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7 Things Not to do in Event Photography

Event photography is one of the most popular areas of photography. It’s definitely one of the busiest types of photography and covers a number of areas in both the corporate and personal arena, including but not limited to:-

  • Birthday/ Anniversary parties
  • Brand/ Band launches
  • Fundraising/ Community events
  • Conferences/ Workshops/ Seminars
  • Family reunions
  • Concerts
  • Baby showers/ Gender Reveals
  • Baptisms

And the list goes on.

Event photography is where I first found my stride and gained my confidence as a photographer. It’s intense. There’s so much going on. Such a high level of expectation, a fast turnaround time for when images have to be handed over and a long list of required photos.

This style of photography has really jump started my career as a professional photographer. It has taught me many lessons on speed, organisation, managing people and so much more. 

While event photography can teach you so much, there’s a number of things that you should never do when engaged in this type of photography:-

  1. Don’t be late
  2. Don’t leave your flash at home
  3. Don’t forget to walk with extra batteries
  4. Don’t forget your memory cards
  5. Don’t leave home with paper and a pen
  6. Don’t just head over to the food station and start eating
  7. Don’t spend too much time on your phone

1. Don’t be Late
If you’re called to an event that starts at 9am, you’re late if you arrive at 9am, at least in my book. You should arrive at least thirty (30) minutes early. 

Culturally in Barbados we like to talk about ‘Bajan Time’, but this should not be the standard you set for any event.

Arrive early and use this time to:-

  • Scout the venue if you haven’t had a chance to before and plan your best spot
  • Adjust your settings
  • Confirm any venue restrictions. Different venues have different restrictions, For e.g. The Frank Collymore Hall does not allow flash photography in the auditorium. 

2. Don’t Leave Your Flash At Home

Even if a venue doesn’t allow the use of flash in some areas, you should never leave your flash at home. You never know when you’ll need it and it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Flash allows you to add that extra light in low light situations, especially when you want to minimise the amount of grain in your image by not pushing your ISO setting too high.

3. Don’t Forget to Walk With Extra Batteries

Events can span from one (1) hour to well over eight (8) hours depending on the type of event. Make sure you walk with fully charged backup batteries and maybe even one charger just in case. Things can malfunction and you always want to be prepared in a pinch.

4. Don’t forget Forget Your Memory Cards

Now you may think that  this goes without saying, but you’ll be surprised how easy something like this can happen. Always put your memory cards in the camera before you step out the door. And don’t forget to walk with extras.

Like I’ve said before, events can be long and you never know how many images you may end up taking. And, just like batteries, memory cards could suddenly start to malfunction too and you want to be prepared in the event that something like that happens.

5. Don’t Leave Home without Paper and A Pen

While not a deal breaker, having quick access to a pen and paper is just one of those things that’s good to have. You never know when you have to make a quick adjustment to the required photos list or the change in the order of the schedule. If you have a pen and paper you can make these quick and easy and not have to worry about keeping all the information in your head.

6. Don’t Just Head Over to the Food Station and Start Eating

Depending on the length of the event, you should definitely walk with a quick snack. Something that you can stash in your camera bag or even in your pocket. Something that wouldn’t easily be seen if it got stuck in your teeth and wouldn’t cause your breath to smell and something you could eat quickly so as not to miss any of the key photos.

And while some events may have food on hand for their VIPs or specially invited guests, never just walk up and take food without permission. Always wait for the organisers to invite you to partake in any refreshments provided. But wait for them to indicate to you. And if they do, don’t take too much and don’t take too long to eat. And if they don’t, well at least you walked with a quick snack to hold you over.

7. Don’t Spend too much time on Your Phone

While you may feel the urge to use your phone while you’re waiting for an event to start, just be mindful not to be on it too much. You don’t want to be so engrossed in your phone that you miss important photos or are completely unaware of what’s happening around you.

Event photography is a fun area of photography to be a part of and it has its share of ups and downs. But before you get started, be sure to weigh the pros and the cons. 

Event photography can be fast paced, requires a lot of time on your feet, late hours and speed of editing, with short timelines. But if you love meeting and interacting with new people and enjoy being able to tell the story of the day, then this may very well be the type of photography for you. 

Feel free to reach out to me and share your experiences with event photography.