Advice needed for shooting indoor flower show.

Scotteroni · 03-24-2017, 06:06 PM

Hello, I'm going to a big indoor flower show in Boston tomorrow and I prefer to not carry a camera bag around with me everywhere, so I was looking to use just one lens and I dont have enough experience with either one to decide which would be the go to one. I spend more time with the 18-135 lately outdoors. I would be doing closer shots (filling the frame) for the most part. I have the DA 35mm 2.4, and DA 50mm 1.8 prime lens. Also, considering the subject and interior lighting, should I be looking at changing the capture settings on my K70 to bright, vivid or natural?

thanks, Scott

**DDoram** · 03-24-2017, 06:18 PM - **1 Like**

Hi Scott:

I would suggest trying the DA 50 f1.8 as it would work well for indoor lighting. If you have a 49mm close up filter that would allow you to get some close ups also. I would try vivid as the colours should pop on the flowers.

Dale

pathdoc · 03-25-2017, 04:48 AM

Are you the sort to shoot Raw and play around in post-processing afterwards, or are you strictly a JPEG person? This might be one occasion on which Raw might be an advantage.

(Says he who shoots almost exclusively JPEG on an *istDS these days, but my schedule has become so hectic and I am subsequently so exhausted in the evenings that I have currently lost all enthusiasm for any post-processing that isn't strictly necessary.)

PDL · 03-25-2017, 01:48 PM

Shoot a 18% grey card to correct the color balance for the lighting in the room. If the venue is a commercial/public display room, it will most likely have a mixture of lighting sources. Shooting a known color chart will go al long way to getting the colors as close as you can.

The cafeteria of my next to last job was the location of employee based "shows", a mixture of daylight (lots of windows), Halogen, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Mercury Vapor lights -- aka welcome to light balance hell. Other spots included the gym which had skylights and Mercury Vapor lights. People would complain about the gym because the color of their food (think sickly green Pumpkin Pie) that would change color as the clouds moved off and daylight over powered the lights. Ah - the good old days.

Shoot RAW and pick the neutral color off of the 18% grey card or color chart that you bring. Do not depend solely on your eyes, you will fail. and use a color managed Post Processing environment.

**beachgardener** · 03-25-2017, 05:16 PM

I'd say take the 35 and the 50, and maybe the bright setting, some tests before hand might reveal what you need

C_Jones · 03-25-2017, 07:58 PM

The 50 sounds like a good idea. If you had a flash set on P-TTL for the 18-135, depending on the distances you will be faced with, that might come in handy. The 50 most likely will cover the situation well if distance from the flowers is not an issue though. Bright would probably be a good setting. You could test with for example the Bright and Vivid settings to see which works best.

Scotteroni · 03-27-2017, 06:52 AM

Thanks for the tips. I ended up taking the 50 but the lighting wasnt the greatest and using a tripod wasnt practical because the it was so crowded. so I didnt get really anything flower related. What i did take on the vibrant setting was a smidge over saturated so I think i will lower that setting in the camera.

**beachgardener** · 03-27-2017, 01:41 PM

maybe try bright

what exposure readings were you getting at what ISO?
the 50 at f2 or so at maybe ISO 800, was somewhere at that reading not possible?

Scotteroni · 03-27-2017, 05:03 PM

I just couldn't get sharp pics. Just about everything I shot was slightly blurry .

SpecialK · 03-27-2017, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by Scotteroni

I have the DA 35mm 2.4, and DA 50mm 1.8 prime lens. Also, considering the subject and interior lighting, should I be looking at changing the capture settings on my K70 to bright, vivid or natural?

thanks, Scott

50 1.8, and RAW. - Ah, too late.

**beachgardener** · 03-27-2017, 11:34 PM

For the 50, with out know what you shot at, it is hard to suggest anything, but with a 50mm lens you'd want a min. of 1/60th better at 1/125th maybe that would necessitate opening up to maybe f2 or f2.4, maybe f4.Still needing more exposure would necessitate upping the ISO to maybe 800 at a guess, anyway I'm only guessing. Looking at the exif on any jpg what where the images shot at? Or can you remember what they were shot at?
With the available light and using a wide aperture would give the appearance of shallow depth of field, that may to some appear that images are soft, yet sharp in places, is that what you mean?

**Kerrowdown** · 03-28-2017, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by Scotteroni

Advice needed for shooting indoor flower show.

I was going to suggest a private viewing, when members of the public aren't there pushing and jostling about.

ZombieArmy · 03-28-2017, 08:08 PM

For the future if you can't get steady shots just under expose it by putting up a higher shutter speed. You can recover the details in post.

Better to get the shot and maybe lose a lil detail than get a bunch of blurry messes.

Scotteroni · 03-29-2017, 05:16 PM

I had deleted all the blurry pics before I could get the exf info off them. I saved one that isn't too bad with bright overhead spot lamps. This was shot at 50mm f3.5, at 1/100 and iso 800.

Aussie · 03-30-2017, 04:42 AM

Nicely seen but the background is a bit distracting. You could have blurred it more by turning the camera to vertical format and moving closer to the subject (assuming you could get closer). Using the lens wide open would also hep even if you had to push the ISO another stop higher or by practice good hand-holding technique you should be able to hold the camera steady at 1/60 or even 1/30.

03-24-2017, 06:06 PM	#1
Scotteroni Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: NH Posts: 60	Advice needed for shooting indoor flower show. Hello, I'm going to a big indoor flower show in Boston tomorrow and I prefer to not carry a camera bag around with me everywhere, so I was looking to use just one lens and I dont have enough experience with either one to decide which would be the go to one. I spend more time with the 18-135 lately outdoors. I would be doing closer shots (filling the frame) for the most part. I have the DA 35mm 2.4, and DA 50mm 1.8 prime lens. Also, considering the subject and interior lighting, should I be looking at changing the capture settings on my K70 to bright, vivid or natural? thanks, Scott

03-29-2017, 05:16 PM	#14
Scotteroni Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: NH Posts: 60 Original Poster	I had deleted all the blurry pics before I could get the exf info off them. I saved one that isn't too bad with bright overhead spot lamps. This was shot at 50mm f3.5, at 1/100 and iso 800. Attached Images

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03-24-2017, 06:18 PM - 1 Like	#2
DDoram Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Canada Posts: 632	Hi Scott: I would suggest trying the DA 50 f1.8 as it would work well for indoor lighting. If you have a 49mm close up filter that would allow you to get some close ups also. I would try vivid as the colours should pop on the flowers. Dale

03-25-2017, 04:48 AM	#3
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	Are you the sort to shoot Raw and play around in post-processing afterwards, or are you strictly a JPEG person? This might be one occasion on which Raw might be an advantage. (Says he who shoots almost exclusively JPEG on an *istDS these days, but my schedule has become so hectic and I am subsequently so exhausted in the evenings that I have currently lost all enthusiasm for any post-processing that isn't strictly necessary.)

03-25-2017, 01:48 PM	#4
PDL Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: PNW USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,127	Shoot a 18% grey card to correct the color balance for the lighting in the room. If the venue is a commercial/public display room, it will most likely have a mixture of lighting sources. Shooting a known color chart will go al long way to getting the colors as close as you can. The cafeteria of my next to last job was the location of employee based "shows", a mixture of daylight (lots of windows), Halogen, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Mercury Vapor lights -- aka welcome to light balance hell. Other spots included the gym which had skylights and Mercury Vapor lights. People would complain about the gym because the color of their food (think sickly green Pumpkin Pie) that would change color as the clouds moved off and daylight over powered the lights. Ah - the good old days. Shoot RAW and pick the neutral color off of the 18% grey card or color chart that you bring. Do not depend solely on your eyes, you will fail. and use a color managed Post Processing environment.

03-25-2017, 05:16 PM	#5
beachgardener Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,842	I'd say take the 35 and the 50, and maybe the bright setting, some tests before hand might reveal what you need

03-25-2017, 07:58 PM	#6
C_Jones Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,079	The 50 sounds like a good idea. If you had a flash set on P-TTL for the 18-135, depending on the distances you will be faced with, that might come in handy. The 50 most likely will cover the situation well if distance from the flowers is not an issue though. Bright would probably be a good setting. You could test with for example the Bright and Vivid settings to see which works best.

03-27-2017, 06:52 AM	#7
Scotteroni Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: NH Posts: 60 Original Poster	Thanks for the tips. I ended up taking the 50 but the lighting wasnt the greatest and using a tripod wasnt practical because the it was so crowded. so I didnt get really anything flower related. What i did take on the vibrant setting was a smidge over saturated so I think i will lower that setting in the camera.

03-27-2017, 01:41 PM	#8
beachgardener Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,842	maybe try bright what exposure readings were you getting at what ISO? the 50 at f2 or so at maybe ISO 800, was somewhere at that reading not possible?

03-27-2017, 05:03 PM	#9
Scotteroni Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: NH Posts: 60 Original Poster	I just couldn't get sharp pics. Just about everything I shot was slightly blurry .

03-27-2017, 05:45 PM	#10
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	Originally posted by Scotteroni I have the DA 35mm 2.4, and DA 50mm 1.8 prime lens. Also, considering the subject and interior lighting, should I be looking at changing the capture settings on my K70 to bright, vivid or natural? thanks, Scott 50 1.8, and RAW. - Ah, too late.

03-27-2017, 11:34 PM	#11
beachgardener Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,842	For the 50, with out know what you shot at, it is hard to suggest anything, but with a 50mm lens you'd want a min. of 1/60th better at 1/125th maybe that would necessitate opening up to maybe f2 or f2.4, maybe f4.Still needing more exposure would necessitate upping the ISO to maybe 800 at a guess, anyway I'm only guessing. Looking at the exif on any jpg what where the images shot at? Or can you remember what they were shot at? With the available light and using a wide aperture would give the appearance of shallow depth of field, that may to some appear that images are soft, yet sharp in places, is that what you mean?

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03-28-2017, 12:56 PM	#12
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,815	Originally posted by Scotteroni Advice needed for shooting indoor flower show. I was going to suggest a private viewing, when members of the public aren't there pushing and jostling about.

03-28-2017, 08:08 PM	#13
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	For the future if you can't get steady shots just under expose it by putting up a higher shutter speed. You can recover the details in post. Better to get the shot and maybe lose a lil detail than get a bunch of blurry messes.

03-30-2017, 04:42 AM	#15
Aussie New Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Posts: 11	Nicely seen but the background is a bit distracting. You could have blurred it more by turning the camera to vertical format and moving closer to the subject (assuming you could get closer). Using the lens wide open would also hep even if you had to push the ISO another stop higher or by practice good hand-holding technique you should be able to hold the camera steady at 1/60 or even 1/30.