Photography for Events
Covered in this post—
5 Photo Types To Include At Your Next Event
Candid Moments Photography
Food and Beverage Photography
Architectural and Venue Photography
Environmental Portraits
Behind-the-Scenes Photography
Photography for events can usually be described in a single word – chaotic. For most event planners, photography is just one in a growing list of pieces that have to be addressed. Sadly, it often gets pushed to the back of the priority list, until the day of the event, at which point someone with a smartphone is sent off to snap a few quick pictures for social media.
Sound familiar?
Don’t get us wrong, smartphones can be great photography tools, but having the right person behind the camera, and the right strategy, will ensure that you get the shots you want and an end product that can generate lasting ROI.
At Mark Campbell Productions, we focus our attention on creating an executable game plan for each event and pairing your team with the best photographers in Chicago to help your vision come to life.
Creativity reigns supreme during the planning phase, resulting in many types of photos being easily overlooked. The following five shot types are great options for events of all shapes and sizes, and with a professional photographer on your team, they are all easily achievable.
5 Photo Types To Include At Your Next Event
Creating a roadmap for your photographer is a critical step in the planning process, and that starts with a shot list. Getting shots of keynote speakers and special happenings within the event is typically the focal point, but they are far from the only options available. Here are five photo options that should be included in every shot list.
Candid Moments Photography
The role of photography at any event is to capture key moments. Candid photography takes that a step further, replacing posed photos with spontaneous images. Capturing authentic emotions and interactions is vastly different from staged photography, as it happens in the blink of an eye.
It could be an emotional speech from a guest speaker, or colleagues embracing at the beginning, or end, of the event. As you might have guessed, the role of this type of photo is to capture the mood or energy of your event.
Candid photos are simple, yet incredibly complex. When these images are included in your shot list, it’s important to map out specific opportunities during the event. Because they cannot be recreated, you may need more than one photographer depending on the scale of your event, or the timeline of the event schedule.
Pro Tip → Having a vision of your shot list before approaching an agency will help them more accurately quote you. The list might change over time, but it will help get the ball rolling.
Food and Beverage Photography
Food and beverage photography sometimes gets a bad reputation. The image of a millennial hovering above their plate with their smartphone out is one that is all too familiar. While there is nothing wrong with snapping a photo of a beautiful plate of food at an exciting restaurant, food, and beverage photos during an event serve a specific purpose that goes beyond FOMO.
Visually appealing menus, promotional items, buffet spreads, cocktail bars, and more allow you to entice guests by showcasing the culinary aspects of your event. Amateurs can certainly snap a few photos of food during your event, but a professional photographer will create a story around this component.
If you have ever taken a photo of the steak you worked so hard to create, you know that the image often pales in comparison to the product. Professional photographers can turn a mundane subject, like food, into a must-see aspect of your event.
Think of it this way – a professional can put the sizzle in a foodie sizzle reel.
Architectural and Venue Photography
When talking about overlooked event photography options, architectural and venue photos are usually at the top of the list. Most event planners will get a few shots of the venue, but in many cases, it is little more than a zoomed-out shot of the event space.
Photographing your venue offers more than showcasing the size of your event. Architectural details can help you create a narrative around your event that creates an emotional response within each viewer. Depending on the event type, this could range from the sophistication of a black-tie event to a fun and engaging atmosphere of a corporate retreat.
The venue is the vehicle to create the story, the photographer you choose is the one that will drive the vehicle.
Keep in mind → As you review portfolios, look at how each photographer approaches the venue of a particular event. The image should show more than a room full of people.
Environmental Portraits
Do you want to add depth and storytelling to your event coverage? Environmental portraits are a great way to showcase event attendees in their natural surroundings. In this type of image, there are usually multiple subjects working together to tell the story: the person and the environment.
The greatest advantage of environmental portraits is that these can be planned well in advance and be used to help promote specific people (or points) of interest during the event. They can also be used afterward to build a larger storyline during recap posts, follow up newsletters, and more.
Balance is the key component to making a great environmental portrait. The background should have action, or convey a message, without distracting too much from the primary subject. A seasoned professional photographer will be able to help create a well rounded strategy to capture these images at the right time during your event.
Behind-the-Scenes Photography
A quick look at most social media platforms can lead you to believe that viewers only want to see the finished products. While the finished project is important, and can certainly help build your story through images, raw, unfiltered images of the process as it unfolds can also be incredibly valuable.
Inclusion is a powerful ingredient in creating the narrative of your event and it is the superpower of the behind-the-scenes images. Peeling back the curtain leading up to the launch of your event is a great way to create anticipation and generate excitement. These images can be used to show scale, the human element, and more. In addition to creating suspense, these images can also be rolled into wrap up content in the form of time lapses and blooper reels.
As you prepare for your event, an accurate timeline should be provided to the photography team to ensure they are there at every step of the process.
Chicago-Based Event Photography
Every component of your next event is an opportunity to tell a story and connect with your audience on a deeper level. From the early stage behind-the-scenes images to the candid photos of attendees and more, there are a number of ways to capture every moment of your event.
At Mark Campbell Productions, we believe in the power of diversifying your event photography coverage. Our team of professional photographers and videographers uses every image to help you tell your story and help you generate content with lasting ROI. Through the process, we will help you explore these types of images and more to get the most out of your event.
To learn more about our Chicago-based team or to get a quote, visit our website and connect with our team.