Any Suggestions?

[casil403]

My niece at her ballet class...I had some issues with not being able to use flash and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to correct? I'm sure I got the ISO wrong (still figuring out the camera) and is there any way to correct?
The second picture I tried using some B&W to focus the eye more on the girls in their pink tutu's.
Not too sure what I am to do with the first one but I really love the photo.
Suggestions greatly appreciated and thanks in advance....

[jjeling]

On the first image. The windows are extremely distracting. Be aware of really bright spots when looking through the viewfinder. They almost always kill a picture. There is a difference between what is meant as a photography and a keepsake. It looks like the iso is too high in the first image, resulting in all the noise you are noticing. It is a great keepsake image, but could use a little work in the other dept. Might want to move try cropping the left third of the image off. The second image is great. A little bright spot on the right side of the image but it looks like the lighting is a little difficult in that room. You did a good job with the conditions you had to deal with.

[casil403]

I cropped the fingers out of the second photo.. I just noticed them and they really bugged me!

[jjeling]

Nice catch. I didnt notice it until you mentioned it. They are the little details like that you will want to pay attention to when taking a picture. It is something all of us have problems with from time to time. Good work catching that. Great way to start your Post Production work as well.

[Mad Aussie]

In the first photo Casil we can see two bright windows ... will they let you crouch down in that corner?? If so they will go from being a problem to being a great source of light for you and will allow a lower ISO and clearer shots I think.

Try panning perhaps too. A slightly longer shutter speed might allow better exposure of the subject and a slight pan might provide nice movement/action.

If you are stuck with being on that side of the room then maybe they'll allow a silver or white reflector? I use the collapsible style automobile front windscreen reflectors. You know the ones that go inside on the dashboard? Buy the ones that you twist together and they collapse down to a small circular package but explode out to 2 big cirlces when you open them. Cut the two circles apart (there's always a fabric section in the middle) and you get two of them at about a 5th of the price a proper photographic one costs.

[jlabel]

You can´t use flash right? Well in this case I would recomend you try to stay with your back to the window if possible, so when she faces you she will be facing the window (light source) and you probably will have light enought to freeze her movement which should be around 1/250 or 1/500, wide open would help too F/2.8 if necessary, mostly SLR cameras today hold ISO 400 with little noise you dont need to shoot at iso 100 (I am sure you already used higher iso)