How to Take Event Photography

Here are a few simple tips on how you can improve the candid photos you take at parties, sporting events, or conferences!

Look For Expressions

When photographing events, don't just take a bunch of wide angle shots of the entire event. Be intentional about finding people interacting with each other or the environment and wait for reactions. It may take a few minutes of focusing on the same subject, but it will be worth it for a genuine laugh, an amazing catch, or a guest getting excited over brand merchandise!

Interact With the Event

In order to capture the essence of an experience, you have to understand what it was like for the guests. If you're briefly able to grab some food, chat with the attendees, and watch what's happening, you'll be able to pinpoint exactly what the highlights of the event are. Just don't get so entrenched that you forget to shoot!

Take Some Detail Shots

One of the goals of event photography should be making people who weren't in attendance feel like they were at the event. By taking detail shots that are outside of the main focus of the event, you can push the impression of what the entire event was like.

Use Multiple Lenses

If you have more than one type of lens, event photography is the perfect time to make use of them! Unlike portrait or landscape photography, event photography requires you to shoot many subjects that are probably moving and frequently changing angles. Using multiple lenses allows you to capture the experience from different perspectives that may be helpful for visual storytelling. This article has some good suggestions on the best lenses for event photos!

Take Two Batteries

Every photographer should charge their camera before a shoot. However, during events that may be several hours long, it is best to take an additional battery just in case! I unfortunately have experience with my camera dying in the middle of a shoot without a spare battery; you can imagine my pain when I saw what looked like the perfect shot right after my camera died!