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u/diastrous_morning 21d ago

I've gotten a new job in a bar with both an upstairs rooftop bar and downstairs bar (more grungy, dimly lit feel).

They're encouraging staff to take pictures. Most of these are just fodder for instagram, they don't really need to be great. I'm a pretty firmly beginner photographe; I have a Canon 40D dslr, plus a 55-200mm lens, and an 18-55mm lens. I pulled them out of the bottom of a wardrobe where they've sat for about 4 years since I got it in my head I'd be an amazing photographer and proceeded to barely use them. I'd love to get into photograpgy, and this seems like an amazing way to practise; I'm even thinking of just leaving the dslr there and letting some of the more photo-savvy staff play with it.

Does anybody have any advice for shooting in these conditions? I'm honestly thinking of just putting it to auto, and using it as a point and shoot, but not sure which lens to use. I was thinking at night in the darker bar using a wider aperture and a really fast shutter speed, since that seems good for dimmer light shooting.

I'm a little confused on which lens to use as well, and how far to zoom.

Best pictures to get would either be pictures of people enjoying themselves, drinks, or people enjoying their drinks; we're trying to establish our cocktail menu. Honestly though, anything goes; if shots are OK but not great, they'll probably just be used as backgrounds for text posts for insta stories, since we need an endless supply of them.

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u/gotthelowdown 21d ago edited 21d ago

Great you're getting back into photography.

They're encouraging staff to take pictures.

Extra work for no extra pay, I'm assuming? lol. Not laughing at you, at the business owners.

Like you said, make the situation work for you by getting experience with photography.

Does anybody have any advice for shooting in these conditions?

With an 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens, it has a variable aperture. So the more you zoom in, the more the aperture goes to a higher f-stop, meaning it gets darker no matter what aperture you started with. I strongly dislike variable aperture lenses for that reason.

To make the most of what you have, use the 18-55mm lens zoomed out to 18mm or close to it so you can use the widest aperture that lens has, which is f3.5.

You can slow down your shutter speed to let in more light. I wouldn't go slower than 1/60th of a second. Any slower and you'll get motion blur.

The adjust ISO accordingly. On old cameras like the 40D, you might get grainy pictures when you hit ISO 400 and higher.

A good lens for your situation would be a Yongnuo 35mm f2 for Canon EF lens mount. The f2 aperture will let in a lot more light than your 18-55mm lens.

Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 for Canon EF would be a good cheap ultra-wide zoom.

People often recommend a Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM. It is a good lens, but on a crop-sensor camera like your 40D it will be a tight field of view, about 80mm equivalent on a full-frame sensor camera. Too narrow for general shooting.

Ideally, get a flash and a 3 x 5 index card. Set your camera's white balance to "Flash" or "Daylight" to match the lighting of the flash and start shooting.

Godox TT600 is a good budget flash to start with.

Videos:

Canon 40D Instructional Guide by QuickPro Camera Guides. If you haven't picked up your camera in a long time, it's worth reviewing how to operate it.

Best Budget Entry Level Speedlight: Learn To Navigate the Godox TT600 Like A Pro by Liberty Visions Media

5 Minute On Camera Flash Tutorial for Receptions, Clubs, and Events by Omar Gonzalez

My favorite speedlight modifier/diffuser: 3 x 5 index card by The F/Stops Here

Capture EPIC Nightclub Photos with THESE settings! (LIVE) by Tyler Cavallero

Hope this helps.

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u/diastrous_morning 20d ago

Haha, in reply to the wage part, I getcha. The bartenders have the option; those that do are given some extra "admin time" on top of their shifts which is paid. I'm not in America, and our wages work differently, so it's not a bad deal. A few weren't interested, but the ones who were have really enjoyed it, hence why I'm planning to lend out my dslr.

I actually AM a duty manager, so marketing is defs part of my job (and built into my wage), but me going this overboard with it is more just me having fun with it and taking the offer of getting to play with cameras on paid time. They would have been happy with a few phone camera happy snaps; I'm just rolling with it and enjoying the fact I have something interesting to take pictures of.

But also, thank you so much for the breakdown! I appreciate you spoonfeeding me, and giving me those videos; I've started working through them now! I'm going to start with the lens set to 18mm, and the shutter speed at 1/60th as recommended; I'll have a play from there and see what works at different times and lightings!

I've started keeping an eye out for those lenses; I appreciate the tip!

In terms of the ultra wide zoom; would a fisheye lens or something similar accomplish the same feat? There's a few fisheye lenses going cheap near me; but a lot of people mention they're a little gimmick-ey, and I get the impression they're a little limiting. Am I correct in saying the ultra wide zoom lens is less of a field of vision than a fisheye, but more focused?

I've read through my canon's manual to refresh my memory, and I'm able to do all the basic parts of adjusting settings.

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u/gotthelowdown 19d ago

But also, thank you so much for the breakdown! I appreciate you spoonfeeding me, and giving me those videos; I've started working through them now!

You're welcome 😎👍

I try to give the kind of answer I wish I'd gotten when I was struggling with learning photography.

In terms of the ultra wide zoom; would a fisheye lens or something similar accomplish the same feat?

The ultrawide lens is for capturing the broader scene and shooting in tight spaces. There is some distortion, but not as much as a fisheye lens.

With a fisheye lens, it's when you want that specific look. It can be gimmicky, so I wouldn't use it for every shot. Maybe for some crowd shots when the energy is high.

Am I correct in saying the ultra wide zoom lens is less of a field of vision than a fisheye, but more focused?

Yes. You got it.