Shooting in a Bar Tips?
If I do use a flash I think a bar scene is a subject that works well with hard light. So even though in almost all other situations I would try to diffuse the light source by bouncing or some sort of mod, in a bar I don't mind pointing the flash right at my subject. I just don't want the flash and the camera to be in the same place. I like a flash on a cord held out to the side, or have someone hold it and use remote trigger. I still want to make sure I'm not killing all those cool colors.
For party pics of bar patrons (smile at the camera style) I like a flash bounced on the ceiling with a white bounce card on the back of the flash. Boring, but nice, and usually flattering so the people like them when they see them.
Henry Peach wrote: The bars I shoot in have lots of different colored lighting. Flash just erases all that vibrancy, so I do my best to avoid using it. Fast lenses are a must for available light shooting in a bar.
If I do use a flash I think a bar scene is a subject that works well with hard light. So even though in almost all other situations I would try to diffuse the light source by bouncing or some sort of mod, in a bar I don't mind pointing the flash right at my subject. I just don't want the flash and the camera to be in the same place. I like a flash on a cord held out to the side, or have someone hold it and use remote trigger. I still want to make sure I'm not killing all those cool colors.
For party pics of bar patrons (smile at the camera style) I like a flash bounced on the ceiling with a white bounce card on the back of the flash. Boring, but nice, and usually flattering so the people like them when they see them.
I don't usually go into bars, so it never dawn on me about the different color lighting. But you are right, I would like that bar lighting to show up in the photos, not just any lighting like what a flash would give off. Thank you for responding with your bar shooting knowledge. Should I use a tripod or no?
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