Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
04-26-2009, 08:13 AM   #1
Inactive Account




Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: northern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3
Graduation Ceremony - How to Photograph

Hi,

I have a Pentax K200D & just bought a Pentax 75-300 lens. I was hoping to be able to use this lens to get pictures of my son at his graduation which will be held in a big auditorium. I'm not sure if I will have enough light with this lens to do this. I do not have an external flash at this time & there won't be room to use a tripod. Am I better off to not zoom in as close as I assume that will require less light? Am I better off just to use my point & shoot which as a 6X zoom & get as close as I can? The ISO on my point & shoot goes to 800 but on my SLR goes to 1600. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

I am thinking now that maybe I should have purchased a better lens that will work better in low light conditions but I assume they are much more expensive & don't know if I can justify the cost.

Thanks

Janice

04-26-2009, 06:49 PM   #2
Veteran Member
FotoPete's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Toronto
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,774
Janice, its gonna be tough either your point and shoot and dSLR....but you'll probably want to bring both.

For your Pentax 75-300...with a max aperture of 5.8? at the long end, its going to be tough holding it steady. Lighting its going to be a challenge at most auditoriums. I suggest you take some test shots long before you son goes up. Decide on the focal length that gives you a composition you like and then turn on shake reduction but try to be as steady as you can.

(If you are comfortable with using manual mode continue, if not, skip this paragraph lol)
As for ISO, go for 1600 first and then see what kind of shutter speed you get aiming at centerstage (mostly likely the only portion well lit) using spot metering. Take a test shot if you are unsure and then if good, remember that shutter speed. Then set your camera to Manual Mode with that shutterspeed and max aperture. (4-5.6)

Have your husband or a friend use the video on the point and shoot, wide setting as it permits the most light. The video is always a good compliment to the photos.

Hope it helps!
Pete,

Last edited by FotoPete; 04-26-2009 at 06:54 PM.
04-26-2009, 07:46 PM   #3
Veteran Member
Andi Lo's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,924
If you can afford it... rent a sigma 70-200/2.8 for a day. Use it at 200mm at 2.8, ISO as low as possible.

My personal suggestion is to just do your best in the auditorium, but purchase the pictures from the assigned photographer instead. When you're outside you can take all the nice pictures from sunlight, and let that moment be the ones that you make memorable. Bring a tripod and use the self timer to take pictures of the whole family, just watch people crossing about and knocking the tripod down.

My 2c =)
04-27-2009, 01:24 AM   #4
Veteran Member
Marc Sabatella's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Denver, CO
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 10,685
QuoteOriginally posted by jvanwees Quote
Am I better off to not zoom in as close as I assume that will require less light?
Perhaps. Keep you eye on the aperture reading in the viewfinder - if you can keep it in the 4's instead of the 5's, that would help a little. Mostly, though, you'll just have to hope it's well lit, steady yourself as best as you can, don't the camera pick too low a shutter speed (underexpose if necessary, as I said elsewhere), and take lots of shots hoping one comes out, Do try to practice in similar settings beforehand.

QuoteQuote:
Am I better off just to use my point & shoot which as a 6X zoom & get as close as I can?
Only if it is significantly better than f/5.8. You might try to find out what focal lengths that 6X zoom corresponds to in 35mm equivalent - probably nowhere near as long as the 5-300. So using the P&S at full zoom might be like using the 75-300 at 100 or so (100 on your DSLR is like 150 in 35mm equivalent).

04-27-2009, 01:27 AM   #5
Veteran Member




Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Sweden
Posts: 359
How big is the auditorium ?

Kind regards
.lars
04-27-2009, 09:10 AM   #6
Pentaxian
reeftool's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 9,542
I would check to see if they will let you get close to the stage to get your pictures. If they allow it, you can use a shorter lens. If you have to remain seated then a lot will depend on where your seat is, whether you are up close or way back. Shooting from the seat always has the possibility of somebody standing up to stretch in front of you just as you want to take your picture. Take some shots of other kids before your son and check them on the lcd and see if what you're doing works. Get there early and grab a seat as close to the front as you can get.
04-27-2009, 12:00 PM   #7
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Durban, South Africa
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,052
If ambient lighting will allow a shutter speed of 1/60 sec @ 1600 Iso and with good technique it can be done @ 300mm without flash and shooting RAW.

dyl

04-27-2009, 12:19 PM   #8
Pentaxian
RoxnDox's Avatar

Join Date: May 2007
Location: Gig Harbor, Washington, USA, Terra
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 4,494
Do you have a monopod? If so, use that. It'll give you a much more stable platform than handheld, and you should be able to use it even in those cramped little seats most auditoriums have... I used one at our son's graduation (college) last summer, and it worked out pretty well with the Promaster 70-300 on K100D rig I used. You'll still have lousy lighting to deal with, but your lens will be a lot better off with the pod than without.

Another point to remember is which direction the grads will be walking across the stage, so you can position yourself to catch their faces. Try to get seats where you'll have a clear view of the stage, without tons of people walking in front of your camera ...

Take some trial shots before the students arrive, so you can get the settings as good as they get. Set your ISO high as you feel quality is OK. Set the WB for the lighting inside (something I wish I had done...). Hand the other camera to your hubby and have him get shots too. We had both my K100D and my wife's little Nikon P&S along. Her shots actually came out better than mine, for the wider-angle pics of the audience and student hordes. Mine were much better for the zoomed in shots of our son and his friends and the actual stage-crossing. Use the strong points of each camera.

And, of course, remember to have fun The pics *you* take are the ones for memories, the ones from the official photogs are the ones for hanging on the wall (at least that was our philosophy).

Jim
04-27-2009, 05:14 PM   #9
Pentaxian
Arpe's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: New Zealand
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 4,449
Yeah, I've used a monopod for this sort of thing, you can use it sitting down.
04-29-2009, 10:06 AM   #10
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Owego, NY
Posts: 976
I was just about to say monopod.

Radio Shack sells (or at least used to sell) a Targus monopod for $10 that does surprisingly well given its incredibly low price.

As others have said, a monopod is much more usable in cramped auditorium seating than a tripod, and also in such a setting the monopod will probably gain a lot of stability so that it won't be much worse than using a tripod.
04-29-2009, 06:44 PM   #11
Banned




Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 34
When I had my k10d I used a Sigma 18-200mm lens. Most of the pics came out just fine using 100 iso, the only problem was the quality of the glass showed.

04-29-2009, 11:12 PM   #12
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
Photos: Albums
Posts: 334
[QUOTE=Thumper;576807]When I had my k10d I used a Sigma 18-200mm lens. Most of the pics came out just fine using 100 iso, the only problem was the quality of the glass showed.



LOL showed what??? That's just a great shot. If I can do that well in two weeks under the same conditions I will be chest thumping just like my immediate ancestors.
04-30-2009, 06:42 AM   #13
Banned




Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 34
[QUOTE=snofox;577111]
QuoteOriginally posted by Thumper Quote
When I had my k10d I used a Sigma 18-200mm lens. Most of the pics came out just fine using 100 iso, the only problem was the quality of the glass showed.



LOL showed what??? That's just a great shot. If I can do that well in two weeks under the same conditions I will be chest thumping just like my immediate ancestors.
I guess you can say that I'm a pixel peeper. I think they came out a little soft. I should used raw, but didn't get into using it until I got my 30d.
04-30-2009, 07:01 AM   #14
Pentaxian
RoxnDox's Avatar

Join Date: May 2007
Location: Gig Harbor, Washington, USA, Terra
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 4,494
[QUOTE=Thumper;577409]
QuoteOriginally posted by snofox Quote

I guess you can say that I'm a pixel peeper. I think they came out a little soft. I should used raw, but didn't get into using it until I got my 30d.
It may be a little soft, but it's a great shot nonetheless! Although your subject doesn't exactly look thrilled - you can almost hear the "What?!?! How many times is Dad going to get my attention and then shoot another *((*&(&(*& picture?!?!" Which is, of course, part of the fun for the parents

Jim
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, graduation, lens, light, pentax, photography
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Photo from Graduation Ceremony AlexanderMayorov Post Your Photos! 6 07-05-2009 02:19 AM
Candlelit Ceremony walro Photographic Technique 7 05-15-2009 08:05 AM
Shooting post- graduation ceremony edumad Photographic Technique 5 11-19-2008 02:57 PM
Ready For the Ceremony Truax_photo Post Your Photos! 5 05-13-2008 11:56 AM
Graduation Ceremony - Need Flash ? daacon Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 3 05-23-2007 12:43 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:35 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top