Dance show

[tirediron]

Okay, serious input please; not so much on the actual images ('though that is always welcome) as on the overall style, and technique. This is a dance display that I shot a couple of weeks ago, and was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult performances I've ever done. The room was very small and crowded. The actual dancing area was only about 10'x15', and because of the crowd, the ONLY place I could shoot from was right on the edge of the dance floor. The only lighting available was a single on-camera SB800 (bounced).

Personally, I'm NOT very happy with these images, however, I'd like to know what you think of them, especially the angles and composition, but any input would be appreciated. The goal of the images was to record the dancers, and to provide images for the groups newsletter and general use.

[Mad Aussie]

I'm sure for a newsletter that they are more than satisfactory!
With those restricting circumstances it's a wonder you found more than one composition at all and I would think just keeping the dancers in frame would have been a push.
I think the angle of the 2nd shot appeals the most.
Style and technique? Well I don't think there's enough here to comment on really. Closeup and flashed is about it. My only suggestion is to do more with PP ... add a filter in PS you like perhaps?

[tirediron]

...My only suggestion is to do more with PP ... add a filter in PS you like perhaps?

Thanks for the input MA - you don't want to know what the throw-away to keeper ratio of that shoot was! As far as the PP goes; where do you feel that it could be improved?

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks for the input MA - you don't want to know what the throw-away to keeper ratio of that shoot was! As far as the PP goes; where do you feel that it could be improved?

I'd be blurring the background more I think for starters. You obviously couldn't get a shallow enough DOF in that situation to do that but you can do it in PP.

I'd probably offer them a version with some motion blur for the first shot too.

[jjeling]

I might have tried to use a trail sync on the flash. It would have capture a little motion, and them very crisp at the same time. I can see exactly why this would have been a hard shoot. Without much room to move or compose the picture, it almost ruins your ability as a photographer to do your job. Considering the restrictions, I like 1 and 3 the best. MA is right, I would try and blur the background in PP a little. It would make a dramatic difference in 3, not so sure about the rest. If you have to go back to this in the future, GOOD LUCK!
I think a fisheye lens would have been a cool thing to try here. Get the dancer on the right side of the image, and then the crowd on the left hand side. Figured I would just share that thought.

[MoinMoin]

For me the first shot ist the best - I love the colour and the move of the veil.
The second ist very nice - it's a little pitty that the veil got a bit cut above.
The third photo shows the dancer quite nice in action (maybe a tit bit unsharp?)
And the last one is nice colourful.

All in all: As the others said - well done in your situation! And ok for every newsletter.

[tirediron]

Thanks all. I appreciate the input - I'll play around with softening the background. For some reason, that never occurred to me.