lighting the dance floor

[joshhuntnm]

I have read on here of two mistakes in shooting dance shots:
1) dancing in a cave, where the background is so dark it looks like they are, well, dancing in a cave.
2) dancing in the daylight, where the whole hall is so let up it doesn't look like a dance floor any more.

Without getting terribly picky about other issues, would you say this is approximately right?

http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/572570096_RK9aw-L.jpg

[ChatKat]

For my taste, it's too bright. Looks very flashy to me and the dress is a bit blown out on her skirt. What was the original room light like?

[zoomer]

For my eye, use a higher iso and get a diffuser/bracket on that flash to get rid of the shadows.
I like it to look like no flash was used....ideally.

Or go the other way and make it look totally flashed, lower iso, isolate the subject.

This photo is kind of caught in the middle to me.

[joshhuntnm]

It was REALLY dark in the room. just some small Christmas lights overhead.

I have 5 flashes going -- one on the camera and 4 on stands near the walls to light up the room.

[Jeff_Milo]

I am guessing this was on camera flash. If your going to use it on the hot shue you need a defuser and a bracket like zoomer mentioned. Try using off camera flash on stands w/ pocket wizards and bounce them off the ceiling if possible for a more natural look.

[joshhuntnm]

I am guessing this was on camera flash. If your going to use it on the hot shue you need a defuser and a bracket like zoomer mentioned. Try using off camera flash on stands w/ pocket wizards and bounce them off the ceiling if possible for a more natural look.

Again, there were 4 flashes off camera and one on.

[Jeff_Milo]

Sorry some day I will learn to read all the posts. :scratch

[urbanaries]

Maybe use two facing flashes rather than all 4 + the on camera. Shadows and side light are your friend in reception/dancing shots, in my experience at least. You really want to have that fly-on-the-wall feel in such a moment that is really about the two of them. Just my 2cents.

[zoomer]

Seems to me you are over working it.
If you had good diffuser, flash bracket, high iso, the entire space would be lit, emphasis would be on your subject as they would be brighter due to proximity, and there would not be those annoying shadows.
Plus you would not have to carry all that gear.

As I said before the lighting in this photo is kind of in no mans land.

The flip side is to use very dramatic undiffused lighting with very heavy shadows but dramatic bright light and the flashes in the photo some where which can look very cool also. When used as room lights a couple of these types of flashes from each side can produce a very dramatic effect.
I see this type of lighting from several of the photographers on Fred Miranda's wedding forum. You may want to check their wedding forum for more info on dance floor lighting.

[FedererPhoto]

Off Camera lighting works great for first dance stuff... but you really don't need 4 plus the on-camera flash.

This was done with 1 (maybe 2, I'm forgetting now) and the room wasn't lit by much more than what you are talking about (you can see the x-mas lights in the shot)

http://externalUse.federerphotography.com/dgrin/18.jpg (http://www.federerphotography.com/blog/?p=53)

[kdspencer]

I haven't posted in the wedding forum before, but this thread has caught my attention.

Sometimes you get lucky and can 'borrow' another camera's flash accidently. :D I didn't see this photo until I got home after the wedding, but it's one of my favorite shots. I especially like the paparrazi look of everyone taking their photos to the right of the couple.


http://kdspencer.smugmug.com/photos/574067086_F8i9E-M.jpg

(sorry for the copyright watermark)

My thoughts on the picture you posted is that it doesn't give the private look of a first dance. The even lighting takes away from the atmosphere.

PS - FedererPhoto, I love the processing of your b/w shot.

[joshhuntnm]

I haven't posted in the wedding forum before, but this thread has caught my attention.

Sometimes you get lucky and can 'borrow' another camera's flash accidently. :D I didn't see this photo until I got home after the wedding, but it's one of my favorite shots. I especially like the paparrazi look of everyone taking their photos to the right of the couple.


http://kdspencer.smugmug.com/photos/574067086_F8i9E-M.jpg

(sorry for the copyright watermark)

My thoughts on the picture you posted is that it doesn't give the private look of a first dance. The even lighting takes away from the atmosphere.

PS - FedererPhoto, I love the processing of your b/w shot.
If you like that paparazzi look, it is easy enough to create with your own strobes. here are a couple from last weekend:

http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/581558811_PtCF6-M.jpg

http://joshhunt.smugmug.com/photos/581559795_FukMF-M.jpg