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01-19-2011, 04:18 PM   #1
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How to take action dart shots in a dim bar?

Forgive me.. I am crossposting this from another forum on another site - so if you frequent both - my bad...


So I play darts in some of the local pubs.. I'd like to get some nice freeze frame moody action shot of people throwing darts...

I envision only the subject and his dart frozen in time... As little as else lit or in focus...

I'm armed with a K5, 18-135 lens, and a Metz 50 af-1 flash...

Enlighten me pretty please... emoticon - smile

Other suggestions for shots are welcome.

I'm a total flash noob...

I can operate it, but that's about it...

Thanks!!

Javaslinger

01-19-2011, 04:33 PM   #2
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Leave the flash at home and aim for a slight overexposure by boosting ISO. You can easily go to 5000 with a single 40-60w light bulb and still leave enough detail to pull a good shot out of it.

Not a dim bar but an example none-the-less. (ISO5000)



Taken at a lower ISO 1600 lit by a few strings of christmas lights.



You will be surprised at how well the K5 does in these conditions.

01-19-2011, 05:14 PM   #3
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The above pictures are still life and not as demanding on shutter speed as the you may need for those darts shots. You can always try both methods and find out.

One possible scenario you could encounter using a flash is crazy mixed light color temperatures that is hard to adjust in post. By that I mean the person throwing the dart will be daylight balanced by the flash and any people or things in the background not covered by the flash will have a different balance from the ambient light in the pub. Might not look so natural but its hard to say if that would be your case. But if your subject and surrounding all have same ambient light, you can more uniformly correct color temperature. With nothing in the background (black), the flash is the way to go. Set the power down to decrease flash duration and no problem freezing that dart. Just some rambling thoughts.

Last edited by tuco; 01-19-2011 at 05:40 PM.
01-19-2011, 05:21 PM   #4
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Oh, that's easy! There is this thing called Photoshop...

Seriously though, I am going to subscribe to this post to see what people have to say. I have a hard enough time shooting my son playing basketball in what I call terrible light. A bar...and darts...Now that would be something!

01-19-2011, 05:32 PM   #5
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Funny, I never associated Darts with Action, Sorry

Actually look for an ultrafast prime, like an F1.4//50mm lens. AND bump up th eISO
01-19-2011, 05:34 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
Funny, I never associated Darts with Action, Sorry

Actually look for an ultrafast prime, like an F1.4//50mm lens. AND bump up th eISO
The OP wants to freeze the dart in the air. Could need a really fast shutter speed depending how fast its thrown without a flash.

Last edited by tuco; 01-19-2011 at 05:43 PM.
01-19-2011, 06:23 PM   #7
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Taking shots in a dim bar... Just be careful

01-19-2011, 06:27 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by JeffJS Quote
Leave the flash at home and aim for a slight overexposure by boosting ISO. You can easily go to 5000 with a single 40-60w light bulb and still leave enough detail to pull a good shot out of it.

Not a dim bar but an example none-the-less. (ISO5000)



Taken at a lower ISO 1600 lit by a few strings of christmas lights.



You will be surprised at how well the K5 does in these conditions.

This is gorgeous!! I've never seen a guitar look this good! I'm going to try this with my K7. (Except with my wife's Classical Acoustic)
01-19-2011, 06:50 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by JeffJS Quote
Leave the flash at home and aim for a slight overexposure by boosting ISO. You can easily go to 5000 with a single 40-60w light bulb and still leave enough detail to pull a good shot out of it.

Not a dim bar but an example none-the-less. (ISO5000)



Taken at a lower ISO 1600 lit by a few strings of christmas lights.



You will be surprised at how well the K5 does in these conditions.

This is gorgeous!! I've never seen a guitar look this good! I'm going to try this with my K7. (Except with my wife's Classical Acoustic)
01-19-2011, 07:07 PM   #10
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What is the maximum sync speed with the Metz?

If you want to really freeze and isolate the subject and the dart, you'll need a fast shutter speed - this will both freeze the action and lower the ambient light.
01-19-2011, 07:11 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by JeffJS Quote
Leave the flash at home and aim for a slight overexposure by boosting ISO. You can easily go to 5000 with a single 40-60w light bulb and still leave enough detail to pull a good shot out of it.

Not a dim bar but an example none-the-less. (ISO5000)



Taken at a lower ISO 1600 lit by a few strings of christmas lights.



You will be surprised at how well the K5 does in these conditions.

Is this your Gretsch too?



I never had a bug up my arse for them, but as I got older, I appreciate them, especially for the history.

And have you seen a recent Antiques Road Show, where one of the ones from the 50s--can't remember its theme--had an estimated value of 15 Grand? And it hasn't had stings on it for 20 years, so God knows what the neck is like now? But it looks like the other one shown above, with a burnt branding mark on it.

Subtle highjack here.

Last edited by Ira; 01-19-2011 at 07:18 PM.
01-19-2011, 07:39 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Javaslinger Quote
Forgive me.. I am crossposting this from another forum on another site - so if you frequent both - my bad...


So I play darts in some of the local pubs.. I'd like to get some nice freeze frame moody action shot of people throwing darts...

I envision only the subject and his dart frozen in time... As little as else lit or in focus...

I'm armed with a K5, 18-135 lens, and a Metz 50 af-1 flash...

Enlighten me pretty please... emoticon - smile

Other suggestions for shots are welcome.

I'm a total flash noob...

I can operate it, but that's about it...

Thanks!!

Javaslinger

QuoteOriginally posted by tuco Quote
The OP wants to freeze the dart in the air. Could need a really fast shutter speed depending how fast its thrown without a flash.
Please point out to me, in his original post quoted above yours, where he says he wants to do that. I'll admit it would be an interesting shot but that isn't what he asked for.

01-19-2011, 07:43 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by JeffJS Quote
Please point out to me, in his original post quoted above yours, where he says he wants to do that. I'll admit it would be an interesting shot but that isn't what he asked for.

Who cares.

Tell me more about the guitar.
01-19-2011, 07:49 PM   #14
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Okay--I'll try to answer the original question by the OP.

You have to stand off to the side of the dartboard, and zoom in on the person's face and hand as he aims the dart. It's almost like a head-on shot, but you're off to the side a little. Hope you don't get hit!!!

Set shutter speed to 1/30th to minimize ambient light effect. Aperture F11 for DOF!!! Maybe even smaller!!!

And up the ISO to make the above work with your flash.
01-19-2011, 07:51 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by GoldenRGuy Quote
This is gorgeous!! I've never seen a guitar look this good! I'm going to try this with my K7. (Except with my wife's Classical Acoustic)
Thank you.. Somewhere I have some done with the K7 too but they weren't done at high ISO. It's certainly a capable enough camera to do the photos. Just with different settings.



QuoteOriginally posted by Ira Quote
Is this your Gretsch too?



I never had a bug up my arse for them, but as I got older, I appreciate them, especially for the history.

And have you seen a recent Antiques Road Show, where one of the ones from the 50s--can't remember its theme--had an estimated value of 15 Grand? And it hasn't had stings on it for 20 years, so God knows what the neck is like now? But it looks like the other one shown above, with a burnt branding mark on it.

Subtle highjack here.
Only hijacked for a second. I still hold the photos up as an example of what can be done with the K5 in very low light situations.

Yes, Ira, it's mine. I have the two shown and 2 of the downgrade models, one of which is shown in my Single in January album. I didn't see that particular episode of the ARS. I would imagine for that kind of money it had to be in mint condition, strings or not. Most that I've read suggest storing string'd instruments like this with the stings relaxed. I disagree but what do I know.. I'm not an expert giving appraisals.

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