Quote:
Originally Posted by saber
so i'm most likely going to a convention soon, i'm a little lost and haven't shot in a while. i know the LA convention center is a little lacking in terms of light sources, so i'm curious for those of you who do some portrait photography, what would you bring to a convention?
i shoot with a DX camera (nikon d5100), and i have a 35mm/1.8 prime and an 18-55 kit lens (3.5-5.6G), and an SB-700 speedlight. mostly, do i need the speedlight, or should i know something about the settings?
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There really isn't a straightforward answer. Those lenses are fine, but controlling the light source is a different story altogether. With the speed light, you'll want a
sync cord to move it off camera. This will allow you a bit more control and they're
relatively inexpensive. I use a portable diffuser I place on my sb900 to even out the light which can also be had for around
$20-$30. Other than that, your settings will be what you'll need to work on. I'd try some test shots in a low light area and see what works best for your gear. Since you're using a flash, I'd stick to aperture priority or (P). You'll also want to test out the cleanest, lowest ISO you can work with, with some practice shots in the field. If you shoot in jpeg, setting a custom white balance with a gray card will make it easier to get the proper skin tones.
Also, it's a not critical at this point, but a 35mm isn't really the most flattering for portraits because of the slight distortion. It may work okay for full body shots, which I assume will be what the majority of shots will be. Otherwise, you should use a 50mm or higher. The kit lens is okay at 55mm, but you may have trouble because of the small max aperture at the length in low light.