mood of the picture. Also, I prefer to be "invisible" when shooting an event and the flash has a way of drawing attention.

My thoughts as well but I'm open to try new things such as stepping the flash down a bit but yes, I like to be transparent at these events as well as selective, meaning I don't care much for using the multi shoot mode either.

Do you have an example of the portrait you shot?

Caspian

The pictures I took recently with the stopped down fill were some shots of my daughter's family and I haven't gotten the clearance to post them yet. When I do, I'll get them on SmugMug and put up a link. Here is a link to some dance recital shots that were in a dark auditorium. http://davidmcpherson.smugmug.com/Cincy-Dance

reyvee61

Caspian wrote: »

The pictures I took recently with the stopped down fill were some shots of my daughter's family and I haven't gotten the clearance to post them yet. When I do, I'll get them on SmugMug and put up a link. Here is a link to some dance recital shots that were in a dark auditorium. http://davidmcpherson.smugmug.com/Cincy-Dance

Ah, not able to see them, they are password protected :-)

Caspian

reyvee61 wrote: »

Ah, not able to see them, they are password protected :-)

I hate when I do that. The password for 2009 is: The Show and for 2010 is: Las Vegas. But, don't tell anybody.

reyvee61

Caspian wrote: »

I hate when I do that. The password for 2009 is: The Show and for 2010 is: Las Vegas. But, don't tell anybody.

Ha ha, thanks
I 'll keep quiet

reyvee61

You did a great job on these!
I have a friend whose grand daughters are in dance and she just got a Canon 7D so I'm hoping she can get shots this good.
Bravo!

reyvee61

The costumes in your sets make for a nice contrast as well I should say.
Black is pretty much the norm at these gothic events that I attend