Advice Needed - Bowling Alley

[LiquidOps]

ok...

so I am really trying to market myself a bit with my photography within my company here. We are all going bowling tomorrow as an "I.T. Fun Day". Anyway, I will be bringing my camera and would love some pointers as to what to try and what not to try.

Equipment:

Sony F717 with Sunpak 383 on top.

Fire away with any and all ideas, suggestions and so on and so forth.

you guys are the greatest.

Thanks,

Steven

By the way... this is tomorrow!!!!

[gluwater]

I tried taking some photos at a bowling alley teh other day and it was pretty hard. It was very dark and even with a 580EX some of the shots came out too dark. Only advice I have is maybe have a friend go through the motions of bowling in a darkened room and practice to find out what shutter speed and aperture you like to get some motion in the shots. Good luck and have fun.

Nick

[wxwax]

Shot with a Canon G3 on tripod, going for motion.

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/3373568-M.jpg

Date Modified: 2005-04-10 23:17:04
Make: Canon
Model: Canon PowerShot G3
Size: 1704x2272
Bytes: 2555347
Aperture: f/2.5
Focal Length: 14.40625mm (guess: 48mm in 35mm)
Exposure Time: 0.2s (1/5)
JPEG Quality: 5
Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Exposure Bias: 0
ExposureMode: 1
DigitalZoomRatio: 2272/2272
SensingMethod: One-chip color sensor
ColorSpace: sRGB

[Andy]

white balance is really really hard - make sure you custom set it in the alley.

good luck!

[LiquidOps]

white balance is really really hard - make sure you custom set it in the alley.

good luck!
Thanks Andy.

I know you have had experience with my current set up. Any direction you can point me in, as far as learning (quickly) the art of custom white balance with the 717?

Also... flash or no flash?

[mercphoto]

Leave the Sunpak behind, the alley will not let you use it. I've tried a bowling alley once. Its really, really hard. There is almost no light in an alley.

[LiquidOps]

Leave the Sunpak behind, the alley will not let you use it. I've tried a bowling alley once. Its really, really hard. There is almost no light in an alley.
ok... Sunpak stays home :)

so.... recomended ap and shutter speed? I know i won't get every shot, but i want to get some good ones :)

[mercphoto]

so.... recomended ap and shutter speed? I know i won't get every shot, but i want to get some good ones :)
Av mode, lens wide open, and go for the highest ISO you feel comfortable with.

[Andy]

and go for the highest ISO you feel comfortable with.

which on the f717, should be iso 400 max, and still you'll need to use neat image or noise ninja for noise reduction


sony f717 shot from a couple years ago, taken at the redheaded boy's bday party at my local bowling alley :D

iso 200, aperture priority, f/2.8
http://williams.smugmug.com/photos/12563174-L.jpg

and here's my four kids from a couple years ago - see what i mean abt the lighting / wb?
sony f717, iso 200, aperture priority f/2.8
http://williams.smugmug.com/photos/327404-L-1.jpg

[ktb53]

ok...

so I am really trying to market myself a bit with my photography within my company here. We are all going bowling tomorrow as an "I.T. Fun Day". Anyway, I will be bringing my camera and would love some pointers as to what to try and what not to try.

By the way... this is tomorrow!!!!

I might be too late to help here but I just shot at a bowling alley the other day. OK it was more like a club then a bowling alley but I found that the 'flash & burn' technique worked out best for me (using flash at a slower shutter speed.) Here's an example.

http://www.forkcreative.com/pics/bowling.jpg

[LiquidOps]

yeah... well... this whole photography at the bowling alley with no tri-pod didn't really pan out how i wanted to.

I got a few pictures... but if people were supposed to be in it... forget it... didn't do too well.

Still got a lot to learn.

I will post some results later on, after i correct all the white balancing.

Thanks for all the help.

Atleast I managed to bowl 2 173 games :)

Steven