Need guidance on ballroom lighting.

[ksl279]

Hi all, need some advice for lighting if the photo taken in a ballroom which the celling is too high for bounce flash and there is no wall around. where should i fire the flash ?

If the flash fire at 90deg direct to subject, will it be too harsh and the background be too darken ?

I'm newbie, will be shooting in a wed dinner for friend. anyone can give me some tips please, thanks.

Btw, the gear using is Nikon D90 kit + Di622 w Diffuser.

 

[daredevil123]

Hi all, need some advice for lighting if the photo taken in a ballroom which the celling is too high for bounce flash and there is no wall around. where should i fire the flash ?

If the flash fire at 90deg direct to subject, will it be too harsh and the background be too darken ?

I'm newbie, will be shooting in a wed dinner for friend. anyone can give me some tips please, thanks.

Btw, the gear using is Nikon D90 kit + Di622 w Diffuser.

Options:

1. Use a bounce card to bounce the light forward
2. Use a cap diffuser and shot direct
3. Use a gary fong diffuser with chrome dome pointing up.
4. Use a gary fond diffuser with white dome pointing direct forward.

In each case, you need to dial down the FV to get the correct light and up the ISO to get the ambient light in.

 

[ksl279]

Options:

1. Use a bounce card to bounce the light forward
2. Use a cap diffuser and shot direct
3. Use a gary fong diffuser with chrome dome pointing up.
4. Use a gary fond diffuser with white dome pointing direct forward.

In each case, you need to dial down the FV to get the correct light and up the ISO to get the ambient light in.

Thanks for the tips, anyway where can i get the gary fond diffuser ? how much it cost ?

 

[kenny888]

Hi, u can get gary fong stuff at Cathay Photo. U can also consider alternatives like 3rd party lambency diffuser, it looks like a bowl something like Gary Fong. It works pretty well also.

Thanks for the tips, anyway where can i get the gary fond diffuser ? how much it cost ?

 

[daredevil123]

Thanks for the tips, anyway where can i get the gary fond diffuser ? how much it cost ?

Actually the gary fong diffusers are not favored by me (that is why I list them at the bottom). But if you still want them, you can buy the original garry fong diffusers at Cathay Photo. There are a few different types lightsphere/lightsphere cloud/whale tale/lightsphere collapsible. You can also buy china copies of the lightsphere/lightsphere cloud/whaletale.

IMHO, I will go for a bounce card. I use the Demb flip-it jumbo.

You can get some of the diffusers here:
http://www.sgcamerastore.com/flash-diffusers/cat_5.html?page=0

 

[enzeru21]

Simple bounce card will suffice in my opinion... don't need the super huge bounce cards even... that will be too harsh too..

don't be too worried about the rest... :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[ksl279]

Actually the gary fong diffusers are not favored by me (that is why I list them at the bottom). But if you still want them, you can buy the original garry fong diffusers at Cathay Photo. There are a few different types lightsphere/lightsphere cloud/whale tale/lightsphere collapsible. You can also buy china copies of the lightsphere/lightsphere cloud/whaletale.

IMHO, I will go for a bounce card. I use the Demb flip-it jumbo.

You can get some of the diffusers here:
http://www.sgcamerastore.com/flash-diffusers/cat_5.html?page=0

Simple bounce card will suffice in my opinion... don't need the super huge bounce cards even... that will be too harsh too..

don't be too worried about the rest... :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Hi, the Di622 does comes with a small piece of bounce card, does it sufficient enuf ? For your opinion ?

:what:

 

[zac08]

Hi, the Di622 does comes with a small piece of bounce card, does it sufficient enuf ? For your opinion ?

:what:

may not be enuff... try to go for at least a 4 inch size one.

 

[daredevil123]

Hi, the Di622 does comes with a small piece of bounce card, does it sufficient enuf ? For your opinion ?

:what:

Light modifiers that try to disperse light will make the area of light bigger. A small card will cause the light to be more point like making it harsher.

A small bounce card is useful when the light from the flash is bouncing off the ceiling to provide most of the light. The small bounce card will be sufficient to push enough forward to fill in shadows under the eyes and chin, and to give some catchlights in the eyes. If your ceiling is too high, it may not be enough. Best is to test it out.

 

[sherchoo]

Light modifiers that try to disperse light will make the area of light bigger. A small card will cause the light to be more point like making it harsher.

A small bounce card is useful when the light from the flash is bouncing off the ceiling to provide most of the light. The small bounce card will be sufficient to push enough forward to fill in shadows under the eyes and chin, and to give some catchlights in the eyes. If your ceiling is too high, it may not be enough. Best is to test it out.

Deciding on the size of bounce card can be quite difficult. I agree on testing it out. Alternatively, you can standby a few sizes of bounce cards just to be on the "kiasu" side.