 BetterPhoto Member |
How to shoot in low light situations? I was asked to shoot some pictures at a church service without using a flash. I would like to know how to. The church is not well light or does not have any natural light to speak of. I was thinking of using a ISO 800 film and either use my old Minolta SRT 201 so I could open up the apature. I would like to use my newer Nikon N75 but I am not too familure with it yet. Any help would be appreacted.
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Maynard McKillen |
Dear Ken: Does your SRT-201 have that 50mm f/1.4 so often sold with Minoltas of that ilk? If so, you're in pretty good shape for this assignment, provided you plan to use a tripod, and the layout, size and policies of the church allow you to work at various distances during the ceremony. Waiting for the right moment to take a photo will also increase the number of sharp photos on the roll. Even with ISO 800 film, you will still likely be shooting at slow shutter speeds, so if you choose moments when your subjects are virtually still, such as the moment the bride and groom light the Unity candle, you're more likely to avoid blur caused by subject movement. Be alert to lighting that could fool the camera's light meter. Sometimes the wall behind the chancel is more brightly lit than the spot where the bride, groom and minister may be standing. If that brighter background takes up a significant portion of the photo, your light meter may be fooled, and your photo could look more like a silhouette. In such a situation, deliberate overexposure by a stop or two can increase the number of negatives that can be printed acceptably. Your Nikon N75 might work out well, too, though I'm guessing it came with a 28-80 f/3.5-4.5 zoom or something similar. This lens, slower than your 50mm f/1.4 Minolta lens, does offer some wide angle and telephoto framing options, but you'd be shooting at even slower shutter speeds than with the Minolta lens. Things to think about...
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RoxAnne E. Franklin |
I did test shots in a church today for a wedding I have to do in May. This is not my first wedding, however, it is the first wedding that I have terrible lighting to work with. This church is very small, i'm confined to working without flash. I have a canon elan 7e and I'm working in the rear of the church so I'm going to use my 70 200 2.8 IS lens. I tested it today with NPH 400 film, and the most I can get in shutter speeds is 3 seconds. I do have a tripod and have used one for weddings, a little confining but works well when you are standing in one position. I am going to be testing NPH 800, but was wondering what 1600 film would be less grainy and acceptable to use for a wedding. any thoughts?
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