5 Top Tips for Successful Corporate Event Photography

Capturing Moments

Managing and running a successful corporate event is not easy, as there are many moving parts to consider and organize. Top businesses realize that a well run event can bolster the company’s portfolio and reputation within their market. For this reason, many large companies invest in professional Corporate Event Photographers to capture great quality pictures of their event.

Investing in professional Corporate Event Photography is the best way of ensuring you have compelling pictures of your event, that will tell a story and serve as a reminder once the event is over. In addition, by using professional Event Photographers, businesses have the chance to showcase their services and strengths to prospective customers and investors. As such, event photographers are responsible for capturing crucial moments of the occasion, critical to telling the story of the event. They also need to be professionally experienced enough to not buckle under pressure.

Understanding the Venue and the Flow of the Event

A professional will go to the venue ahead of time to check the lighting, where you can work from during the event and where you can store your gear. With this, you can visualise what is going to happen and make plans so that you won’t miss any important moments. By properly understanding the flow of the event, you can ensure you utilise your time effectively, and still be on guard for the crucial moments of the event. Equally, it is important to blend into your surroundings so you must find out what sort of event you are going to cover, making sure you dress appropriately.

The Right Kit

Make sure that you have a complete professional set of equipment. Kit like long and short zoom lenses, prime lenses, tripods, off camera flash. But equally – genuinely know and understand how to use this kit effectively. In addition ALWAYS carry back up kit. It would be unprofessional and reputation-damaging not to be able to finish the job because you’re using substandard gear.

Understanding Light

Where possible, try to take advantage of the natural lighting in your venue as unnatural light/flashes makes your image inherently feel like a photograph, and takes viewers out of the moment. However, if you really need to use the flash on your camera, you might want to avoid photographing people face on, as it will reduce red-eye in your pictures. Red-eye in the pictures happens because of the light from the flash reflects off the back of the subject’s retinas. If the light hits the face from a slight angle – or is bounced – red eye can be successfully avoided.

Reading the Room

People at an event are there for the event – not to act as models for your own personal photoshoot! Remember this! Some people will try to avoid having their photo taken or may feel uncomfortable about having it done. Respect that, and move on. Be unobtrusive – the event is not about you. By being in the background, observing, you can capture people in their natural state, which makes for much more engaging images.

Editing and Post Producing

Establish a turnaround time with your client before the shoot, and understand HOW the images are going to be used. Make sure you post produce and edit the images with the platform in mind (Facebook, Linked In or Instagram)- you may need to create a duplicate and re-cropped set for socials – depending on the platform. This way the images will be optimised for mobile viewing. Whatever your clients requirements, make sure you edit and turn the images around in a timely manner. For most events this would be within 48 hours.