Since I am often asked this question, I wanted to provide some answers here. How can you best utilize your photographer at your event?
- Documentary Photography
Documentation is the most popular use of an event photographer. Images often get reused next year as groups show potential attendees (or sponsors) how much fun last year was. And it helps remind us of who was there, particularly important at events like family gatherings. - Public Relations Photography
- Media/P.R. – If you have a celebrity making an appearance or an employee receiving a “Top Earner” award. Community Service events are often publicized in the media, garnering valuable PR for a company or organization.
- Internal Publication – Often companies showcase their conventions, events, award winners, and the like on their company Intranet or in internal publications. This use often builds camaraderie and encourages future participation from others.
- Live Entertainment
- “Live Photography” can capture guests arriving, celebrating, and indulging in the event’s activities – and simultaneously be displayed for the enjoyment of others. For example, guests arriving on the red carpet can have their images displaying on a projector or big screen inside the event just moments later. So the guests become part of the entertainment!
- Event Showcase – Images captured throughout a conference or convention may be merged into a slide show that is displayed at the beginning of an awards banquet on the final night.
- Portraiture
- Formal Portraiture – This is the perfect time for a formal portrait of the group, and for individual executive portraits. Major events like a convention or annual conference may be one of the few times an entire Board of Directors can be able to be together (with a photographer available). Other key personnel may usually work out of different offices. Not to mention the fact that formal events like awards banquets often allow guests to enjoy a “prom photo” with their significant other dressed up in their finest!
- Green screen photography is quite popular at a casual event, particularly if there is a theme to the party. These are always fun, and a great way to enhance the celebration.
- Printing on-site – The ability to print immediately, and hand your guests a print to take home with them, is huge! Not only do they now have something tangible to hold on to, whether it’s a keepsake courtesy of the company or a memory that they purchased at the time, this simple portrait print lives on. At a minimum this provides ongoing advertising for the company or sponsor, as the event name and/or sponsor logo can be part of the image.
These are but a few examples of how you can use your Event Photographer. Do you have any other ideas? If so, please share them with us by commenting below. Subscribe to this blog to see others’ ideas as they are posted.
Photo courtesy Tom Yip Photography.
William Morton is a commercial and event photographer based in San Diego, CA. Shooting professionally since 1991, William began focusing on event photography in 2004 and now shoots for clients nationwide. To see more of his commercial and event photography, visit MortonVisuals.com.
