jerryg Loc: NE Pa

I have to shoot a Sweet 16 and the theme is going to be black light with a lot of glow in the dark stuff. How will I get pictures as a flash will defeat the black light theme. Slow speed will blur everything. Using 5D Mkii and a 7D and have two Canon 530 EX flashes. Is this even going to be possible???? Help.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

Quite a few Utubes on this subject - here is one of them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5lFnYXkD-0

CResQ Loc: Cobble Hill, BC

I am no professional and do not have any experience in these kind of conditions but what I would do is get the ISO as high as possible and shoot in RAW to help with noise in PP. Use aperture-priority on my fastest lens which is f/1.4 and although it may not be appropriate to the conditions consider a tripod or even a mono to help with slow shutter speeds.

There are a lot of experienced people here but I hope these suggestions help you or at least point you in the correct direction. I wish you luck and would love to see the results. Cheers

jerryg Loc: NE Pa

Thanks but she was shooting models and using a tripod. I think a Sweet 16 will be a lot of candids.

robert-photos Loc: Chicago

I shot some hand held black light images during a production of Willy Wonka Jr. a couple of years ago:
http://robert-photos.smugmug.com/St-John-the-Evangelist-Church/The-St-Johns-Players/2010-05-14-Wonka-Jr/

_MG_3872 was taken with a Canon 5D MII ISO 1600 1/50 sec 24-70 mm f/2.8.

_MG_3868 was taken with a Canon 5D MII ISO 6400 1/40 sec 24-70 mm f/2.8.

They were post processed with ACR and Adobe CR4 or CR5 but I don't remember the process.

My suggestions:

Crank up the ISO and open the aperture.
Add some mult-chromatic light. Perhaps give out a number of small cheap LED flashlights & have a flashlight yourself to assist your camera to focus.

Auto focus maybe/will be a problem so you may have to go to manual focus and live view.

Since you'll be using high ISO run all your photos thru noise reduction software like Topaz DeNoise

Get artistic by letting motion blur paint your picture.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

Oh well, wish you success

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

Go to walmart and get a cheap blacklight and practice.

Mylo Nabu Loc: Buffalo NY

I have an answer for you, put a filter of "Congo Blue" over you strobe [from 'Lee' Brand theatrical line] a sheet 18x24 costs about 10.00 it's very blue and has properties of the black light. I come form am theatrical background I use the filter for stage with great success.

newryqs

I use a Canon 60D and have no problem taking movies and/or stills in blacklight. I have a short segment in my Kickstarter video of a rock glowing under changing blacklight (ultraviolet) as well as studio shots. All you need is a tripod. My son and I are also editing a video for an annual convention of blacklight enthusiasts. The name of the convention is called Ultraviolation. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/626979337/franklin-nj-crystal-and-nature-photographic-art-bo

KG

Use reduced power head-on flash with long shutter speeds.
The flash will freeze the subjects while the long shutter speed will allow for the background to be (somewhat) properly exposed.

The flash output has to be reduced so it's just enough to expose the subjects. Otherwise, you are right the back lights will be overpowered and you won't represent the environment correctly in your shots.

The shutter speed would have to be long enough to get some of the back lights without being too long as not to expose the subjects too much.

That way, you'll get crisp subjects and somewhat fuzzy, but lit, back ground. That might be a good look given the environment.

To practice, ask some of your family members to pose (while moving) in a dimly light room with a TV running in the background.

Try to play around with shutter speed and flash power output until you get the results you like.

Think of those night club type photo where flash with long shutter speed is used. I'm sure you've seen them.

jerryg Loc: NE Pa

Sounds like a solution. I'll practice like you suggested. Thanks