Lucia Parade

[Pink Dragonfly]

I have to take photos tomorrow of the Lucia Parade at my church (a far cry from squirrels and grey herons!) and I would really appreciate some advice. It will be inside the church which will be dark or nearly dark, and maybe 20-30 girls aged 6-12, dressed in white gowns will be parading and singing the Lucia hymn. They will be carrying a candle each apart from the Lucia bride at the front who will have a wreath with four candles on her head! I think the candles will be a mix between real and electric ones (for the younger girls). I have a Sony Alpha 700 with a separate flashgun. Any suggestions to settings??? ISO, White Balance etc and general useful tips....

Thanks!

Mette

[SmartWombat]

I would use Auto WB, shoot in RAW and then tweak it later.
If you can capture them while they are not parading, then highest ISO possible.
Depends on the shutter speed you can get, I doubt you'll be able to achieve fast enough to shoot without flash while they're walking.
But it would probably be best, for the atmosphere, to do without flash if possible.

Are you trying to photograph the whole parade, or just the girl nearest you?
Because the fall-off of the flash with distance is going to mean the girl nearest will be bright white, and the rest fade into darkness.
Assuming of course they parade in single file, or in pairs, and you are in position as they approach.

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks, Paul

It's probably not going to be easy, as I doubt I'll be able to move around much, as the church is likely to be crowded with eager parents and relatives, probably also wanting photos. They'll be parading in pairs apart from the bride at the front. I'm hoping they'll all line up at the front of the church at the end, other than that I suppose I'll have to settle for shots of the girls closest to me.

What do you mean by the highest ISO possible when they are not parading?

Mette

[SmartWombat]

I was assuming if you want photos of them parading, you're not going to have enough light from your description of the church.
With that many of them, a single flash isn't likely to light them up evenly enough for a good image, You'll either need to pose them close together within range of the flash, or to use more than one.

I think you'll find flash a problem with the pairs unless you're straight in front of them, and you will probably get the bride lit right and the two behind her slightly less well, and the two behind that too dark if they are head-on.

[SmartWombat]

Now I understand what you're talking about.
I think high ISO and natural light is probably the way to go, rather than flash.
But it'll make it harder to get a good image, certainly.

[Loupey]

Sounds like a challenging and fun shooting project.

I agree with SmartWombat regarding shooting high ISO with natural/ambient light. Use a fast prime if you have one in the appropriate focal range (24mm to 85mm equivalent) or if you have a fast zoom (f/2.8) expect to use it wide open.

Impossible to know exactly what settings you'll be using. But I'm guessing it will be something in the ballpark like 1/45s, f/2.8, ISO 1600.

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks, guys! The parade itself didn't turn out that brilliant (I was also worried why my 10 year old that was staying at a friends house hadn't shown up - which I didn't realise until the parade came and she wasn't in it!!!), but I got some nice ones later when they were all at the front singing and from the nativity play: The choir leader was pleased and asked if could email them to the parents I'll have another crack it Tuesday when they will do it in the basement of the church at an advent party for the elderly in the parish. I think my lack of suitable lenses might be part of the problem. I only have one prime, my 105mm macro lens f2.8 but that's a little on the long side, might try it though, problem is I need to use it on MF which is hard when it's nearly dark. My short zoom is the kit lens, 18-70 at f3.5-5.6 I think, not that fast. I have a wide angle zoom 17-35mm at f2.8-4, but that's a little on the wide side...Anyway, as Loupey says, it's challenging and fun And tomorrow I'll have all 3 daughters in it and not just the (missing) one

Mette

[SmartWombat]

Well the cheapest lens for this is the Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens.
£60 and a great first low-light lens.

[Pink Dragonfly]

That's definitely affordable! But I have a Sony....presumably there must be a Sony equivalent lens?

Mette

[OldClicker]

That's definitely affordable! But I have a Sony....presumably there must be a Sony equivalent lens?

Mette

They would be used Minoltas. The f/1.7 is about $100 US and the f/1.4 (a little more rare) is about $250 US. - TF