Watching. One of the reasons I do so much in Photoshop is because the automask thing escapes me in LR.

Oops, that is 100% my bad. I saw the photo and assumed that it was from OP.

Agreed, an example from OP is the only way we can get to the bottom of it.

There is an example 3 posts above yours.

you are exceeding the flash sync speed of your camera. The fastest you can sync is 1/200 and you are shooting at 1/500.

I'm not sure, but I think the 3xxx series also has auto FP or High Speed sync, but your flash also needs to have it.

Try the same thing, but don't go higher than 1/200, and I bet your black bar disappears.

I didn't see this mentioned above, but you could also invest in a flash that has a good focus assist beam. The Yongnuo flash triggers shoot out a red "waffle pattern" for your camera lens to use to lock focus. I don't use my flashes on camera enough to know if the actual flashes use the same waffle pattern or not.

This CAN be distracting to other people in the crowd, because the "waffle" is visible until you press the shutter. Of course, only you can decide if it makes more sense to buy a trigger, or a flash, or maybe a faster lens. Just offering up something else that can help your camera focus a LOT.

With the YN622n trigger, I can take photos in pitch black, as long as there's something that the beam can hit.

Thanks, I don't want to interfere with the ongoing deal. Just want to throw my hat in the ring.

If that deal doesn't go through, please let me know. Interested, I just didn't see it until today.

Thanks
bkyser

All the comments regarding art vs craft aside. If this were sepia, I'm guessing most people would assume this photo was 100 years old. I really like it.
You might be able to take this technique, and start making some really impressive Ansel Adams(ish) type landscapes. (the great part is photoshop is a LOT easier than doing it in the darkroom)

Hi GLKTN! First, We're all friends in this section, so if you want to drop your actual name (Mine is Bob, Mr. Shapiro is Ed) Whatever your name is, it HAS to roll off the fingers easier than GLKTN.

Anyway, the settings are but one issue. Since this sounds like it is a learning experience, experiment with settings, but also, you mention "a bunch of people milling about."

If you really want to be next-level, act like you are at an actual wedding reception. With a HUGE smile on your face, walk up to each group, and/or table, and get everyone to "scootch together," and have them stand with some people behind the seated people, and don't ask them to smile, but "get them" to smile. That is the mark of a really good wedding reception shooter. I never say anything that can't be said in polite company, but will say things like "who here has the best legs?" " who is the best kisser" Ask the grouchiest looking person in the group to say the name of his favorite vegetable in his/her sexiest batman voice" etc. (whatever I think this group might react to, the more you do this, the more "odd, or funny things you will come up with) Instead of getting people from a distance, the backs of a bunch of heads, people with odd looks on their faces, or worse, putting food in their mouths.

"working the tables" is without a doubt the highlight of my evening at a wedding or event. When in doubt, think of all those celebrity selfies you see, with everyone laughing and having fun. THAT's what people want in their albums or as keepsakes of an event. Not a bunch of far away shots of people eating, and looking around with blank stares.

Enjoy yourself, and take pride in the fact that you can actually get groups of people at a table who don't know each other, to start enjoying each other's company. If someone says "he's not with our group", my response is "he is now......hop in there cowboy" And later in the evening, you will see that group, with the extra person, all having a great time together. YOU can be the ice breaker that can help an event be memorable. Believe it or not, I end up getting more referrals from people who have attended a wedding I've done, than from about anywhere else.

I think Ed has gotten you a really great start on the exposure issues, hopefully, what I've said here will help you with the people skills. (which is at least as important as the technical stuff, sometimes more important)

Good luck, and I hope you share some of your images.

You know, with all these compliments, you are going to have to stay up late more often. It's a blessing...and a curse. HAHA!

That's what I was going to say. Not pregnant, just fat and happy.... like me

What I'm finding fascinating is the way the light is working differently on different sticks. Sometimes the highlight is on the top, sometimes it looks like it's coming from the camera, and some the highlight actually looks like it's coming from the bottom. As someone who enjoys studying how light bounces on/off/in/and around objects, this is just really neat. The first one is the one that really catches my eye. It may be an optical illusion based on a stick coming towards me, vs facing backwards or something, but it's just really fascinating.

Good eye, and great capture.

For what it's worth, I tried a couple, and ended up with computer issues. I tend to stay away from "free" software from the interweb for that reason, and that just reminded me why. If I could remember which ones, I would let you know what they were to save you the hassles. If I do find out later, I will come back and post it here.

What exactly are you trying to do? If it's a one off for a party, just Adoramatv on "the youtubes" has a good video in how to do it in Lightroom shooting tethered.

For doing actual photobooths at weddings, and events, I found LR to be cumbersome, and it was much better to just purchase DSLRbooth software. It's easy enough for me to do it with minimal learning curve, and I can set it up so people can trigger it themselves, or I can have an attendant do it.

It really depends on if this is going to be something you do regularly. The first 2 times I did it, I did survive with Lightroom.

(Just FYI, I love driving my kids crazy by saying things like "the youtubes, or interwebs"... so I thought I might try irritating the people on here that love correcting other people's spelling, etc.)

I hope I helped, and didn't irritate YOU.

Good luck.

I never had issues with doing anything to the drone with my Phantom 3 or P4P+

It may be part of the newest upgrade. I know your supposed to upgrade, but sometimes adding more restrictions gets added, so unless I have an issue, I don't generally upgrade my Phantoms.

That's just me

It may or may not work, as most of my "visions" are sometimes good, sometimes "stinkers" but at least it's something to try.