Top tips for photographing events

Here are some of my tips for photographing people at evening events like balls, parties and gatherings.

Top tips are:

Make sure all your equipment is in perfect order
Take a backup camera if you can
Test your flash beforehand and do a few shots in similar lighting conditions to check that all the settings are right.
Remember if you're shooting digitally and relying on flash to set the white balance for flash/daylight not auto
When photographing get people's attention and get them to look at the lense. Be assertive. Don't be afraid to ask them to pose for more than one shot but remember you also can't keep them hanging on waiting for you.
Get everything set, then go in and take the shot as quickly as you can, 30 seconds per shot.
Try some innovative angles. Stand on a chair or shoot down from a stage or whatever is available
It is really important to watch your backgrounds. Keep them clean. Avoid light sources in the background that can be distracting
Have fun. If you look like you're relaxed and enjoying yourself it will put your subjects at ease.
Use a high enough aperture to ensure that people in the foreground of the group are as sharp as those at the back - typically f8, but depends on the focal length of your lense.

I hope the above helps. If you can think of something else that should be added, please email me by clicking on my name (mailto link). Thanks.

Paul Indigo

Comments

Azhar said…

That's some nice advice, I'm doing one of my first shoots tomorrow, my spare battery didn't arrive so Im taking my charger and extension cord, but I think my battery will last.
thanks for sharing! visit me sometime, I'm Azhar : 15 year old amateur photography, thedailysunrise.com

18:18

Approach to taking a portrait

Portrait of Amitabh Bachchan. Click on the image to see larger version. Every portrait is different but there are also elements which are the same, whether you’re shooting the famous or the locally famous. Fame is of course all relative. It depends on profession, accomplishments or media celebrity status. Whoever the ‘famous’ individual is there are millions of people in the world who will never have heard them. For example I photographed the legendary Indian Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who amongst his many accolades was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, the highest civilian award of France. But I’m positive that many people in North America will not have heard of him – although he has more fans than Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro put together. I find that however well known a person is cracking through egos and insecurities is really important when it comes to getting authentic strong portraits. However I hasten to add that when it came to photographing Amitabh th

The portrait photographer's motivation

Easy access to the Internet and digital photography has resulted in an ever growing number of photographers uploading their images for comments and ratings from peers. Online communities evolve and these mini-societies each have their pecking order, internal groups and communal preferences. Photographers learn from each other. On sites that have a rating system there is often pressure to conform to certain styles, techniques and even subject matter. Although I participate in numerous sites (it's great fun), I recognise the danger of becoming a herd animal and losing the edge of individual creativity. There will always be the creatives that lead the way and the imitators that can only try to follow in their footsteps. This lead me to think about classifying photographers according their inner motivation. So as a bit of fun here are a few different types: The innovator Driven to always find something new, different and creative. Wants to be leading edge. Motivated by creative satisfa

Is professional photography still a viable career?

I am not against amateurs and semi-professionals selling their photography. It's a great way to earn some extra cash. However I am concerned about the level of high quality published work and the standards that clients and the public accept these days. It seems that just about everyone is a photographer. The line between amateur enthusiast and professional is fuzzy to say the least. Photography enthusiasts are selling their images through stock libraries and microstock websites, directly to magazines or through their own and third party sites. They're accepting commissions to shoot weddings, being hired to shoot for magazines and selling fine art prints from their websites. They're teaching photography on the weekend and guiding photographic holidays and safaris. Photography became accessible to the masses with the first non-expert cameras and the famous Kodak slogan"You press the button, we do the rest." The digital camera age has taken the whole thing to a ne

Beyond the obvious

Search This Blog