One of my favorite nightclub photography techniques is the use of light trails. By using a long shutter speed, you are able to paint with light by moving your camera around within the fraction of a second your shutter is open.
This nightclub photo was taken with a 1.0 sec. shutter speed. I start by focusing on the subject, then hit the shutter. Right away I made a super quick up-down motion with the camera body using my wrists. Any sharp points of light in the frame will get dragged out in the direction I move the camera. I make sure the camera is still again, right as the flash goes off in 2nd Curtain Sync mode. The flash will freeze the subject right before the shutter finally closes, resulting in a clear shot.
There are many ways to play with this nightlife photography technique. Rotating the camera back & forth can produce a warp like effect, zooming in and out real quick produces another interesting effect. You can even create shapes & patterns with really long shutter speeds. These types of shots can add some interesting diversity to a nightclub photo gallery and really make you stand out as a nightlife photographer. Just try not to over use it.
Yeah, when people first discover it, they tend to twirl their cameras all over the place. I saw some guy from a NASCAR-esque local nightlife photo site use his Nikon almost in some sort of lasso fashion. I know his “editors” probably rejected the photo, depriving him of a whole forty cents, but either way, don’t go too buck wild with it.
But you said that, so I’m posting redundant information.
Only thing is that Canon’s wireless flash system does not support rear-sync, so if I want to do this (and you too) I have to attach the flash. Boo.
The only reason I didn’t pick up an STE2 was because it can’t do 2nd curtain.
You should pick it up anyways. The lack of 2nd-curtain sync takes some getting used to, but the benefits of the ST outweigh that minor quirk.
If anything, the AF beam is invaluable in the dark. As we both know xxD-series bodies are less than stellar for AF in the dark, without a handy spot beam.
i discovered this 1 sec shutter 3 weekes ago… I aws so excited.. and as you mention in the later part of your article… I did it.. i over used it. heheheh not bad but.. .most of it sucks. and my framing was so bad cause im just looking at the light not my subjects.. i got a lot of blurred images. i can’t wait to shoot my next event. I want to do it right, this time, oh btw, u think its cool to just use the nifty 50mm 1.8?
The 50mm 1.8 is a great low light lens, and you can’t beat the price. I happen to like wider angles though, and the convenience of zoom. Many of the clubs I do can be pretty packed, and it can be hard to find the room to back up enough and capture a big group of people with a 50mm. It depends on where/what you’re shooting or if you want to lug around more than one lens.
hey matthew,
what kinda of diffuser are you using on your strobe? and what angle are you pointing it at? i got a gig coming up this saturday and i need some tips. I’ve been reading all your tips and so far you’ve left out that detail.
Stofen Omnibounce is what I use. I change the angle from 45 degrees to head on depending on the situation. I’ll use head-on if I’m further away from my subject. I also have an off camera TTL flash cord that I use sometimes.
i have the cloud type fong diffuser, will that work alright? or should i use the stofen type diffuser that came with the sb-800 instead?
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