Event Photography: Happy Medium Photography

For the last three months I've had a regular gig shooting events on behalf of Happy Medium Photography. We offer same night service to venues across Melbourne for weddings, fund raisers, diner dances and school formals. We bring the images back the same night on a no obligation basis to guests.

Traditionally this type of event photography has been limited to snapshot type captures of guests at the table. As clients have grown more sophisticated in their expectations of images, the medium has had to grow. This includes arrivals, portraits and photo-booths. It's no longer enough to simply snap a couple at a table and move on.

Equipment wise we keep things pretty simple. A DX format camera such as the Nikon 5300 or 7100 with a Nikon SB800 or SB900. Flash is either TTL with compensation, or on manual. A range of ISOs from 400between 800 ensures the flash is able to recycle quickly. However it is not uncommon for the flash to cutout as the batteries over heat.

In general ceiling bounce is the preferred lighting source either with or without a Stofen for catch lights. I prefer to use a Stofen as it ensures a catchlight when the camera is in portrait format. Without the Stofen the bounce card provides a good catchlight in landscape format but none in portrait. The trade of for using a Stofen is that the the flash has to work a stop harder to get the same illumination.

I shoot manual at the largest available aperture, usually about f5 when using a Nikon 18-105mm 3.5-5.6 zoom lens. I like to shoot long to blur the background. It also forces me back so tha the light bounces evenly. If you stand to close to the subject you can end up with an under illuminated subject or raccoon eyes.