Event photography has a huge audience today. It’s more important than ever for brands to capture important moments from their events and use them for marketing and promotion—this is something people are greatly interested in. Plus, there are those traditional personal events like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries that deserve to be commemorated forever. As you can see, event photography is very important, so any photographer needs to have a bunch of tips up their sleeve to produce the best shots. Here’s what to keep in mind when photographing events:
Prepare like a boss
In order to identify critical moments and elements of the event, you need to take good preparatory steps. Do your research about the event—what it is about, who’s going to be attending, what activities you can expect, etc. You can also prepare a photography list and share it with your client to make sure all elements of the event are covered. And of course, dress professionally. Most photographers choose to dress in black or gray, which allows them to blend in and prevent any color cast from the light reflection.
Grab the right gear
It’s really not that important to come fully stocked with all imaginable accessories for your event shoot. You want to be mobile and light on your feet, so being minimalistic is the way to go. However, there are a few things no event photographer can work without. For instance, make sure to get an external power flash, full-frame DSLR with good zoom and plenty of batteries and memory cards. If it’s a big event in a large venue, a telephoto lens is a way to go, while you better opt for a wide for small events with a tightly-packed crowd. Before you shake on it with your client, check whether you’ll need to provide a backdrop for photos or certain props.
Arrive early
If you arrive just 15-30 minutes before the event officially starts, you can achieve a great connection with the client and guests. Later on, they will be much more comfortable asking for photos and posing. Also, this move allows you to capture all the elements of the venue setup, get some behind-the-scenes shots and capture the anticipation before the event—these shots often end up looking so much fun.
Hire help
Or better yet, you can be the helper if you don’t have too much experience photographing serious and important events. Most brands that need to take event photos in Australia choose to hire professionals with years of experience in the field. This is a sure way to have everything go smoothly photo-wise and end up with the best photos to use on websites, brochures and promotional posts. As a beginner, you can watch the pros work their magic and learn many new things and tricks. Just make sure not to stand in their way!
Mix up your products
While group shots of 3-5 people in landscape usually look great, it’s also smart to mix things up. For example, throw in some full-body shots, medium shots and head shots. It’s also good to play a little with framing and incorporate some negative space, but make sure to get up close and personal when shooting things like weddings to show more intimate moments between the couple.
Always shoot in RAW image format
This way, you’ll get images of the highest quality. RAW format gathers all the data from the sensor, providing the photographer with high-quality products. It would be extremely hard to adjust the format using Lightroom or Photoshop, especially when working in low-lighting conditions. With RAW, you can correct any overexposure or underexposure. If you have enough space on your drive, always use RAW when photographing your events.
Event photography is a true art form not everyone can engage with. So make sure to follow our tips and improve your delivery to clients. You’re guaranteed to have happy customers and get many call-backs for future events.
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