Photography inside a church - what would you do?

[The Stig]

Hi guys

I'm going to photograph a confirmation in 10 days or so, and I'm trying to figure out what the best strategy would be. The church is an old stone church where the walls are whitewashed and there are some windows, so it could be worse from a lighting perspective. I don't have an off-camera flash so I was thinking of cranking the ISO and make due with whatever natural light is there. Now, a couple of questions have presented themselves to me, and I'd appreciate any insights this forum could offer.

I have two lenses that could fit the job - a 35mm 1.8 prime and a 70-300mm 5.6 VR. The 35 is obviously the faster lens, but would require me to get up close to my niece, blocking the view for the other guests in the process. Alternative two would be to stealthily shoot from the pew with the telezoom and maybe a tripod. My last option would be to rush out and buy a SB900 flash and go "pro" at some financial expense and maybe some light ridicule for going overboard. Another question is if I'd be able to teach myself how to use it effectively in the short time I have (I've never done any flash photography).

As mentioned, any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Stig

[Donald]

Stig

Are you able to visit the church beforehand to check the light and run a test on what you would be able to do with the zoom and a high ISO? The speed of the 35mm is, as you say, more than enough, but the focal length is short.

What about the person who is going to conduct the confirmation. Is he aware that you will be photographing and what are his views on what you can or cannot do? Even if you bought a flash unit, would the clergyman allow you to use it? If everyone is agreeable to you doing the shoot then can they agree to you being able to move about. It sounds as if only being able to shoot from the church pew would be very restricting, particularly if the child is going to have its back to you during the confirmation.

[The Stig]

Thanks for getting back to me so soon, Donald. Sadly, there's not much time to do any preparations upfront. Talking to the priest sounds like a good idea. I'll give him or her a call.