How to Instantly Improve Your Event Photography
Hey everyone!
Glad to know you're reading. And I'm also happy you choose me to learn from! You're going to learn exactly the same techniques I use when I photograph events. And you'll be able to implement those quickly because all of what I do is pretty simple but the results are amazing!
I wasn't always good at photography but I became better each time by looking at other peoples work. This would become my inspiration and photo techniques. I would study their picture and figure out where they were standing, the angles in which they took them, the distance they photographed from, etc. Then I review the information of the photo and that's how I came up with my own set of techniques/ideas below!
1. Stand behind people/things
This technique is my favourite during events. It's a simple trick I use when there's lots of people around. I'll point my camera into a concentrated area of people and I'll quickly look for someone right in front of me to use as my foreground blur, then I look for someone that is either significant to the event or someone who stands out in the crowd. Now is when I focus on this person and snap my photo. But before I snap, I wait till I see them with a smile or other positive expressions!
The benefits of standing behind people and/or things are;
- You'll create a visual story.
- You'll be less noticed by guests and it'll be much easier to capture authentic expressions
2. Photograph all the details
I love photographing the decorations at events. It's always beautiful and it's great for your clients to look back on and reminisce about all the details of their event. It's special memories for your clients to cherish for a very long time. That's why its so important to take all the pictures you can of the small intricate details. Sometimes people are busy having fun and miss out on those details.
When I take pictures of the tables, decor, centre pieces, etc, I make sure that I'm using my 50mm 1.8 lens. It's my favourite, favourite, favourite lens!! It lets me get in a little closer to my subjects and has a beautiful blurry background that I love so much! Use a steady hand to take your picture and be aware of your surroundings because you don't want people in the background. Sometimes it's not possible but try to get photos of details without other people.
The last and most important thing is to edit. I use Rooke & Roover Camera Raw and Photoshop. You can also use PicMonkey.
If you try out these techniques/ideas for your next event, you'll see a dramatic difference in quality of image. This will easily transfer into confidence behind the lens.
Good luck,
Jessica.
Thanks for reading!