Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:
"Paul Furman" wrote

I've been asked to photograph a company retirement party (paid) which will
be about 20 people in a restaurant under candlelight at a few tables.

What is the destination of the pics: Xeroxed company newsletter;
4x6" momento prints for the participants; www (how big); framed
8x10's in the company lobby?

They just want the digital files, that's all I got as a reply when I
asked so I'm guessing it's email & company newsletter.

If it's a same-old-same-old for the company newsletter
then nobody cares - I would bow to tradition and take the
pictures with an Instamatic 104 and a flash cube.

If it's the framed 8x10 end of the quality spectrum then I would
visit the restaurant a few days before hand, scope out the
lighting and duplicate it at home/studio. It doesn't have
to be exact but sorta should have the same mix of candles &
incandescent and maybe the same color-range(ish) of wall
coverings. Then find something that works - on your own
time.

If they are paying then they should get a professional job:
you walk in, take the shots, walk out. No farting with cables
and laptops. Either during cocktails or just after desert.

OK well, $300 which I figure at $50/hr with 3 hours of shooting & 3
hours of cleaning up the set. So 'professional' but not high budget.
That's why I wonder if they should just hire someone who does this kind
of work to show up for 10 minutes & set up a bunch of gear. I'm going to
sit down & eat dinner too; I know them and have done consulting for them
for other things & they like me & respect my work.

Using flash will just add to the color balance mish-mash,
see flash-cube, above.

Good point, thanks for confirming that. Digital may come out OK with
dialed down bounced flash but I wouldn't rely on more than a few
experiments that way.

Set up - Me it would be a 4x5 and b&w, er, the 20D, 35mm
normalish lens, tall tripod and possibly one of those
collapsible light reflectors. Bring my own step stool if
the chairs are fancy.

Why get up so high? Isn't it usually more flattering to shoot from below
making the subjects appear 'tall & powerful'? Just a way of getting the
whole table of faces in the frame?

Another consideration is if they don't have a private room, I really
shouldn't even set up a tripod (maybe once briefly) or spend too much
time hovering around with the camera 'like a pro' distracting the customers.

Bokeh be damned.

I warned them it's going to look 'artsy' & grainy & not like normal
lighting. If it's candle light, it should look like candle light IMO.

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com