Taking photos at the leanssc 2011 conference

I got an opportunity to attend a very enjoyable and educational technical conference in exchange for helping photograph the event.  While I took typical photos of the speakers, I am posting the shots here that I decided were more artistically pleasing in that they show the "action" of the conference.  One thing I really enjoyed was using a long lens and working with a very narrow depth of field.  The lighting was a challenge and in order to not wash out the subjects in a big flash blast I used a higher ISO and bounced the flash off the ceiling or used a Stofen.  I also occasionally strapped a homemade grid spot to the flash head, which allowed me to shoot through the crowd and light up the speaker without blasting the backsides of those seated near me.  Here are some of my favorite images from the event.

 

 

And don't forget the "after-party"!