How to Photograph Events

Photographing events is where your skills as a photographer will be tested time and time again. Events take planning, a good eye for shots, and lots of patience. Here is how to make an event look great on film… without going crazy.

Planning

Planning should always be a priority in taking event photos. Get to the location early and scope out the scene. Where will each event be? Are there some good spots to climb up on if the crowd gets in the way? A good climb up spot could be a waist-high wall, chairs, lounges, you get the idea.

Also, take a look at the lighting. What settings will you need to employ? Make a mental note.

Spontaneity

Even with all of that planning, you will still need to incorporate spontaneity into your photographs. Sometimes the scenes that are the least planned comes out to be the best images you get all day. Here are some tips on finding those ‘wow’ moments:

Go look for the least common place you would usually take pictures at an event, such as the kitchen, outside the bathroom (you probably don’t want to take pictures inside), or the children’s area.

Don’t always focus on the most important person in the room. Bystanders are great subjects, too!

Photograph people having conversations. Sometimes the money shots are the ‘who’s talking to who’ photos.

Don’t rely on posed people for shots. Get those shots while people aren’t paying attention! Let’s face it, some people are just NOT photogenic when they know they are being photographed.

Just Get the Shot

Sometimes at events you won’t be able to adjust your settings or look for the perfect light source because things are just happening too fast. Just get the shot and worry about the rest later. This is where good photo editing software can come in handy. Use software to fix the lighting, cropping, or colors, just make sure to get the shot, first!

Last, but not least, stay cool. A good photographer never lets stress dictate his photos.