Shooting pageant/talent show tonight lens tips?

Hello - I am taking some photo's of a neighborhood adult/fun pageant/talent show tonight. There we will be a make-shift stage, darker room, and random lights I am sure. I have a 35mm and the 18-55mm kit lens. Which would I be better off with my D5200? Of the top of my head I would say 35mm since it is quicker in the low light, but then I could not zoom in in people on stage etc.

I am very new to photography and DSLR's so thank you for any information you can provide!

35mm hands down. You will have to be the zoom. Try some test shots replicating someone in the models place and where you will stand if possible to set up the largest aperture (smallest number) you can shoot at while keeping what you want in focus. Then adjust your ISO and shutter speed to find the happy blend that will freeze your image and not blur.

Having access to a diffused flash would definitely be your friend.

Have to agree... Take the 35mm and zoom with your feet; the extra 20mm you'd get with the 18-55mm isn't worth what you'd be giving up in speed and sharpness, IMO.

I'd use Auto ISO and let go to 6400. I'd much rather have high ISO noise to contend with than a blurry shot. You're probably looking at wider apertures and shallower depths of field so watch your focus points and keep your shutter speed at or above 1/125 if you can (Auto ISO should help with this).

Composition-ally speaking: ISOLATE. Have a subject for every shot and serve it up hard. No sweeping shots of the entire stage (snore). Get in, get tight on your subject and isolate it within the frame as best you can or, get the shot and be prepared to crop in post.


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Horoscope Fish said:

Composition-ally speaking: ISOLATE. Have a subject for every shot and serve it up hard. No sweeping shots of the entire stage (snore). Get in, get tight on your subject and isolate it within the frame as best you can or, get the shot and be prepared to crop in post.

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Click to expand...

To go along with what Fish said, I would shoot vertically filling your shot and avoiding dead space of the stage left/right.

Just to add to Horoscope Fish, use manual settings for your aperture and speed.
I set mine to 1/200 .

As he said, auto ISO as high as 6400 is just fine.

Good luck!

Awaiting your pictures.

Thank you everyone for the great information and tips! I am leaving to go to the show in an hour. I will try and get some early shots in to test out a few as I will be there a bit before the show starts. I will post up some photo's when I am done. Thank you again!