Photographing Events
One of the great compliments we receive after we photograph an event is that we are hardly noticed. We blend in with the crowd, mingle with the groups and find a way to make ourselves involved so that we do not stand out. It’s not about us, it’s about the event. That can be a wedding, charity event, birthday, funeral, etc. Blending in will make the event much more fluid and natural. It is as if we bring on a full ninja mode. One day we may show you our black belt.
While we navigate the room we do have the odd conversation or two and that’s fine we enjoy talking to people. It is also a great way of breaking the ice. If you were walking around with a large lens and pointing it here and there people may get nervous. To some it is intimidating and can take some time in getting used to. The golden rule on conversations is to avoid religion and politics. The exact opposite of the 80% of Facebook posts lately
The key is really knowing that everyone in attendance is there to have a great time and some do not want to be bothered, and that is fine. I know I would hate it if someone wanted to take my picture and I had food in my mouth. Besides we always ask beforehand and if someone says no we move on. No harm no foul. However they usually turn around later on and ask for a photograph. That is our answer to whether it is an open bar or not. Something that we would never have a clue, as we do not drink on the job.
The number one goal we have while photographing the event is to document it in it’s entirety while we are there. Someone paid to have that 5 story chocolate fountain there so shot it. But you can get as artsy as you like about it. There is no harm in that. A quick briefing with who ever is in charge will give you a great idea as to what is important. That is a great conversation to have as everyone values everything differently. I love people and can photograph them all day but some people like food. Both can be equally important but if someone let’s you know that the most important images is the food then you may want to focus more of your time on that.
CC
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