Event Photography

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What Is It?

• It records an event-primarily the people at the event

• It is generally made for those people and for the hosts

• Some examples, parties(especially those celebrating some special event), weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, graduations

What It Is Not

• It is not documentary photography of the event in that…

• It is positive

• It is important to get lots of pictures of lots of people

• It is not questioning

What is Photographed

• Stuff you can actually see…• People greeting and interacting with each

other• Activities specific to the event• Funny stuff• Things people ask you to photograph• Groups

How Is It Photographed

• A mix of posed and unposed photographs

• For either nessyou usually need to photograph fast

• Open eyes, sharp, good expression and fast trump beautiful light and a Mona Lisa smile

Smiles are Important Though

Technique

• Use flash inside

• Use flash outside in sunlight and when people are moving in and out of different lighting conditions

Technique-settings• If the light is nice and even and bright (say

clouds or shade) you can turn off the flash• You might want to use a little flash even in

these conditions• Use a small aperture (f8 smaller)• Use a high shutter speed (1/125 second) or

faster • If you are photographing people who are still

and you want to get some ambient light in you can go down to about 1/30 but be careful

Technique-Camera Settings

• Your camera will have a few different programs that will be suitable

• “Program” or “Aperture” are usually good but make sure that the camera won’t set a shutter speed below about 1/125 second

• When using flash Manual set to 1/125 second and the aperture to f8 works well

More Technique

• Be quick but take a couple of photos

• Tell them”I’m going to take a few photos” so they stay put after the first photo

• Make sure that you focus on a head, not just beside a head- especially if there are two people

Be positive. Be diplomatic.

• Say ,”That’s great”, then• “Let’s try one with everyone’s face is

showing” (Uncle Bob had his hand over his face)

• “Let’s try one with just little more relaxed smiles” (Someone looked certifiable)

Be Positive. Be Diplomatic.

• Try and sweet talk the unruly child

• Try to get the parents to ignore the child

• Even if the child cheers up the parents and child will constantly be looking at each other

Technique

• Low white ceiling you can use a bounce flash with a filler panel

• With a high ceiling use direct flash

Groups• Try to use the least wide angle lens possible

(the wider angle the lens the wider people on the edges of the photo get.)

• You will often need to use a wide lens to get everybody in. Don’t put big people on the edge of the group

• Put big people partially behind smaller people• If you are higher than the group (say standing

on a chair) it will be easier to see everyone's faces.

Make Sure

• Make sure that you can see all of everyone’s face

• When using flash check the image on the back of the camera to make sure that nobody’s face is in shadow

Get Their Attention

• The hardest thing is to get a photo of everyone looking at the camera, eyes open, looking good

• Let other people take their pictures first or afterwards.

• Then take control

• Yell

Yell

• Yell,”Look at me”• Yell,”If you can’t see the camera the camera

can’t see you”• If there are kids tell the parents not to coach

them• Every time a parent yells the kid looks off at

the parent and not you.

A Useful Trick

• Take a series of 3 or more photographs quickly from exactly the same position

• All the while telling them that you are taking a number of photos and to keep looking at you

• If people have their eyes closed you can photoshop their heads in from another photo

• It’s actually pretty easy

Last ThoughtWhen Something Happens

• Get it

• Not so many things happen