Source: Snappr

Photographing events can be a real challenge. Quite simply, preparation and prior photography experience are highly recommended. It requires you to be constantly aware of your surroundings and take decent photographs without disturbing the guests.

Below are seven tips on how to prepare and execute the photography for your next event.

1. Preparation

Before we get into how to improve your event photography, preparation logistics will save you heaps of time and help identify critical flaws and errors. Take this time as an advantage to understand your surroundings.

Here are some points to consider before you take photos for the upcoming event.

Do your research

Research about who is at the event, what the event is about, when particular activities are happening during the event and where specific activities are held, so you don’t miss out important moments.

Have a Photography List

Having a photography shoot list is a great tool between yourself and the client. It ensures all things are covered, and it will save you a heck amount of time and peace of mind!

Dress Appropriately

Photographers should wear something neutral in colour. Bright colours would be quite distracting and risky as they might create a colour cast from the light reflected from the photographer’s clothing and onto the subject. So most photographers wear black or grey. Also, make sure your shoes are comfortable and quiet! Nothing’s worse than trying to sneak across a room during a speech or ceremony with loud shoes on!

However, prior discussion with your client is your best shot in understanding on what to wear.

2. Have the right gear

You don’t need a load of fancy equipment to do event photography. Generally, an external power flash with diffuser or reflector, full frame DSLR with a mid range zoom, spare batteries and memory cards are the key elements for you to take with you.

If it is a speaking event in a large hall, a telephoto lens is essential. If it’s a super compact venue packed with people, then a wide is a must. Don’t have one? Consider borrowing from a friend or hiring one for the for the day.

For more serious events, a second body camera is recommended. This would save you from having to switch lenses regularly. It is important to note that some clients would expect you to bring other equipment such as distinct backdrops for photo booths (for example). In saying this, prior discussion with your client is important to meet their expectations.

3. Rock up early and take pre-event photos

Arrive around 15 – 30 mins early, depending on the style of the event. This is the time where you can build the relationship with the guest at the event. That way when the event starts, they would be more comfortable with you asking for a photo. This is also the time to take pre-event setup shots.

4. Take action shots

Now that we got preparation all sorted, the next step is to know what makes a good event photograph. Action shots at an event are far more interesting than people posing for a photo. It is a lot more interesting to share a photograph of Mary throwing her bouquet in the air, with all the ladies at the back getting ready to see who will catch it first, than be taking a photo of the person who caught it in the end. You get the point. Be quick! Event photography requires you to be constantly on your toes and ready to take a shot. You never know what’s going to happen. Always be on the lookout!

5. Know when to use flash

Us photographers love the feel of natural lightning. However, understanding how and when to use artificial light can be of great value in low-light situations and environments.

Indoors: Churches, Weddings, Corporate Events

When taking event photography indoors, it is strongly recommended that you use an external flash where it can be bounced off a white ceiling or wall for a more natural look. Remember TTL mode is your best friend when it comes to using external flashes. Though, don’t be afraid to adjust your flash exposure compensation for greater results.

Outdoors – Festivals, Sports

I know a lot of photographers who don’t bother with flash outdoors, or they think flash looks unnatural. You’ve just got to use it in the right situations; when your subject is poorly lit, when shooting backlight or overpowering the sun to avoid heavy shadows.

6. Get up and personal

Photos of people in a large room doesn’t reveal much besides the number of people that attended. It is more interesting to go up and meet people, have a chat and then take their photo.

7. Frame the shot

Groups of 3 – 5 people landscape is a good shoot composition. Mix up your shots with full body, medium shots and head shots. Crop tightly and avoid white or blank space unless that is the look you are going for. Step back a bit and use a longer focal length. You don’t want distortion now do you?

8. Shoot in RAW image format

This almost goes without saying, but if you want to get high quality photos, you have to shoot in RAW. RAW format records all data from the sensor, giving you the highest possible quality you can get. Especially in low-lit events, it would be quite hard to adjust JPEG format using Lightroom or Photoshop. Using RAW will make your life easier in correcting overly underexposed and overexposed images. I can go on forever into why shooting is RAW is awesome but do use it if you have enough space on your drives!

9. Don’t take photos of people shoving food into their mouth or when their mouth is open

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By Anabel DFlux

Source: Expert Photography

Event photography is a fun and exciting niche. But capturing that once in a lifetime moment can pose some technical challenges.

From special events like weddings to concerts to sporting events, here are 12 event photography tips to take your images to the next level.

1. What Event Photography Gear Do You Need

The equipment you use will either make or break your event photography.
In my experience, events mean photographing in low light situations.
There are plenty of events that are done outside in the daytime as well. But the most common in event photography take place indoors in low light.
This means you’ll need to carefully consider the equipment you bring with you.
Let’s have a look at which camera body, lenses and lighting equipment is best.

Camera Body

For indoor event photography, you want to pack your best low light camera. There are other factors that matter but low light capability is the most important.
Look for models that have less noise at higher ISO levels and more sensitive sensors. These do well in difficult lighting situations.
In general, cameras with higher megapixel counts pick up the details better. But the higher the megapixel count, the larger the file size.
Make sure you stock up on a large SD or compact flash card.
For outdoor event photography, camera bodies that are fast will do you wonders. Pay attention to the frames per second.
And consider the camera’s weight. You’ll be carrying the equipment around for hours on end!

Lens(es)

The quality of the final image is influenced by the type of lens used. For event photography in low light, I suggest only looking at lenses with a max f/stop of 2.8. Lower is even better.
Using a lens that goes down to f/1.8, for example, is a great way to let enough light in and make the frame bright. The wider the aperture, the more light enters the camera and the shallower the depth of field.
Shallow depth of field is a great stylistic choice. Having one subject in focus with the rest blending into a bokeh makes for a visually pleasing and simplified image.
Luxury glass, prime, ART, and such higher end lenses are sharper and clearer than other lenses. They are also faster and more reliable.
As a general rule, fixed millimetre lenses tend to be sharper than lenses with a range. The downside to fixed is that you have zoom with your feet if you want to adjust the composition.
When looking at lenses, or a selection of lenses, consider your shooting distance as well.

Lighting Equipment

For very dark event spaces, the portable artificial lighting you bring is important. Some photographers opt for flash while others use continuous light.
Flashes are easy to use and are the more popular choice. But if you’re inexperienced, the light can end up looking harsh. Here’s a great article why you should avoid your on-camera flash and use an off-camera flash instead.
Continuous light is much easier to use, but can be a nuisance or distracting to the event. Keep both of those in mind when deciding what lighting equipment to use.

Extra Batteries and Extra Cards

You don’t want to be stuck with a full or corrupted memory card and/or a dead battery.
Always pack extras, and throwing in a car charger isn’t a bad idea either!

2. Best Camera Settings for Event Photography

I’ve found that switching the camera to burst mode and continuous focus works best for event photography. The burst setting is a must-have when guests are moving about quickly.
Continuous focus has different names depending on the camera brand (AI Servo for Canon users or AF-C for Nikon users).
It allows your camera to lock at your subject and follow it around as it moves.
Camera settings also play a role in your style, or the style that the client wants.

3. How to Manage Your Client’s Expectations and Needs

This is a fundamental skill for all professional photographers. Having an open dialogue between yourself and your client is key to getting the best shots.
You need to ask your clients important questions such as these:

• What event is this?
• What kind of images do you want from this event? Are you looking for headshots?
• What are the most important moments?
• What style of photography do you like?
• What do you not like?

No one wants a disappointing event photography shoot because there was miscommunication. By speaking to your client, you can make sure that your client is well aware of the limits of the photo session.
Make sure that they understand what to expect from your services. If your client has hired an event organizer, speak to them about expectations.

4. A Shot List Will Help You Capture Those Key Photos

A shot list is a checklist of the images you want to capture during a shoot. Whether it is a birthday party or an industry mixer, a shot list can help you and your client organise better.
Your client will know what to expect from you, and you’ll know what to provide. You can make sure that your client is well aware of the limits of the photo session. And that they understand what to expect from your services.
The shot list also acts as on-paper proof. Your client can’t claim that you missed a shot that wasn’t disclosed to you.
A shot list ensures that no critical images are missing from your photo shoot. Nothing is worse than not capturing a photograph that your client really, really wanted.
Ask the event organizer for help here, if there is one. They can point out the key attendees for corporate event photos, for example. Or the key people at a high school reunion event.
All of this being said, really do be diligent about key moments. The thing about events is, they only happen once!

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By Lauren Thomann

Source: The Spruce Crafts

There are so many reasons to throw a celebration, and there are even more ways to decorate for said celebration. Even if you aren’t crafty, spending some time to make your place more festive will contribute to the success of the event you’re throwing.

These DIY party decor ideas are suitable for a wide range of get-togethers. Each party decoration will enhance the ambiance of your event without costing you a ton of money in the process.

DIY a Festive Tassel Garland

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By Jessica Bowler

Source: Print Some

Just about everybody enjoys some type of music. The right song can get you feeling in the right mood. That’s why the type of soundtrack you choose for an event (just like personalised merchandise) can set the tone and either make or break the occasion. Whether it’s subtle background music at a conference, or rock and roll at an anniversary party, choosing the right tunes is essential.

We’ve put together some ideas for music at events that are guaranteed to bring in that feel good factor.

Music for corporate events

Background music works best here. You’ll generally want something subtle that guests hardly notice, but that makes them feel calm at the same time. You can use music at meetings, business dinners, conferences and trade shows to enhance the atmosphere. Soundtracks help smooth over mingling and chatting, and can give a corporate event an air of sophistication.

Instrumental music works well at business events too, especially during breaks or pauses while people move from one event to the next. A string quartet, a solo piano player, or even a live singer can all work, just so long as they’re quiet enough that people can hear their conversations.

You might think live music equals stages and high volume speakers, but this needn’t be the case. There are many musicians available for corporate events whose singing will not make attendees run away to the nearest toilet whenever they need to answer a call. Music is also a great option for a break between talks – I don’t understand why events don’t do this more often – it gives you a chance to relax and take your mind off work.

For example, TED Talks! They’re always a good one to look to when you’re talking about event planning, as their series of short but engaging talks have spread like wildfire online. They actually have a whole set of events dedicated to music, which includes speeches about music and performances. You can see some examples here.

Party music

As with weddings, the possibilities for a party soundtrack are endless. They can range anywhere from the house going through K-Pop to classical. It’ll definitely depend on the theme of the party, as well as who’s going! Some popular party themes and music are:

• Songs from the era – 20’s through to current day
• Love songs – great for anniversaries (what about playing the couple’s first dance song from their wedding?)
• Caribbean – reggae, calypso, steel bands…
• Dance – salsa, Latin, tango, merengue, cha-cha, waltz, flamenco, ballroom, twist, swing, rock ‘n’ roll…
• Country and western – bring on the line dancing, y’all!
• Sports – official anthems, pop, commercial…

You don’t need a band or a DJ to have an unforgettable party. Create your very own playlist using music platforms like Spotify, Pandora or Apple Music. And if you don’t have the time to put one together yourself, choose one of the many that are already featured. Just remember to get a good stereo system!

Playlists.net has two great resources for people hoping to put together an awesome party playlist with minimal effort. First, they have a “Playlist Generator”, where you can enter how many tracks you want and up to three artists you like. Their program will create the perfect playlist for you.

Award events

Music isn’t just played at awards shows like the Oscars for fun. It also helps keep the event running by letting people know when it’s time to come up to the stage — or to wrap up those thank you’s sharpish.

It’s also great for creating tension and excitement. For example, during the build-up to the announcement of the award anticipating music can be played, followed by a blast and fanfare on the announcement. This theme can also be used at corporate events.Your music choices will be dictated by what sort of awards you’re passing out.

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Source: The Confused Millennial

When it comes to choosing a wedding venue, people typically tell you to think about the basics, such as rates and capacity. But choosing a good wedding venue can really make or break your planning experience. The venue sets the tone for your entire wedding and should be a place that leaves you feeling totally confident about your big day. Everything and everyone come together and centers around the wedding venue, so keep these things in mind when choosing yours:

1.Ask your “must have” vendors first.

I chose my photographers from Pinterest before I chose anything else. I saw their photos and became totally obsessed with them. They are the sweetest husband-wife duo and every review I read swore up and down that you would want to be friends with them after your wedding and they would leave you feeling totally comfortable and at ease throughout the planning process and on the big day, which couldn’t have been more spot on. I knew I had to have them as my photographers without a doubt. We planned on having a destination wedding since 80% of our guests would be flying in from out of town if we did it local to where we live, and there was no way I was having a wedding in NY (unless it was at this super cool hippie-dippie place in the Catskills). So I turned to my must have vendor I asked them for suggestions. They gave me a list of places they enjoyed working with in the past so I set meetings up from there. The thing is, if you get a good vibe from your vendor, chances are they are only going to recommend venues that are easy to work with – which in turn not only makes your life easier but theirs too. At the end of the day, having a team of vendors who has worked well together in the past makes the day run a lot smoother if anything comes up.

2. Think in terms of ease & practicality for your guests and for you.

Granted it is your wedding day, so asking people to go to your church or temple then drive an hour to a reception is fairly common and people will obviously do it; but will this give you more stress? It’s definitely going to take away from your guests experience. How will the guests get from the multiple locations? Will it cost your more money? Are the added variables of what could go wrong (for example if your wedding is in the winter, will a long drive between venues potential lead to travel hazards?). There really is no right or wrong answer to this, it depends on time of year, weather, costs, size of the wedding, and so on. Just something to consider.

We opted to do everything in one place since it was a destination wedding, we wanted people to feel like they were on vacation and we did not want to worry about coordinating additional details.

3. Get clear on your vision before the wedding venue visits.

Go H.A.M. on Pinterest. Seriously, get on it ASAP. This is my personal Pinterest page, and you can see I have a board for everything (which made planning SO easy, because for the florist I just gave her my board, I had a “wedding bites” board for the chef, a “wedding love” board for all the decor and details for the planners, and so on). When it came time to actually visit wedding venues I knew what I was trying to envision. Our florist pointed out that I had re-pinned the same bouquet multiple times without realizing it, which in turn, became my bouquet the day of. I also knew that I wanted everything to be at one location, but I did not want a wedding at a hotel with a million of the hotel patrons watching from their balconies, so finding a hotel/resort that could offer some privacy was a big deal. Think about what you do and do not want on your big day.

4. Check reviews on multiple platforms.

Check WeddingWire, The Knot, Facebook, Instagram, Google Reviews, AND Yelp! I know this may sound excessive, but ICYMI people buy reviews! Seriously, it’s a thing. Chances are they are not buying reviews on ALL of the above platforms though. So make sure you get as clear of a picture as possible. Also, don’t be afraid to skip over friends recommendations. They may have different tastes or budgets than you, so do you own due diligence. Do this before visiting the wedding venues too, because it will give you more knowledge on questions to ask or warning signs to be wary of.

5. Keep your eyes open for red flags during the initial visit.

I can not stress this enough. The first wedding venue we officially visited left us feeling totally frustrated and depleted about making our vision come to life. We kept asking questions about customizing the locations of the ceremony, cocktail, and reception and kept being met with some variation of ‘no.’ Every question was met with: “well we can only do that if you have 180 guests or more or you are willing to pay as if you have 180 guests” or “well we could do that but we won’t be able to guarantee it until a week before the big day if no one else uses that space” or simply, “we can’t do that.”  During your initial visit you should be asking tough and specific questions, and if you don’t feel like you are in the honeymoon phase of it all, then get out.

Also – as a side note, if you are doing a hotel/resort wedding (or even just getting a block of rooms somewhere but doing your wedding somewhere else), I highly recommend actually staying at the location and seeing all the rooms your guests may experience prior to booking.

Some back story: Our first night staying at venue option 1 the water was out in our hotel room. Our room was gorgeous, newly upgraded, so I didn’t want to switch rooms, but I hadn’t showered since 8 am that morning and spent the whole day traveling and doing site visits. I wanted to shower at 9 pm. I was cranky. When we kept calling the front desk they couldn’t tell us when the water would be back on, if at all that night. They kept sending us on a wild goose chasing from person to person with long waits. I asked if I could shower at the spa or a vacant room and come back to my room and they said no. I was livid. They said they would call when the water came back on, which they never did. Eventually an hour or so later I heard water running in another room so I checked ours for the hundredth time and saw I could shower. The corporate offices made everything right with us in the end, but I was way too nervous about our guests experience from there.

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By Caroline Picard and Lauren Smith

Source: Good Housekeeping

Summer calls for amazing drinks, delicious food, and great company. Whether it’s the first BBQ of the season or a weekly gathering, host guests in style with these crowd-pleasing dinner recipes, DIY decor projects, and party-planning tips. Your friends and family will keep coming back for more all summer long.

Hang a backyard swing.

Hang a backyard swing.

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