With the colder seasons and less sports to shoot..
I got an intro with the organizer of a series of well-known parties in the community and when asked to take pictures, I was initially very nervous. But it has turned out to be a blast after getting over those initial feelings. Becoming a storyteller for these events has been a ton of fun, and working on some different techniques like shutter drag has been rewarding.
One of the most fundamental parts of capturing nightlife is not being crisp about everything. I've learned very quickly that a softer focus or a blur can capture the mood of the night more effectively than a typical tack-sharp sports photo that I'm used to producing (the caveat being that blur can be used effectively in sports but only in specific circumstances and is overdone but that's just my hot take).
Anyways, it has been a lot of fun meeting folks at these events and trying a new segment to hone my skills on shooting these low-light environments. I've also really enjoyed seeing how far I can push my current equipment to get the shots I'm looking for. I did cave recently and pick up a second Nikon body, the Z6 iii. I unintentionally lucked out with my daily driver, the Nikon Zf, in that it is really exceptional in low light. It became clear that in order to get the variety and quantity of shots that I wanted, a dual camera setup was needed. The Zf will now be my portrait camera for these events in capturing posed photos of attendees and hosts, mounted with my 24mm and FABULOUS Godox V1Pro flash, and the Z6 iii will have my 85mm f1.8 for the coveted candids of the DJs and partygoers. I decided that changing lenses constantly in the club was not very sustainable for the health of my gear and general professionalism.
Enjoy some of my favorite shots I've taken recently at the club and I'm excited to capture more of these events!
