Camera Labs

Hi, I have a Nikon D90 and a 18-105 DX VR Lens only had this about 3 months now, and already I love it.
I like to take pictures of my two children doing ballroom dancing, and i my last set of pictures i did of them came out bad, now this is the first time I have used this on them dancing, so here is the venue, it is blackpool tower ball room big event, there is poor lighting, mostly red, blue. lights with some white bulbs, the floor is an old woodern floor highly polished they are wearing red and yellow dresses very bright colours to stand out, they are moving at a reasonal pace I am trying to shoot from a distance of about 35 meters thats the closest they let us get, I have used the flash gun on top of the camera but of course to far away, I have used my big flash gun that lets me shoot from that kind of distance, but still my pictures come out fuzzey and the colours are, well to put it midley rubish, I have tried manual, auto, setting ISO very high and not using flash, I thought I was getting good at taking pictures, but this has got me stopped in my tracks, I dont know if there is a fillter i can use, or a setting on the Nikon D90 I am missing, any help would be great thank you in advance, PS they times never come around again and i dont want to loose them, o by the way you can take pictures but NO VIDEO child thing, thanks again. Kevin

Welcome to the forums Kevin!

Assuming you got all the in-camera settings right, I'd say the only option is to buy (or rent) a lens that's more suitable for the task at hand.
I'd advice against using flash, because it tends to suck the life/atmosphere right out of an image when not used with caution. Besides at 35 meters all you're doing is provide a light show, it won't aid your pictures much.

So, new lens (sorry wallet). Were you zoomed to the max with your 18-105? If so, renting a 135mm F/2 would be quite optimal.

A cheaper option to buy might be the 85mm F/1.8, but you do sacrifice some range.

What those lenses have in common is a much larger aperture, the lenses let in more light (which means you can crank up your shutter speed, preventing motion blur). Do keep in mind that they lack stabilisation, so your own motion blur might become an issue.

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I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

Alternatively, you could try something such as a seconds hand 70-200 VR f/2.8, which gives you 2 extra stops over your 18-105, almost doubles the focal length and gives you many different focal lengths to work at. Of course, you would get an extra stop with the 135, and even more light with the 85mm, which would both be good choices as well.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

From my experiences shooting in smaller venues, I can tell you that a 70-200 probably won't be "fast" enough (meaning it won't let in enough light).

It mostly depends on your budget, if you're renting or buying, and on the focal length you need

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I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".