IN THE KNOW: BUSINESS EVENTS

Be prepared

Arrive early to scope out the venue, talk through the brief with the client, and get on good terms with staff, especially the security team. Take all your gear – that new monopod or fast prime is no good at home. Even if you think you won’t need it, stash it in the car just in case – especially if you don’t know the venue or what you’re going to face there.

Don’t miss key shots

Things like the CEO’S keynote speech, the presentation of the main award, and the group shot of the senior management team are the important shots the client will want to use straight away – so if nothing else, don’t mess these up!

Be discreet

Don’t be afraid of doing your job and getting the shots you need, but be self-aware. If you upset guests by blocking their view, ordering people around or taking flash shots willy-nilly, your client won’t be happy, regardless of how good your pictures are.

Capture some emotion

Shoot plenty so you can pick out the images with the nicest smiles, expressions and human interactions. This will build a positive narrative of the event with some feeling and emotion.

Work the angles

Shoot from a range of vantage points and vary your focal lengths with wide and telephoto lenses for some variety in your shots.

Record the details

Time and money has been spent dressing the event, so make sure you capture plenty of set-up shots and all the little incidentals.

Deliver images quickly

Clients want to promote their events as soon as possible. If it’s going to take a couple of days to sort out a full set of shots, send some key images straight away.