The 21st

A few weeks ago I was commissioned by a client that wanted me take photos for her 21st birthday party. At first, I was reluctant considering the fact I felt as if I didn't have the equipment necessary to handle a darkly lit party.

At the moment I use a Canon t2i (550D) with an accompanying 18-55m f/4 (kit lens) and a 50mm f/1.4. I've been to my share of parties and they tend to have the same common elements save the DJ and whoever is on the flyer.

It will be dark. There will be (at a well pubbed party) a large amount of people. They'll be congregated around or near the dance floor. Wherever the dance floor is situated there will also be a tight ball of sweaty partygoers twirking (shaking their hindquarters very rapidly) at all times during the event. There will also be those stragglers, girls who are got so prettied up for the party they're unwilling to enjoy themselves and dance and guys who are either too scared to dance (but wanted to be on the scene) or the conventional semi-thug who doesn't dance, but is quick to beat another guy for semi-glancing slightly to the far-side left of his crew.

Anyway, the main point is even a 50mm wouldn't have been able to light up a scene that dark without a high amount of noise and camera shake.

I asked another photographer, Kevyn Bryant, what equipment I could pick up to alleviate the problem.  He  the 430EX II External Flash. I picked it up a night before the party and scoured through the manual about an hour before heading to the party.

Definitely not the best way to become acquainted with new equipment but that's me.

It took ALOT of misfires with the external flash before I started getting comfortable with using it during the party. Another hamper was the fact that (even with the 430EX capability to light up the LCD screen on the camera) the preview picture still had a high amount of grain and was difficult to examine because of the lighting.  I also ran into another hamper. The preview screen would pre-light up when using the 50mm but not the 18-55mm severely limiting my range for pictures.

I'm still not sure if that was a setting mistake I made, but it's something I've been trying to figure out.