Character Meet and Greet Questions

[jimim]

Hi guys,

This trip is going to be some new meet and greats for us being that my daughter is getting older and I just wanted to try and prepare myself a bit so I don't loose time to get as many good pics as I can.

I know I can't get exact info but some ideas would be nice.

Mostly regarding if flash is needed or not.

I'm going to have my 7d with 24-70mm 2.8 ii on for everyday use.

Merida: I'm assuming I won't need my flash except if I needed it for fill.
Ariel: I'm thinking it's pretty dark in there. So keep my flash on me?
Tink: I'm thinking the same?
Town Hall princesses: The same?

These inside places seem pretty dark. I'm assuming they have the typical overhead lights for the photopass people but that's it?

Thanks,

I' know it's kinda random but was just trying to get some ideas.

jim

 

[mamaCta]

With a 24mm 2.8, you shouldn't have a problem getting enough light with a boost in your ISO. I've never seen a M&G darker than medium low room type light.

Pro photogs, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[hakepb]

I don't know about those specific M&G, but I know the new Mickey town hall has poor lighting (and bad color choices, even thè photopass pictures look wrong, but that's OT) and I think you need a flash or use ISO 800 or higher...so yes, it depends on if you are OK with high ISO portraits from your camera.

 

[jimim]

I don't know about those specific M&G, but I know the new Mickey town hall has poor lighting (and bad color choices, even thè photopass pictures look wrong, but that's OT) and I think you need a flash or use ISO 800 or higher...so yes, it depends on if you are OK with high ISO portraits from your camera.

This was the whole reason I brought this up. Mickey m&g was tough to shoot at. I was all over the place. I know the only pics that were decent was with flash. I guessing these other indoor spots r going to be the same. Between the busy backgrounds and interactive elements along with the lighting for the photo pass people it makes it a challenge for good indoor shots at these. I'm going to try and shoot manual this time. My plan is start with flash and f4.5 at 1/125 and go from there. I'm hoping this works and gives me enough time to dial in my exposure. Any thoughts?

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[mom2rtk]

Sadly, most of the staged character meets at Disney do have VERY poor lighting.

Regardless, I use flash for all character meets, even outdoors because I don't like shadows on faces.

Enchanted Tales With Belle is the exception. That is the only place you can meet Belle in the MK and that is at the very end of the story. No flash is allowed in there, but it is actually one of the better lit locations.

 

[jimim]

Sadly, most of the staged character meets at Disney do have VERY poor lighting.

Regardless, I use flash for all character meets, even outdoors because I don't like shadows on faces.

Enchanted Tales With Belle is the exception. That is the only place you can meet Belle in the MK and that is at the very end of the story. No flash is allowed in there, but it is actually one of the better lit locations.

Thanks for info. I didn't know that about belle. Thanks! This is our first trip back since the new area opened. Last year was an off year cause of my son being born. Not that that's a bad thing. Just itching to get back. I'm pretty anxious about this trip cause of having two kids now. Kate's first trip was so well documented and I want kason's to be the same. I have no idea how I am going to be able to still take quality pics with Kate and now kason with just Kristen and myself. Maybe it's cause it's our first trip alone with them. I know I should have had my parents come on this trip vs October! Lol. Actually should have had them just come for both! Lol

Jimi

 

[boBQuincy]

Ariel's Grotto is fairly well lit, 1/60 @ f/4 ISO 1600 worked ok. The lighting seems to have a lot of red, use RAW so you can adjust the color balance later. This seemed to be the case with Enchanted Tales with Belle also but the lighting was brighter (1/60 @ f/4 ISO 800).

 

[nvtsallo]

I am in the same boat returning with the new MG. i am coming with a 430 ex ii external flash. I plan on using manual 1/125 f5.6-7.1 since I like my twins and the characters in focus. 2.8 is too shallow of Dof for meet and greets. Just my 2cents. I'll be using raw and iso between 800-3200 depending but i have full frame. I would stay at iso 1600 max since you can fill with flash. I have also been playing with manual flash since the lighting will not change during those individual shots. I generally meter, shoot and dial in my settings in line so when its time fire away. I wish there was a way to have better lighting but i am prepare for worse. Just as long as its in focus you can usually adjust the rest in post at home.

 

[Visitante]

I just came back from our Disney trip, and i think we took photos of all characters.

Merida is well lit: I used 1/125 @F8 iso 200.
Belle is dificult, as the ligths change all the time (my camera auto wb didn´t work out as i imagined): 1/80 @F4 iso 1000 (on the end of the "show"), 1/80 @F4 iso 4000 during.
Belle from Epcot (does not use her yellow dress): 1/250 @F8 iso 100 (flash for fill)
Town Hall is dark for both, Mickey and the Princess, i used flash.
Ariel grotto: 1/80 f5.6 Iso 1600

 

[nvtsallo]

I just came back from our Disney trip, and i think we took photos of all characters.

Merida is well lit: I used 1/125 @F8 iso 200.
Belle is dificult, as the ligths change all the time (my camera auto wb didn´t work out as i imagined): 1/80 @F4 iso 1000 (on the end of the "show"), 1/80 @F4 iso 4000 during.
Belle from Epcot (does not use her yellow dress): 1/250 @F8 iso 100 (flash for fill)
Town Hall is dark for both, Mickey and the Princess, i used flash.
Ariel grotto: 1/80 f5.6 Iso 1600

What camera/lens/flash did you use?

 

[jimim]

Ariel's Grotto is fairly well lit, 1/60 @ f/4 ISO 1600 worked ok. The lighting seems to have a lot of red, use RAW so you can adjust the color balance later. This seemed to be the case with Enchanted Tales with Belle also but the lighting was brighter (1/60 @ f/4 ISO 800).

Thanks for the additional info bob. I appreciate it. So u didn't use any flash I'm assuming based in ur ISO settings?

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[jimim]

I am in the same boat returning with the new MG. i am coming with a 430 ex ii external flash. I plan on using manual 1/125 f5.6-7.1 since I like my twins and the characters in focus. 2.8 is too shallow of Dof for meet and greets. Just my 2cents. I'll be using raw and iso between 800-3200 depending but i have full frame. I would stay at iso 1600 max since you can fill with flash. I have also been playing with manual flash since the lighting will not change during those individual shots. I generally meter, shoot and dial in my settings in line so when its time fire away. I wish there was a way to have better lighting but i am prepare for worse. Just as long as its in focus you can usually adjust the rest in post at home.

Ya I usually don't go past 1600 ISO. My problem is I haven't fully embraced the noise yet! Lol every time I bump it up I end up bumping down cause I don't want to cause too much noise. I have to get over that fear.

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[jimim]

So let me pose a scenario.

When in line u don't have a lot of time to tinker so I'm thinking better to play with just one setting vs messing with multiple ones cause then I might just really mess things up. So

Lets say flash on starting at f 5.6 and 1/125 at ISO 400.

5.6 cause it will help keep my kid and character sharp enough and 125 for movement of Kate in pic.

If I'm underexposed I don't want to open up my f stop cause then I might be too soft and I don't want to decrease my speed cause then I might get blur or shake so is bumping up ISO the best move to save on time and not loose the opportunity?

I know if I open up the f stop I will get an overall brighter pic.

vs slowing the shutter speed down which would only increase light on Kate and character vs background.

So bumping up ISO would increase exposure overall.

Thanks! I like talking things like this out so I k ow I understand it and have it right in my head so I'm not worrying while up there!

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[Pixel Dust]

Sadly, most of the staged character meets at Disney do have VERY poor lighting.

Regardless, I use flash for all character meets, even outdoors because I don't like shadows on faces.

Enchanted Tales With Belle is the exception. That is the only place you can meet Belle in the MK and that is at the very end of the story. No flash is allowed in there, but it is actually one of the better lit locations.

Your character meet photos always look great!
How are you using the flash? Is it direct, diffused or bounced off a wall/ceiling? Are you using a higher ISO and a lower power flash output just as fill?

I believe a lot of people stick to auto, when they use flash. That's when the subject becomes very bright and you get a dark background and shadow.

 

[jimim]

Your character meet photos always look great!
How are you using the flash? Is it direct, diffused or bounced off a wall/ceiling? Are you using a higher ISO and a lower power flash output just as fill?

I believe a lot of people stick to auto, when they use flash. That's when the subject becomes very bright and you get a dark background and shadow.

I can tell u how I use my flash 100% of the time. I keep it in auto and I use a demb saucer that I bounce the light off. If I need less light on my subject I tilt it back more. If I need more output I tilt it more forward over the flash. At least that's how joe demb suggests u use his product. If that doesn't work then I usually dial my flash down if I'm still too overexposed. That usually allows me to avoid changing ISO.

Again this is my way with using his product. I really like the piece I bought from him. Best 25 I ever spent.

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[Pixel Dust]

So let me pose a scenario.

When in line u don't have a lot of time to tinker so I'm thinking better to play with just one setting vs messing with multiple ones cause then I might just really mess things up. So

Lets say flash on starting at f 5.6 and 1/125 at ISO 400.

5.6 cause it will help keep my kid and character sharp enough and 125 for movement of Kate in pic.

If I'm underexposed I don't want to open up my f stop cause then I might be too soft and I don't want to decrease my speed cause then I might get blur or shake so is bumping up ISO the best move to save on time and not loose the opportunity?

I know if I open up the f stop I will get an overall brighter pic.

vs slowing the shutter speed down which would only increase light on Kate and character vs background.

So bumping up ISO would increase exposure overall.

Thanks! I like talking things like this out so I k ow I understand it and have it right in my head so I'm not worrying while up there!

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First thing you should know is that, if you keep the flash output power constant, the shutter speed is not going to change the brightness of the subject. The kid/character is going to be the same brightness at 1/200 and 1/15. The reason for that is the duration of the flash when it goes off is extremely brief. So the Canon 430exII flash at 1/8 power has a duration of 1/2000 sec, or full power is 1/520. So for flash, shutter speed doesn't matter. You get the same about of light from the flash at 1/200 and 1/15. If your shutter speed is faster than the flash duration then you would start to see an exposure difference. But I don't even think the 7D would allow those speeds with flash.

Where shutter speed does matters is to expose for the background/shadows or freeze movement. Your understanding of that is correct.

The aperture and ISO would also increase the brightness of the flash and overall scene. You are also correct here.

It looks like you are going to be shooting in manual mode. But you are still keeping your flash in TTL mode? TTL mode for a flash is basically auto mode for the flash. It will change its output based on the scene, even though you are in manual and didn't change anything.

That is just a long winded way of saying, just use the ISO. Increasing the ISO would make the scene brighter. And if you kept the flash in TTL mode, it would automatically reduce it's power so the kid/character wouldn't be too bright. But if the kid/character is too dark/bright, you want to adjust the flash compensation (different from the usual exposure compensation). If you are really bold, you can control the flash output manually.

 

[jimim]

First thing you should know is that, if you keep the flash output power constant, the shutter speed is not going to change the brightness of the subject. The kid/character is going to be the same brightness at 1/200 and 1/15. The reason for that is the duration of the flash when it goes off is extremely brief. So the Canon 430exII flash at 1/8 power has a duration of 1/2000 sec, or full power is 1/520. So for flash, shutter speed doesn't matter. You get the same about of light from the flash at 1/200 and 1/15. If your shutter speed is faster than the flash duration then you would start to see an exposure difference. But I don't even think the 7D would allow those speeds with flash.

Where shutter speed does matters is to expose for the background/shadows or freeze movement. Your understanding of that is correct.

The aperture and ISO would also increase the brightness of the flash and overall scene. You are also correct here.

It looks like you are going to be shooting in manual mode. But you are still keeping your flash in TTL mode? TTL mode for a flash is basically auto mode for the flash. It will change its output based on the scene, even though you are in manual and didn't change anything.

That is just a long winded way of saying, just use the ISO. Increasing the ISO would make the scene brighter. And if you kept the flash in TTL mode, it would automatically reduce it's power so the kid/character wouldn't be too bright. But if the kid/character is too dark/bright, you want to adjust the flash compensation (different from the usual exposure compensation). If you are really bold, you can control the flash output manually.

Ok so I was right in my thinking but is that the best thing to do?

Yes I shoot with the flash in ttl cause I'm still learning. I just started using manual vs shutter or ap priority this year. The only time I comp with the flash is if I get a way too blown out pic of the foreground subject and I. Any tilt my bounce saucer back any further or ill loose the bounce.

The only changes I usually make with my flash is turning on high synch in my camera if I need flash with shutter speeds higher than 250.

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[Pixel Dust]

I think for you situation, you are still learning and you definitely don't want to miss the shot, that is what you want to do. ISO for the background and overall scene, and use your bounce to adjust the brightness of the subject. You are on the right track.

When you have more time at home, you can practice with the flash in manual mode and a still subject. Then change one setting at a time and see what that does.

 

[Visitante]

@nvtsallo I have a Nikon D7100 with the sigma 17-50 2.8 OS. Flash Nikon sb-400.

 

[jimim]

I think for you situation, you are still learning and you definitely don't want to miss the shot, that is what you want to do. ISO for the background and overall scene, and use your bounce to adjust the brightness of the subject. You are on the right track.

When you have more time at home, you can practice with the flash in manual mode and a still subject. Then change one setting at a time and see what that does.

That's my plan over the weekend at night so I can experiment. I appreciate it very much! Thanks!

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