Been stitched up to photograph an event... help!

[Wombat]

I've managed to get voluntered to photograph a regency dance event at a venue I was assured was much better lit than a previous venue I've successfully photographed at.  However, this is not the case, it is very poorly lit, with chandeliers.  My problem area is that I need to take quickie "portraits" of individuals or couples in their finery at a set-aside location in the venue which is a bit better lit, but still not brilliant.  So, faced with my usual Sony A77, Metz on/off camera flash (wireless equipped) and rarely used Metz 45CL-4 flash, do I go and buy a brolly and stand (years since I've used one), and I'm also a bit worried about a shadow showing on the background from using a brolly to provide a diffuse light on the people.  I'm not expected as a volunteer to produce top flight professional work, but I don't want to disgrace myself or the dance group.  I'm not spending significantly more than 150 notes on any solution, but a brolly and stand seems a comparatively idiot proof solution that will allow reasonably decent results quickly.  I won't have time to play around with these portraits, I'll need to churn through them quickly.

I'll have enough fun doing the available light dancing shots, struggling along at 1600ISO and 125th (if I'm lucky) at pretty well full aperture. Methinks there will be some high ISO noise reduction applied in Lightroom...

Suggestions (other than emigrating or developing a fatal illness to avoid the issue)?

How long have I got... the event's on Saturday....

[Jaded]

How high is the ceiling and is it white? Bounce might work OK.

I did groups at a masked ball earlier this year and bounced flash worked fine.

Available light tends to end up with results too soft, so good luck with the dancing ones.

[mike]

have you got triggers for both flashguns?  if you have, this might work http://strobist.blogspot.co.uk/2006/05/on-assignment-use-second-light-to.html

(one firing down from slightly behind, above and to one side of you, the other at waist level behind the subject, pointing up at the back of their heads and at about 1/4 the power of the main light)

you can practice it at home, then be set up in about 2 minutes when you get there.

[bikepacker]

Going back at least 25 years when we did Ladies Night photos our lighting set up was always the same. Bowens Monolight into a single white umbrella approximately 45% to the subject both horizontally and vertically. Keep the subject well away from the background so any shadows would fall low and out of shot. This was in the days when we used something called film in the camera.

[Charlotte]

Film - how quaint 

Were it me doing this, I'd pack a set of Quadras, a couple of decent size softboxes and a grey background roll, but it can still be done with a decently powerful on-camera flash.  Mike's right - if you can slave a second flash to sync with your main one, definitely use it for separation like that, it's a really great look.

How high is the ceiling and is it white? Bounce might work OK.

That's the first line of defence if you're out of options when it comes to kit and can't even sync a second flash.   Are these are full length shots you're talking about?

If you're not going to be buying stand(s) and light mods, I think your answer is going to lie in finding a good bounce surface and getting creative.  Ideally, a corner with a white facing wall or a usably low white ceiling.  If these aren't an option, you could still use on-camera flash, but you'll have to take your own white surface.  Could you get hold of a nice big projector screen or display board, maybe?

If all else fails and you still want to use on camera flash then consider getting your subjects well away from the background.  In fact, if at all possible, do this anyway.  Unless you're lighting your background or using *really* soft sources of light (or you're Terry Richardson) you need a way to lose those hard shadows.

If you can get the folks in the ballgowns and tuxedos some distance from the background, you can play with your flash/ambient ratio and (more importantly) your flash fall-off to make things look a little better.  Don't be afraid to jack up the ISO - better a contrasty, well lit, slightly grainy shot than rabbit-in-the-headlights.

[Wombat]

The ceiling is fairly high,but in the portrait area it is at least white! I can control the 45cl4 with a 3 metre cable, and I think I can still wirelessly fire the 50 af.  I think I'll get brolly and stand, but at least I'll have Flash meter capability, and can fire test shots before the actual event starts.  I'll get through it, but when someone who should know how critical lighting is,tells me it's OK when it plainly isn't, it's a pain. The good venue I did last year had off white marble floor,walls and ceiling ( but that ceiling was a bloody long way up).  I'll let you know how I get on.

[Aunt Maud]

Stick a Rizzla paper on the flash, gives a lovely soft light.

[Wombat]

Should have given an update on this, but I was busy closeted with Lightroom editing the pics!

Well the venue was very dark, and I was told as I arrived that I couldn't do the portraits in the nice white room, but in the courtroom which had dark brown panelling and bugger all ambient light. no help from reflective surfaces to fill in a bit there, then.... 

I had bought a flash brolly and remote lead, so all was not lost, but I was not very pleased with the results, and the camera was struggling for focus at times, it was that dark.  The general dance photos were strictly no flash permitted, so I was shooting at 1/60th or so, at 3200 ISO and f2.8 or maybe F4 sometimes.  Accurate period lighting with 2 chandeliers in a bloody great ballroom... 

The customers were really pleased with the results, but I made it clear to them that if I'm ever doing it again, I choose the room for the portraits, not them...  given warning, I could have got more lighting, but funds were limited, and what I had would have been fine for the planned room. 

Oh well, I got through it with no disgrace attached!