Q: I just started nightclub photography and I have a Nikon D3100 with the 18-55 VR lens and a Nissin Di622 Flash. What settings should I use to capture the lights in the club and also to capture my subjects? With what settings I should play and what to let fixed?
The questions in this email is very similar to a couple of previous questions I've gotten so I'm going to be repeating some of the answers. Please read the following:
A: Check out the camera and flash settings I listed on my site. Those are the basic camera and exposure settings that will give you a pretty good starting point.
Shoot in manual mode, ISO 800, using an aperture between f/3.2 and f/5.6, and various shutter speeds between 1/2 - 1/40 sec as a starting point. Play around with the aperture and shutter speed settings till you get the results that you like.
I think that you should play around with all the settings. However, if you really want to keep some settings fixed while you're playing around the other settings, here are my suggestions.
Fixed Settings: ISO 800, Aperture f/4, White Balance Flash, 2nd or rear curtain sync on the external flash. Play around with the shutter speed. Change it around and do some comparisons. Use a fast one 1/80 and see what it looks like. Then use a slow shutter speed 1/4. Compare the two and see the difference. Which one do you like? Which one captures the light and subject the best? One isn't necessarily better than the other. It all really depends on the style you're creating for yourself and your preference. Keep me posted on how it goes.
