[Frogfish]

If you do end up using the camera flash note if you use very wide angles you will get a shadow on the bottom of your picture.
Use less than 18mm and omit the hood to avoid the shadow.

Good point - oft forgotten when giving advice ! Which is why it's always best to practice your settings before you go off to a shoot !

[aleonx3]

If you do end up using the camera flash note if you use very wide angles you will get a shadow on the bottom of your picture.
Use less than 18mm and omit the hood to avoid the shadow.

Good point about the built-in flash which I seldom use. However, wouldn't this be in the long-end instead of the short-end as the lens protrudes furthest out at 55mm? In fact in that case, the lens hood should be removed as well.

[crewl1]

However, wouldn't this be in the long-end instead of the short-end as the lens protrudes furthest out at 55mm?

The shadow is seen in frame at the wide end only.

At 55mm even though the lens is a bit longer the field of view is small enough where the shadow is not seen in the picture.

Test it yourself so you know what to expect if you ever need the flash for an indoors group shot.

[jazon]

set your camera to f5.6 and 1/180 and you're ready

How do you get the 1/180? The camera settings go 1/125 1/160 then 1/200. Is this is down to the lens I am using (DA 18-55mm F.35-5.8) Also it jumps from 1/320 to 1/400. I have looked through the settings to make fine adjustments to get the 1/180 and 1/340 but no luck. It is probably insignificant but I am just wondering.

[Frogfish]

How do you get the 1/180? The camera settings go 1/125 1/160 then 1/200. Is this is down to the lens I am using (DA 18-55mm F.35-5.8) Also it jumps from 1/320 to 1/400. I have looked through the settings to make fine adjustments to get the 1/180 and 1/340 but no luck. It is probably insignificant but I am just wondering.

1/180 is the flash sync speed - if you pop the flash up you'll find you are shooting at 1/180. I meant 1/320 .. I shouldn't watch Strike Back at the same time as posting on forums !

[aleonx3]

The shadow is seen in frame at the wide end only.

At 55mm even though the lens is a bit longer the field of view is small enough where the shadow is not seen in the picture.

Test it yourself so you know what to expect if you ever need the flash for an indoors group shot.

Good point, ah, I forgot about the FOV would be drastically reduced on the long end.... tells you how much I have used the built-in flash, probably no more than 5 times....

[aleonx3]

How do you get the 1/180? The camera settings go 1/125 1/160 then 1/200. Is this is down to the lens I am using (DA 18-55mm F.35-5.8) Also it jumps from 1/320 to 1/400. I have looked through the settings to make fine adjustments to get the 1/180 and 1/340 but no luck. It is probably insignificant but I am just wondering.

Jazon, I hope you had some success in your last outing since there are so many good suggestions from your fellow forum members. 1/180 is the max sync speed for the built-in flash on the k-5, and that is the most (fastest shutter setting) you get as soon as you pop the flash up. At some point, you may want to explore and invest in an external flash; and that's where your creativity begins (of course YMMV).

One of the important criteria for me in event photography is to capture the 'mood' not just the scene. The external PTTL flash with swivel head will provides a rich set of features that if you use the flash properly, it may help in a lot of situations where non-flash shots with only the natural lighting from the environment may not give you that result. Here is an example of a shot I took at a party where the harsh tungsten (only) light is coming directly from the top and the rest of the floor is very dark:

Attached Images

 

[jatrax]

To capture fast motion I would need a longer lens. So a telephoto lens is not just about photographing objects further away but being able to capture in better detail fast moving subjects. Is that right?

No that is not correct. Sorry I was not clear on that. To capture fast motion you need either a fast shutter speed or a flash it has nothing to do with the focal length of the lens. If something is moving then in order to 'stop' the motion you need a shutter speed fast enough that the object in motion moves only 1 pixel during the opening of the shutter. If you are slower then the motion will be noticeable as a blur. I imagine there is a formula to calculate what speed is needed to handle a particular subject motion but in most cases photography is a rule of thumb business. You do not have the time to work out the calculations so you need to understand what is happening enough to select settings that will work even if they are not perfect. I use a shutter speed of 3x focal length, that is just my rule of thumb for people sitting around. If they are dancing or running that likely will not be good enough. I think the 3x rule is more often used to judge how fast you need to use to eliminate camera shake but I use it for people as well. I'm sure there are other and maybe better ways to judge, experience and practice being one.

The other alternative is to use the flash which will work within the distance limits of the flash. When you open the flash the camera will only allow a shutter speed of 1/180th or slower. That is as fast as your camera can synch with the flash. A proper explanation of why would take too much space here. But the key is that the critical factor for stopping motion if flash is used is no longer the shutter speed but the duration of the flash. Which will be 1/2,000 of a second or less. Some flashes are as fast as 1/20,000 of a second. This freezes the motion because even though the shutter is open longer the subject is only lit for a very brief period of time and that is what is recorded.

[RioRico]

To capture fast motion you need either a fast shutter speed or a flash it has nothing to do with the focal length of the lens. If something is moving then in order to 'stop' the motion you need a shutter speed fast enough that the object in motion moves only 1 pixel during the opening of the shutter. If you are slower then the motion will be noticeable as a blur.

Quite right, except that 'stopping' a moving subject with a long lens is more difficult than with a short lens. Let's say I'm shooting a spinning roulette wheel from 2m away at any specific shutter speed. I take one shot with a 50mm lens, another with a 100mm lens. Any point on the wheel will move twice as far across the FOV of the 100mm as to the 50mm, during the exposure time. So to the 100mm, the wheel seems to be moving twice as fast. If the 50mm 'freezes' the wheel at 1/50 second, the 100mm lens would need a shutter of 1/100 second to do the same. That's why we have the 1/FL rule.

[jazon]

Can I just thank everyone for the help and tips they have recommended. The party went really well and I manage to get some really good photos. I shot in raw format and will be post processing alot of them to crop and balance colours etc.

[jazon]

One of the important criteria for me in event photography is to capture the 'mood' not just the scene.

Now I have done it I totally agree. I was looking at the event/party like my landscape and horse photos which I take. The settings and suggestions worked really well and it is the expressions and silhouettes of shadows on the dance floor which really capture the mood. Also the variation of colours in the disco lights. I will need to crop alot of them because the scene was ever changing. I am very happy with them and I would not of been able to get these results if I had not joined this forum and been given the help/advice. Great example with your photo aleonx3 I love the expressions and the colour palette.

[jazon]

in order to 'stop' the motion you need a shutter speed fast enough that the object in motion moves only 1 pixel during the opening of the shutter

jatrax, just that sentence there makes so much sense to me. That has really helped. Thankyou