Doing some volunteer work this weekend for an organization that trains assistance dogs. They are holding a fundraising event and I've offered to cover the event. You know the drill: cocktails, silent auction, dinner, program, dancing...and then out the door. Using my D7000, but thinking about what lens to use. Right now thinking 17-55 as my primary, with 70-200 for shots during the formal part of the event when I'm likely in back or at the side of the room. I will not have a chance to look at the venue before, but I'm assuming lousy light. I'll have an SB800 on camera, but hope I can get a few shots using existing light. I'm open to renting another lens if anyone has a better idea (I also have a 85 1.8G and a 50 1.8D). Wish I had a spare body but I don't. Body notwithstanding, am I covered?

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Sounds like you have all the equipment you need with the 17-55mm, 70-200mm, and the SB800. Get there early and do some test shots with and without the flash.

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Joseph K
Seattle, WA, USA

D700, D200, D70S, 24-70mm f/2.8, VR 70-200mm f/2.8 II,
50mm f/1.4 D, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR, 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 DX

These event managers like a lot of people pictures of their often well-to-do benefactors that they can send to the attendees after the event, publish in their newsletter, send to the newspaper, etc. Quickly posed shots of small groups of a couple or a few people are especially cherished so I think your 50 1.8D would be terrific for this.

Mike

Thanks for the ideas. I do hope to arrive early and get some shots of the dining room when it's all set up, and I can check lighting in various parts of the room(s) as well. And I'm also trying to get a list of the historically big donors as well. It's a great organization so should be fun.

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Don't forget the volunteers and staffers. I know its fundraising for the assistance dogs and its about the benefactors, but the volunteers and staff make the event happen.

Only thing I would add would be extra memory cards and batteries.


Anthony

The Moderator Page and My Gallery
The important things in life are simple; the simple things are hard.

Getting there early to see about lighting is a good suggestion, above.
There are two general philosophies in events, reportage and posed. For any presentations or talks, take a few of the speakers in context(reportage), with the 70-200.
The most shots of such an event will probably posing small group as they socialize. This one takes being a little more assertive and asking people to pose because wandering around taking photos of people in small groups will result in at least one person looking awkward or with a bad angle so don't waste time waiting for everyone in the group to be naturally photogenic or or not looking goofy. For this you will want the 17-55 getting close enough to fill the frame but not too wide of angle so there is distortion. Shooting wider angle with people at the edges of the frame, which renders them in an unflattering distorted way.
Be sure to get at least one good image of each person in either groups or solo. Get a member of the group who knows everyone to volunteer to record the names of the people in the photo. They can write them in a note book while shooting while you call out the frame number. This works better than afterwards because in case they do not know someone, you can ask them for their names. This saves a lot of time when they seek to publish the images.
Lighting for the small groups is easy with a diffused flash but the reportage type shots of the proceedings will be a challenge for lighting unless you can set a few slave up that can bounce off good surfaces. Since you will likely be shooting without flash for this portion be sure to fill the frame with the subject so you do not have to crop, which reduces res and signal to noise ratio of higher ISO shots in ambient like.

Stan
St Petersburg Russia

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Thanks for the tips. Had a fun time, but some challenges. See this thread for example. http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=329&topic_id=22093&mesg_id=22093&page=

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