taking photos inside a school gym

[oldvwblues]

The kids have a Christmas program Monday night and it's held in the gym at the elementary school. The lighting is pretty bad..there are some lights up around the stage overhead but that's about it while the kids are performing. My camera is pretty new and I haven't really a clue about settings to try to get a decent shot in these circumstances. It's a Canon Rebel XTI and I have the lense that came with it (18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS and a 70-200mm f/4L USM. Any advice??? Pictures taken in the past came out pretty b-a-d with my old camera. Thanks! Vicki

[katrinak]

Definitely NOT the best lighting situation, but sometimes you just get what you get

I would use the 70-200mm lens at f/4 with an ISO of about 800. See where that puts your shutter speed. Keep shutter speed above 1/125 and you should be able to stop motion. You may need to bump your ISO up to 1000 to get enough light in.

The other thing you can try is setting your camera to Shutter Priority. ISO to 800. Shutter Speed 1/125. That will keep your shutter speed fast enough to stop motion. If you find the aperture flashing you aren't getting enough light and will need to bump your ISO up.

Hope this helps!

[Britgirl]

my tip - I shoot in a gym for Mollie's trampolining- the moment you get there, take 2 pictures, check them... can seriously save the day!
move the ISO as high as you can {IMO} and make sure your white balance is correct for the lighting - try out one or two different white balances. Keep still and focus on one spot...
and good luck

[oldvwblues]

Thank you both very very much! I will print out your advice and be sure to practice those settings! I'm still pretty awkward with it!

[DebbieHodge]

i recently posted a couple of layouts with photos from performances -- i take my tripod and hold it between my legs or set it up in real narrow quarters in front of my seat. even if it's not totally set up, it gives me that extra bit of jitter protection since i'm not using flash. I have the canon xi. i use my 50mm 1.8 lens (less than $100) with 800 iso and aperture priority -- whatever the lowest is that it will go to. Not real technical here but that's my formula and it works well enough.

my layouts with performance photos:
Honk

Once Upon a Mattress

[DonnaNJ]

My advise is pretty much the same as above but depending on how old the lights are I've had to go up to 3200 ISO at times. The other thing that often works, and I don't know why but I had read it somewhere, is to turn on your flash (the one that's one the camera) Now there is no way that it actually reaches your subject but it somehow fools the camera into thinking it has more light then it does.. definitely try to get there early so you can try some different things and see what works best. Good luck

[KerryMac]

Great advice from everyone and I'd just add....shoot in RAW so you have as much leeway in your post processing as possible! Oh...came back on to add...don't shoot in RAW if you don't have a photo program that can handle it!

[oldvwblues]

I'll remember that! I have Lightroom (waiting for my Scott Kelby book to get here so I can really learn it!) My only problem with getting there early is that the lights will all be on..they have a PTA meeting starting out and then the kids program..then the lights go dim...but with all these excellent tips..hopefully I can pull it off! Whatever happens..it can't come out worse than last years! Betting on better this time! Thanks again everyone!

[oldvwblues]

Originally Posted by DebbieHodge

i recently posted a couple of layouts with photos from performances -- i take my tripod and hold it between my legs or set it up in real narrow quarters in front of my seat. even if it's not totally set up, it gives me that extra bit of jitter protection since i'm not using flash. I have the canon xi. i use my 50mm 1.8 lens (less than $100) with 800 iso and aperture priority -- whatever the lowest is that it will go to. Not real technical here but that's my formula and it works well enough.

my layouts with performance photos:
Honk

Once Upon a Mattress

It I can get something half that good I will be very happy!! Thanks!!

[DonnaNJ]

Vicky How did you make out with the performance pictures? Did you get any good ones? DonnaNJ

[oldvwblues]

I got some pretty good ones...but not really of my grands..they were kind of behind other kids..but better than last years for sure! Funny thing, when the music teacher saw my camera with that big old lens on it, suddenly I was offered a spot upfront (she didn't know I am a novice with this thing!) so I didn't get any with the entire group all in one because I was too close, but took lots of all the kids to share with the school. Some were a little blurred because I think I moved..this lense doesn't have the image stabilization...couldn't swing that one as it was like twice as expensive! But I am pretty happy with the results. Will be posting some soon! Thanks again to all for your help!! Vicki

[DonnaNJ]

I'm so glad to hear you got some good ones.. it's so gratifying when patience and hard work pay off isn't it :-)

[kaleidoscope]

I don't remember what I did with my point and shoot besides turn the flash off and hold the camera as still as possible, but I was happy I got some halfway decent pics of Larry the Cable Guy at one of his shows. We weren't that close either, so I also took some of the screen. LOL I might have had it on a night setting.
I got some decent shots at my dd's school concert last year, only she was in the back towards the middle and we were sitting to the side.