5 Tips to Get Better Photos at Your Next Event
Capturing all the best moments of a special event can be quite a challenge. Even experienced event photographers who consistently take clear, balanced photos can have trouble effectively covering a big event by getting all the right shots. Shooting outside or in a large venue is much different than shooting within the confines of a photography studio. The environment is often unpredictable and difficult to control from a lighting and composition perspective. Here are a few tips to ensure you get the best photos at your next event.
1. Plan ahead and do a little location research. Find out where the event is going to take place and make a visit to scope out your surroundings. Check out where the entrances and exits are, and where there is likely to be a lot of foot traffic. If possible, get your hands on the event schedule and find out where most people are going to be a certain points throughout the day.
2. Make sure you get some establishing shots. At a large event where there is going to be a lot of people, make sure you take some pictures that give your audience a little more context as to what’s going on. Your photos should convey the overall mood and tone of the event, and show your audience when and where the event takes place, whether it’s indoors or outdoors – night or day.
3. Don’t forget the close-up shots! If there is a large crowd, capture tight shots of people’s faces to bring more of a human touch to your images. Find people who are smiling, laughing, surprised, or visually expressive. You want to make sure these faces communicate the mood and tone of the event.
4. Take a variety of shots. Close-ups, medium shots, portraits, landscapes, dutch angles – take as many different kinds of photos as you can. Seek out variety in terms of shapes and sizes, and get some detailed shots with no people in the photo. The more variety you have, the easier it is to tell a better story of how the event unfolded.
5. Capture big moments, and the big picture. While your audience will expect you to take shots of keynote speakers talking, or leaders shaking hands, or awards being presented, you still want to take photos that create context for what’s going on around you. Make sure you capture ‘the big picture’ so your photos accurately portray the entire event, not just the big moments.
For more photography tips, contact the experienced event photographers at In Focus Studios.
