5 Ways to Achieve Excellent Event Photography

Event photography is all about capturing images of particular occasions.

How you define an event is subjective, but many would broadly consider weddings, sports, or live music as examples of events, occasions that the pandemic broadly robbed of us for two years, and situations that regularly require professional photography.

Personally, I do not brand myself as an event photographer, but I will offer an ad-hoc service to regular or long-standing clients of mine. While I don’t provide event photography services as such, I am very much entwined with companies requiring corporate photography services involving events, such as:

• Conferences
• Trade shows
• Corporate anniversaries
• Retirement events
• Charity fundraisers
• Product launches

In my time occasionally handling corporate event photography, I have come to recognise the value it can bring to a business. 

Why is Event Photography Important?

Corporate event photography can be challenging to get right, especially with many more large-scale events set to take place more regularly in the coming months. Many businesses are looking to hire professional corporate photographers to capture the action of events as they happen.

This type of photography is important to help businesses document an event throughout, allowing them to capture its atmosphere, excitement and significance. 

Event photography can also go a long way in creating printed material such as brochures, catalogues, flyers and post-event engagement content.

Any event requiring photography requires sharp, high-quality images. Often, however, your commercial photographer could be facing difficult obstacles on the day. Here are just a few examples of those obstacles and how you could potentially overcome them and make your event images as purposeful and impactful as possible.

5 Common Issues Faced by Event Photographers (and Their Outcomes)

Event Photography in a Crowded Space

To achieve complete photographic coverage can be difficult at the best of times, particularly if the event is crowded. Thus, it makes sense to use compact camera equipment, like a DSLR or mirrorless camera, which won’t encroach on the guests’ personal space as much as large, obtrusive camera bodies. Being discrete and using minimal equipment will prevent accidents or conflicts.

Lighting Issues During a Corporate Event

Achieving the perfect lighting in any photography setting is almost impossible. Some venues have high ceilings with spotlights, some have low ceilings with fluorescent lighting, and others sit somewhere between the two. 

A camera flash may be necessary if the light situation is particularly poor, but this doesn’t help to retain an element of discretion. If the lighting is uniform but has a poor colour temperature, then setting a manual colour balance will ensure the images look better during processing.

Photography of Key Personnel

Often, an event will require photographs of important people, such as keynote speakers, celebrities, hosts, award winners and so on. Photography assistants can be pivotal here, acting as another pair of eyes. Going solo and identifying the right people from a large crowd can be difficult, especially while balancing the responsibility of capturing the images themselves. Time may also be a factor; in which case, speed and precision are crucial.

Staged Photography During the Event

The commissioning business may require specific photographs at certain times, such as an important speech, formal greeting, group shots of certain people and more, which make excellent PR or marketing collateral. The photographer will likely need to plan for this beforehand to account for special requirements like backdrops, lighting or branded banners. It will also help to keep the subjects clued into any photography plans, to avoid any surprises.

Turnaround Times of Final Images

Businesses will likely require the photographs to arrive quickly after the event ends. Sometimes they may even require them during the event in order to send out real-time PR material on social media. Your commercial photographer will need to account for this and ensure they meet your deadlines. If not, you’ll need to mutually agree on expected submission dates.

Summary of Successful Event Photography

Event photography isn’t as simple as going somewhere populated with a camera and hoping for the best. The images captured can be valuable tools for effective PR applications or marketing campaigns. With enough thought and preparation, business event photos can help your business to generate some positive publicity, possibly leading to the creation of  viable leads.

Corporate Photographer in Berkshire

As said above, I specialise in a wide range of commercial and advertising photography services and have experience handling specialisms like product photography, property photography, and corporate headshots. 

I am a photographer in Reading, Berkshire primarily, but will venture further afield than the South East if need be. Most of my work is for web, marketing, social media and PR applications. I primarily work with businesses in the tech, engineering, construction and financial sectors but will be happy to assist other companies.

If you’d like to discuss my availability, please fill out the contact form, and I’ll be in touch.