GLKTN Loc: TN

Bryan Peterson still suggest to use it in digital photography. As a newbie, I hesitate to make suggestions, but have had some luck with the rule. This HHG is very helpful.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Is he suggesting to know it to help better understand the relationship between the exposure variables or to set your exposures. The latter I could see, but using the meter in your camera is probably more accurate. What is his reasoning?

Best,
Todd Ferguson

Marionsho Loc: Kansas

On some Canons their is a Quick button that makes it, well.... quick. Maybe your Nikon has something similar.

joelcandids

Shutter priority is a good choice. If it is bright outside, I would set ISO to auto and limit it to either 400 or 800 which should produce good frames. You can take a few test shots to decide on the best ISO setting. Depending on your confidence level and how important you think getting the shots is, you can always take a few in "point and shoot mode" and a few in shutter priority as discussed. The D3400 is a good camera and produces nice images. If you can get close enough, I would uses the smaller kit lens because the crop factor on that camera is 1.5. You will get extra focal length.

GLKTN Loc: TN

He suggests using it.

GLKTN Loc: TN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiI-bx4b1b8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPDlD1ekFUg

Here are a couple links.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

I agree with others who suggest going to the site with a friend and checking it out, and at approximately the same time of day as the presentation. If you do not know the time frame, make a note of where the sun will be at different times of day. If you know that, you can also ask the boss to have the "background truck" parked in the best spot! [Try not to have it when the sun is directly overhead - that makes for unattractive shadows.] The lens hood will help prevent sun flare if it is shining from off to the side.

Using your LCD screen, you can review the images to determine if everything looks good. Do this both when practicing and when taking the actual key exchange, but it will help if you check exposure before the actual photo session so you will not have to fool around with adjustments when everyone is in place. If the sun is directly overhead you may have to use a reflector or fill flash to counteract the shadows, as others have suggested.

If it is a sunny day, your ISO should be at 100, if overcast, you may need to raise it a bit. Working in relatively close quarters, the 18-55 would be the lens to use, and if you don't use a tripod the VR will help get a sharp image. [If you do use a tripod, don't forget to turn off the VR!] That lens will make it easier to compose the shot the way you want it, and also get the truck in the picture. You may want to take a close-up that shows just the key exchange and the cab of the truck, but also an image that shows the whole of both people and the truck. You do not want to crop any more than necessary to get a close-up shot!

Aperture priority ought to work very well, since the people will be posing for you. But just in case they are moving a bit, make sure ahead of time that you will get a reasonably fast shutter speed - I think anything over 1/60sec should be OK, but faster would be better. You can change this by adjusting the aperture size, but don't want to go too large because that decreases depth of field. It would be nice to have everything in focus! On a bright sunny day the camera will probably give you what you need.

For any questions about your camera, you should read the manual. I always recommend reading it cover-to-cover and then read it again with camera in hand. There is always a section that talks about how to set up the camera the way you want it that can be quite helpful. Of course some things in the manual you will not understand, those you can skip over for now, then go back and figure them out later. Nikon on their website has a section called Learn and Explore, under which there is a photography glossary. It will often be quite helpful.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

Aperture Priority unless the CEO is doing a James Bond on the roof of the truck. If you will be in the sun, set that aperture to f11 or f16. Use your popup flash in fill mode. Focus on CEO's eyes. for a portrait with the truck in the background. Also take a shot with the whole truck, but again keep the CEO closer to the camera so he is really the subject. (That's why you need the DOF of the smaller aperture.) Shoot at least three shots in each composition. The CEO WILL do something to ruin at least one of them.

Maybe you will get lucky and have an overcast day. Otherwise the shadows will create problems that your popup probably can't fix. If you were a pro, you would have reflectors and maybe other flash gear and assistants.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Thanks for Sharing!!!

Best,
Todd Ferguson

boblaine Loc: Colbert, GA

You can always the (Sunny 16 rule)!

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

But he also says that the scene had to be front light or side light...otherwise the rule will not be accurate.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Practice before the event...

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

I would probably go with Program mode and use exposure compensation if needed.

skh1454

A lot of good advice here, but one VERY IMPORTANT thing I did not see (perhaps I missed it) is Image Quality. Since it's your CEO in the shoot, I assume the shots will be used in some kind of publication (print or electronic, or both). One thing the corporate people will want is high resolution files. In your D3400 menu, in Shooting Menu (the camera icon), you should see an item called "Image Quality" (3 or 4 down). Select it and you will see a list of shooting options -- I recommend selecting "NEF(RAW) + JPEG fine". That will give you a high resolution JPEG that will probably be good enough, but if the corporate people want to make any post-production adjustments, they have the RAW file.

ecurb1105

Good old grip and grin pictures.
Shoot your 18-55 set at 35mm, P mode with pop up flash.