Event Photography Tips

• If you arrive at the venue and your vallet parking was not organised as suggested.

Make sure you state your Authority as an VIP and working as a professional but do so in a VERY respectful manner. You don’t want to create a drama scene here, obviously there has been some miscommunication; it is your challenge to finesse your way into a solution to the problem. A handy tip is to make sure you know the name and the title of a senior person of the venue, ie the event coordinator’s name. They will succumb to the confusion and by default let you pass. So long as your remain respectful, after this follow step 2.

• Tip the venue’s concierge.

A $5 tip will be equal to about $50 worth of benefits. You get a second set of arms and legs to carry all the equipment from car to venue, and vice versa on the way back. They make sure that you are well looked after with regards to setting up equipment and if there are any other necessary requirements, (Tables, props, drinks, trolley, parking your car.) THE BEST $5 you’ll ever spend I guarantee it!!!

• SAFTEY SAFETY SAFETY

Make sure that all cables and light stands are secured and in no HARMs way. When setting up equipment things can get real messy really quickly. Tape down all cables and if you can, have barricades up so it directs the people away from the hazards.

• When the event has alcohol involved , make sure that you remain professional, there would be guests that would try to test your boundaries. Don’t let them walk all over you. Have fun with the patrons but remain professional at all times.

• Your setup will naturally draw other people to take photos with their own cameras. Remember the setup area is like a Head chef’s kitchen. Its YOUR TERRITORY. Tell the patrons to move out of the way, again do so in a assertive manner.

• When setting up your lights. Start off with preparing one light first and get that one set up correctly. Always set up one light at a time. If you set them all up in one go and then try to figure out which light to turn up/down or move; you’ll be sure to CONFUSE yourself stupid. Personally I prefer using a flash meter for setting up lights. The LCD of a digital camera can be deceptive at times.

• Mark a distinct spot on the ground for the model(s) to stand on. This way it makes the instruction of positioning really easy. “Stand on the X” this is handy if the camera is mounted on a fixed tripod. It would keep the distance from camera:subject consistent. It would mean that your Auto-Focus doesn’t have to readjust every time you want to take a photograph.

• Use a narrower aperture I like using F8, this gives me a good depth of field and a good output of quality from the lens. You can afford to use narrower aperture in low light situations because the flash power would be relatively stronger, than if they were used against ambient.

• Tell the girls that they look amazing and also offer simple posing instructions. They are always self-conscious with their appearance, if you don’t they will always want to have a look at the back of your camera to verify. I guess you could always shoot film, so that there is no LCD :P

• My favourite, if the host offers you Food to eat: TAKE THE OFFER!! taking photos burns lots of calories, you’ll need to be refuelled!!