# Advice for upcoming "can't-miss" shot



## tevscale (Feb 17, 2015)

In a few weeks my son will be presented with an award/plaque, with our congressional representative scheduled to do the presentation. I'll only have one chance to get a shot of this presentation, and want to maximize my chances of coming away with something suitable for a fairly large print. So I'd appreciate any advice on gear, camera setup, and general technique for this. Some particulars:

- the ceremony will be indoors. I haven't seen the room yet, but based on what my son tells me it is of modest size (I'll probably be somewhere between 10 and 30 ft away) with fluorescent lighting
- I have a 6D and the following lenses that might be used in this situation: 24-105L, 50 1.8, and 80-200 2.8L. I also have a 430 II flash. I'm not averse to renting something else if it would work better.

Thanks for your help!


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## wyldeguy (Feb 17, 2015)

You are probably best to use the 80-200L since with a 6D 30ft away might be too far for the 24-105. I would also for sure use the 430ex in its telephoto setting. Probably best also to use the auto ISO setting.


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## mackguyver (Feb 17, 2015)

I think it's a toss up between the 24-105 (with IS) and the 80-200. I'd bring both and go for the 24-105 if you're close enough. The one thing I would definitely do is use P mode and make sure your Flash sync is set to 1/60s-1/200s. P mode is most likely to produce good results and least likely to screw you up. I would also use brand new store bought AAs just to be safe, and test it all out that morning. I would leave the flash zoom setting at Auto and use ISO 400-800 depending on the darkness of the room.


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## tevscale (Feb 20, 2015)

Thanks for the help. I have a couple of follow-up questions regarding the flash: is it better to use direct flash or bounce it off the ceiling? Should I use a diffuser or not? Thanks again...


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## Orangutan (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: Advice for upcoming "can't-miss" shot: PRACTICE*

See if you can get access to the room a week or more in advance to practice. If not, see if you can get more detail about the inside of the room, e.g. dimensions, ceiling height, color of walls and ceiling, etc. Then collect all the advice you can find, write it down as a series of options, and practice, test, practice, test. Recruit your son or someone else to be your practice model. There is no substitute for practice in comparable circumstances.

Also, see if you can get your son to wear a tie or stuff a hanky in his pocket that's 18% gray so you can do color correction later.  But seriously, a pure white hanky visible in the scene could give you a base for color balance. Alternately: before or after the ceremony find an opportunity to sneak up to the presentation position and get a shot of a gray card under the same lighting.

Don't wait, start planning and practicing now.


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## rpt (Feb 20, 2015)

*Re: Advice for upcoming "can't-miss" shot: PRACTICE*



Orangutan said:


> See if you can get access to the room a week or more in advance to practice. If not, see if you can get more detail about the inside of the room, e.g. dimensions, ceiling height, color of walls and ceiling, etc. Then collect all the advice you can find, write it down as a series of options, and practice, test, practice, test. Recruit your son or someone else to be your practice model. There is no substitute for practice in comparable circumstances.
> 
> Also, see if you can get your son to wear a tie or stuff a hanky in his pocket that's 18% gray so you can do color correction later.  But seriously, a pure white hanky visible in the scene could give you a base for color balance. Alternately: before or after the ceremony find an opportunity to sneak up to the presentation position and get a shot of a gray card under the same lighting.
> 
> Don't wait, start planning and practicing now.


+1
When I took pictures of my daughter getting her diploma, it helped to shoot a number of people who came up before her. That way, when her turn came, I got every shot conceivable. I was probably 20 to 25 feet away and I used the 24-105 on my 5D3. No flash was needed as it was outside in the evening and the light was good.

Maybe you rent or borrow another body so you have the 24-105 and the 80-200 on body and you can swap when needed.

Get new enloops for the event.


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## sagittariansrock (Feb 20, 2015)

Based on my experience shooting commencement ceremonies I would say the biggest challenges are reach, exposure and tracking. 

I would imagine you will be shooting at around 80-100mm at a distance of 20-30 feet. I prefer a lens with IS and a wider DoF to a faster lens without IS in this situation because a wider DoF allows you to prefocus more confidently (see below). The DoF at 25 feet with a 90/2.8 is <4ft as opposed to 5.5 ft for 90/4. Also, you can bounce a 430EX-II in a 30 feet room. Personally, my preference will be renting 70-200 f/4 IS or better yet, a f/2.8 IS (v1 is fine) just in case the room is bigger than you think. Nothing is worse than having to crop the subject among a busy background. Longer FL will give you separation as well. 

Most importantly, pre focus. The worst thing that can happen is if either the camera refuses to focus because there isn't a high contrast object in the AF point or if it focuses on the wrong spot at the heat of the moment. Especially because my 6D sometimes hunts if it doesn't find a suitable subject (even with a 135L). You can PP everything, but not your son's face if it is out of focus. So before he reaches the spot, especially if there are awardees before him- set your point of focus, aperture, ISO and shutter speed. When he gets the award, it becomes a simple matter of clicking the shutter. Needless to say, I recommend using back button focus to ensure the camera doesn't try to refocus when you shoot, but switching to MF also works.


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## chauncey (Feb 23, 2015)

Get there early and take lots of "virgin images" after lighting is turned on, for cut and paste work afterwards.


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