Maximize Your Event Photography Coverage

In the above video and proceeding outline, I will discuss how to maximize your event photography coverage.

All of these tips and approaches to event photography come from over 13 years of experience as a professional event photographer in Los Angeles.

Event Photography Tips: How to Properly Cover an Event (Maximum Coverage!)

Here is what will be covered:

• What your objective is, overall.

• How it changes from event to event.

• Lastly, How you can maximize your event photography coverage throug: 

• Logistical and practical event photography tips

• Technical event photography tips

• and Philosophical tips and exploration

The first thing to understand is what your objective is DEPENDING on the type of event you’re photographing:

• This will OF COURSE vary vastly depending on the job and

• It is important to understand Intended use

Corporate and political event photography clients will likely use your images for :

• Marketing and promotion

• Their Website

• Or simply documentation for internal use

But with private event photography, intended use will likely include:

• Documentation, of course

• Social media posts

• Framed prints

• And things of that nature

With a firm understanding of intended use, you should of course...

Balance this, with your personal objective as a photographer.

As a professional event photographer in Los Angeles, for me, at every event, I: 

• love capturing meaningful, emotion filled moments far more than “cool shots”

• want my event photography images to be windows to what it was like to be there

• want to create visual reminders of how people felt in those moments at the event

But additionally, I have ever changing goals when it comes to how I work and what I want to achieve.

And lastly, I have a career goal as a professional event photographer in Los Angeles, which is: 

To raise the bar, and challenge people’s notion of what event photography is, and what an event photographer can be. 

So let's move onto a discussion of what maximum event photography coverage is, exactly.

• Maximum Coverage vs more photos: Its about creating images, shot with intent, that are about something, that serve your clients needs- not getting more photos!

• It is about finding a balance between focussing on VIPs and covering as many moments and participants as possible.

• It's about capturing a wide variety of images of varying shot types at an event... In order to tell a well rounded visual story.

• I’ve created a video on the shot types at your disposal that I encourage you to check out if you haven't already since This video is about getting as many of those shots as possible, not what those shots are.

• But on top of that special focus, it's important to occasionally scan the room when photographing an event and keep a toll on who you’ve already photographed. But remember, while you want to get a shot of as many people as possible in attendance, you want to balance that with shooting with intent and making meaningful images. So don’t over linger on one person as you may end up missing other potential shots.

VIPs at various events often include:

• Guest speakers

• MCs

• The Birthday boy or girl

• Family members

• And possibly Celebrities (I photograph a lot of these as a Los Angeles event photographer
  

Logistical and practical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage.

As a professional event photographer, you want to show up to a job ready to shoot. So what this means is:

• Prep your gear in advance and have your:

  • Your lenses already cleaned

  • Your cameras tested

  • Your memory cards formatted

  • And your file formats checked (necessary for me since I teach and kids shoot jpegs)

• Have your camera set up in a way in which you won't have to fumble around in menus. 

• Find a convenient spot for your equipment that you can easily return to it throughout the night. I personally only shoot with two camera bodies when necessary and swap lenses often throughout an event so it is important that in doing so I miss as few shots as possible.

• BREAKS: I personally don't take many, but if not taking a break will affect your performance, TAKE A BREAK. Be wise.

• You want to be friendly- this matters - But Learn how to politely exit conversations- especially uncle bob asking about your camera. You do not want to get bogged down in unnecessary conversation.

• Stay fit, learn to fast and avoid blood sugar spikes. 

My last Logistical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage

• On top of that special focus on VIPS, as I have discussed, it's important to occasionally scan the room and keep a toll on who you’ve already photographed. But remember, while you want to get a shot of as many people as possible in attendance, you want to balance that with shooting with intent and making meaningful images. So don’t over linger on one person as you may end up missing other potential shots.

My philosophical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage

• Stay present

  • Ego is a buffer between perception and reaction- don't be in your head

• Clear your mind / meditate in the car before starting the job

  • I use this time to clear my mind and set intentions.

• Engage with your senses, Listen for the life of the party. 

Technical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage

• Setup your camera in a way in which you never have to open menus

• Pre Select Your Focal Point.

• Time Your Shot Ahead of the Peak of Action.

• Shoot with both eyes to be able to spot alternative moments while waiting for a shot.

Event Photography Tips: Putting It All Together to Maximize Your Coverage!

I hope you find these event photography tips helpful. They are based on over 10 years of professional experience as a leading event photographer in Los Angeles. These event photography tips and tricks have mostly been developed through practice and developing habits, but I also spend a great deal of time working on my craft. I am always trying to improve my event photography and I hope these help you do the same!

My Conclusions on how to Maximize Your Event Photography Coverage.

Connecting the dots, you can see how all of these tips are used in unison: By staying present, reading the room, and following the energy, I am able to gravitate toward areas of an event in which lots of action is going to happen. By reading people’s eyes, I am able to predict who is about to smile and pre visualize my shot as I move into position, all while pre selecting my autofocus point before the camera hits my eye. By shooting with two eyes open, I am able to time my shot and already know where my next shot is going to be… then I repeat. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can improve my event photography. It is important to me to always stay engaged with my craft and never settle. This has allowed me to constantly improve at event photography and I hope my tips help you on your own journey.

Event Photography Tip #1 Pre Select Your Focal Point.

When capturing a moment as an event photographer, rather than waiting for the viewfinder to reach your eye, consider where the point of focus will be in your composition and use your controller to set it. With practice this becomes intuitive. Keep in mind, that with evolving technology, this tip may become less or even irrelevant. Sony's eye AF, is a good example of technology that may replace the skill of pre-selecting your autofocus point. Also, as I am currently experimenting with new cameras, I want to mention that the delay in which the viewfinder activates in mirrorless cameras has been a challenge for me, in some cases preventing me from pre-selecting my focus point before looking through the viewfinder.

Event Photography Tip #2 Photograph With Both Eyes.

While one eye frames the shot, use your other eye to monitor the action. This technique improves your timing and you’re able to monitor the space while still framing a potential image. When covering an event, the goal should be to both get as much coverage as possible, but also to make sure each image is a quality one.

Event Photography Tip #3 Read the Room. Follow the Energy.

This is not hocus-pocus. Do not overthink it. Whether at an event or anywhere for that matter, there is always energy. There are plenty of auditory cues that give away where the energy is but there may be things that give it away that you are not even conscious of.

Event Photography Tip #4. Predict Smiles.

Have you learned to follow the energy? Good. Now it's time to predict a smile. watch the eyes and anticipate the pause- that is when you should be making your photograph. Of all my tips, I think your ability to implement this one may largely come down to personality traits. Not everyone will have as easy of a time predicting a smile. I do think that with practice, anyone can improve, but this is a skill highly determined by one's empathy.

Event Photography Tip #5. Time Your Shot Ahead of the Peak of Action.

You have a delay. Your motor skills have a delay. Your camera has a delay. Because of this, it is essential that you time your shot right before the peak of action. This is a tricky one. Of course shooting a burst of shots with a camera with a high FPS would help, but if your goal is to improve on your skills as an event photographer, it’s well worth it to practice this.

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Event photography with a 50mm Lens

In this video, I answer the commonly googled phrase: “Event Photography with a 50mm Lens.

Can you use a 50mm lens to shoot events?

The short answer is yes, of course. It is important to remember that there are no “correct” lenses to use when shooting an event. On my Youtube channel and this blog, I have repeatedly said that you only need two lenses to get the job done as an event photographer: that would be a 24-70mm lens and a 70-200mm lens. Sure, you will probably want something wider than 24mm to round off your kit, bu you would most likely be able to make do. So why bother with a 50mm lens? Read on…

Why would you use a 50mm at events?

Using a 50mm lens at an event does have advantages.

First lets talk about the purely technical and most obvious:

While a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm lens would cover your bases in regards to focal length, or field of view, they are not going to be as effective in low light as a prime lens would be. In general, those lenses tend to max out at an aperture of f2.8, with few exceptions. Meanwhile, prime lenses (even of the most affordable varieties) tend to max out at at-least f1.8. This improvement in low light gathering ability can make a significant difference when shooting in especially low light.

Why else might you choose to shoot an event with a 50mm lens?

First, in most cases, using a 50mm lens is going to result in a much lighter kit. There are several advantages to this, not just that you won’t get fatigued. Personally, I enjoy the lighter (and smaller) kit when I’m working through tight crowds. I find that I am personally able to maneuver better and when I poke my lens through tight crowds, like when I shoot over someone’s shoulder, I am significantly less intrusive.

Second, I enjoy using a fixed focal length because I know exactly what my field of view is before I raise my camera to my eye. Through repetition, I have learned to see in focal lengths, which means I know exactly how many feet forward or backward I need to take to get the shot I am pre visualizing.

Third, a 50mm focal length is considered “normal.” What this means is that it approximately represents the field of view of the human. There is some debate on how accurate this statement is, but what is not debatable is that a 50mm lens does not have distortion- either barrel or pin cushion.

Can you photograph an event with just a 50mm lens?

Of course you can shoot an event with just a 50mm lens, but I would not necessarily recommend it. It will all depend on the demands of the job. If, for example, you need to photograph a speaker on stage, you simply just might not have the reach with a 50mm lens to do so. However, if you are photographing a party as a roaming photographer, with plenty of space to work in, it might be sufficient. Personally, I plan on experimenting with this in the future and sharing my results. Stay tuned!

Do I use a 50mm lens when shooting events?

Currently, I use a 50mm lens to shoot my events, but in a limited way. As I shared in the above video, I have a Canon RF 1.2 lens, but do not have a body to shoot it on. I do however from time to time adapt vintage lenses to my Canon 5diii. I mostly use a Pentax 50mm SMC 1.2, which I absolutely love. It’s full of character, has a wide maximum aperture, and has a special way of rendering color (warm and earth toned). However, being a manually focussed lens, it’s quite difficult to use. I love the challenge, but I look forward to being able to use a more functional 50mm lens for my event work.

A few personal thoughts on using a 50mm lens at events.

Early in my career, I learned to love the look of tightly framed shots of people, with a telephoto lens, at a maximum aperture. It is a look long associated with professional photography. But while I like it, I do think it can easily be over done.

The TV show Lost comes to mind: I used to find its use of long lenses and tightly framed shots to be an indication of a higher production value than what was normal for the time. But now, I actually find it quite disorienting. Shots like these lend themselves to what is a very human story, but at times this is done at the expense of offering any real sense of space when not balanced with a wider field of view. But even when Lost does widen its field of view, it is usually done by backing up further with a long lens, still resulting in a compressed look. By the way, I also think this is done to hide the fact that locations are often being reused.

These days I favor a more “natural” look with my photography. I find that a 50mm lens with its well balanced field of view and lack of distortion does the trick.

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Los Angeles Red Carpet Photographer

The above video goes into great detail on how to photograph a step and repeat or red carpet, but you can see a transcript below! Thanks for watching.

Event Photographers,

Today I am going to talk about how to photograph a step and repeat. As an event photographer, unless you’re sticking to small, family type events, inevitably you will be asked to cover one. This may be as a dedicated photographer stationed at one throughout the night or part of a much larger event like the one we are currently watching

When I started out as an event photographer,I didn't really have a template available to me- I had to figure it out on my own, so today I am going to give you as much information as possible. Now, there is no “correct” way to photograph one and there are many ways to do it, but there are some pitfalls to be aware of and some things you actually can do wrong.

The first thing I recommend is arriving early so that you can fire a few test shots off. At the event we are currently watching, I was able to catch the guy setting lights up and was able to work with him to better position the lights. He initially had them aimed toward the top of the backdrop which would have led to uneven light on my subjects, shadows, and no catch light. 

Of course I could have worked with this, but if you always want to work with the best possible situation. I would have preferred we got the lights a bit more spread out, but as you can see, there is a designated area taped off that I wanted to respect. 

Next it was time to fire off a few test shots. What I recommend is using a flash as your key light, or main light, and use the continuous lights as fill. I usually start out doing my test shots without a flash and dial in a proper exposure for my fill lights at about F4 which is what most of my shots will be made at. I keep my ISO reasonably high so that my flash isn’t working too hard and once that’s dialed in, I dial in the proper exposure compensation on my flash unit. You have to remember that like your camera, when using TTL, your flash is exposing for middle grey. So you need to properly compensate for that. In this particular situation, my backdrop is black and I knew most people would be wearing darker than middle grey clothing. I don’t remember exactly where I ended up, but I know it was somewhere between minus 1 and minus 3/4 stops. 

Whether you bounce your light or use a modifier to diffuse your light doesn’t significantly matter. At this particular event the rear corner of the room is pretty far from me, so I chose to use a diffuser. 

Now it is important to acknowledge that for larger groups, I increase my F stop, but because my strobe is actually my key light, it doesn't affect the overall look of my images and they stay consistent. The only thing that would significantly change that is if a large group of people all wearing white filled my frame. In that situation, I would simply adjust my exposure compensation.

I hate editing and I worry about recycling time on my flash, so I try to make every shot count. I usually shoot no more than 3-4 images of groups unless they are VIPs. I mitigate blinking eyes by being mindful while I shoot, monitoring for blinks and by giving my subjects a countdown before I press the shutter.

There are a few different traditional crops I use depending on the backdrop. If the backdrop has branding on the top, like the title of the event, I am mindful to get a shot that includes that. 

I typically do not do full body shots unless it's called for, such as at a Hollywood premiere. Non profit events are typically not about what people are wearing. 

I shoot with a neutral perspective. I find that I’m a good height that's not too short for taller groups and not too tall that I'm not able to hunch over to shoot head on with a shorter group.

For horizontal shots, I line up my subjects eye line 1/3 of the way down from the frame and I'm always careful not to crop at the hands. 

It’s also important you give proper breathing room on the sides of the frame. You do not want claustrophobic compositions and one thing you might not have considered is that if someone prints an 8x10 of a tightly framed group, you risk cropping off people at the shoulder, further cramping your composition.

The lens and focal length I use depends on where I’m stationed, but 99 percent of the time I am shooting with a 24-70. I try to keep my focal lengths as high as possible to avoid distortion on the wide ends and only rarely have to switch to my 17-40 to get everyone in the shot. 

After a get my necessary shots, I always give a big smile, make eye contact and thank everyone. This keeps people moving along so that my line doesn’t build up. Luckily at the event we are watching, I also have helpers that guide traffic and keep things running smoothly. 

Typically there are some moments in which I’m just standing around as well as a crazy rush, but usually I’m kept too busy to shoot anything else. If, however I do attempt to cover both a step and repeat as well as roam around, if lighting conditions are different enough, I take advantage of saved custom settings. 

Event Photography Tips on Buying Gear from a Los Angeles Event Photographer

Aspiring event photographers,

Making a full time living as an event photographer is not easy. When I started out as an event photographer in Los Angeles, there wasn’t really a template to follow. That’s why I share as much knowledge as possible via my blog and Youtube channel. My hope is that this sort of content will ease your anxiety and make your journey easier.

I hope you enjoy this video on buying gear for event photography.

Buying Camera Bodies for Event Photography

When you decide to go pro at event photography you are starting a business. You have to remember that camera bodies are depreciating assets and the cost of constantly upgrading them means you are making less money. Additionally, If you are still early in the learning phase, by the time you know the ins and outs of your very expensive camera, it will have depreciated significantly in value and there will be better options out there with more modern technology.

My advice to event photographers just starting out would be to buy last generation’s model of whatever camera you’re interested in, whether new or used. Cameras experience most of their depreciation right away followed by a very large reduction in price once a new version comes out. After that they somewhat level off again. You can save a significant amount of money by buying old models once the new ones come out. Once in a while new camera models significantly improve upon the last model’s tech, but these days a generation old camera is still a very capable camera. I follow an “every other” upgrade cycle which has suited me well. I personally still use a Canon 5d iii as my main camera and its nearly 8 years old! It’s almost hard to believe it has been that long.

Use the money you save to start building your lens collection. Remember lenses make images more so than cameras. Additionally, unlike cameras, lenses hardly depreciate in value.

Which Professional Lenses You Should Buy First for Event Photography

Your first goal should be to cover all necessary focal lengths. This can be done with two lenses. The first lens you should buy is a 24-70mm lens. This lens will give you a somewhat wide to somewhat zoomed in field of view. Most events could be shot entirely with this lens. It’s great for candids, portraits, group shots, detail shots, and even somewhat wide establishing shots.

The second lens I recommend buying is a 70-200mm. These focal lengths are essential for a lot of different types of event photography from varying sports, conferences and anytime you need more reach with your lens.

Please note that when shooting with those lenses on a cropped frame camera body, those focal lengths will have the field of view of a 36-105 and 105-300 and may not be as suitable if you need a very wide field of view.

Once you have your main focal lengths covered with a 24-70mm and 70-200mm lens, the next lens I recommend getting would be on the wide end. I personally use a 17-40mm f4 lens when I need to get wider than 24mm. Canon also makes a superior 16-35mm lens, but for how I use a wide lens, its just not necessary. I am typically photographing larger groups or wide “establishing shots” which require a deeper depth of filed than f2.8 would offer to properly get everyone or most things in focus. When making lens choices, remember that you're building a photography business and therefore it is helpful to think of purchases as business expenses in which cost vs benefit should be weighed. I estimate that my 17-40mm lens is on my camera less than 5% of the time at most. It is still a necessary lens for what I do, but not worth upgrading. I used to have a fisheye lens. Take a guess how often I used that and why I sold it.

Buying Memory Cards

You can save money by not buying memory cards with larger storage capacities. Two 32 gig cards for example typically cost far less than one 64 gig card. But be sure to buy quality memory cards with fast read / write speeds. Do the research and make sure to buy the fastest memory cards recommended for your camera by it’s manufacturer. This will make a difference. Buying higher specced cards than what’s recommended may not make a difference. It would be like putting premium gas in a car not designed for it. I also recommend buying fast cards for their upload speeds. This will shorten your editing process.

Buying a Flash

When I started as a photographer there was no viable alternative to a Canon branded flash. It was essentially a two horse race then, with Nikon as Canon’s only competition. But since then, off brand manufacturers have closed the gap in the quality of their flashes for a fraction of the cost. Canon’s latest flagship flash the 600EX II-RT goes for $579 at full price. Meanwhile the Yongnuo YN600 RT-II comes in at $121. It’s essentially a Canon clone (It’s even named similarly. Don’t ask me how that’s legal), and costs less than a fourth the price.

Personally, I own two Canon flashes, but would not have a problem with purchasing a third party flash as another backup at some point.

Event Photography Tips and Tricks (6 Shot Types)

Below is a List of your Main Shot Types when Shooting an Event

As an event Photographer in Los Angeles, I use all of these shot types in my work.

Establishing shots:

You do not need many of these. A few wide shots are essential to give a sense of place and establish scale at an event. I will typically shoot these at 17mm with my 17-40mm lens. I try to get a shot from several different perspectives. Shots like these can be each corner of a banquet hall, a wide shot of a crowd from

Close Candids:

These are the shots that really capture the emotional high points of an event. They can be shot in a variety of ways, but usually with a telephoto lens and a shallow depth of field in order to focus the viewers reaction on the emotion of the shot.

Candid Interactions:

Similar to close candids, candid interactions but provide context to the moment you are highlighting. In other words you can see the person or persons the subject is interacting with. You will typically want to stop down your aperture a bit for these to allow each of your subjects to be in focus.

Posed Photos:

Sometimes you will shoot posed portraits of an individual, but most of the time posed portraits are of groups of two or more. These are simple to do. Anytime you see a small group conversing, approach them with a smile and simply ask, “hey can I get a shot of you guys?” These should be shot at narrow enough apertures to capture everyone in focus. F2.8 or lower can work depending on distance, focal length, and how similarly distanced they are to you, but a rule of thumb I use is to shoot at f4 or higher to capture groups of three or more. I usually do not feel the need to go any higher unless the group is somewhat staggered in distance from me.

Portraits:

These can be a professional headshot or something more artistic. Once in a while, you may be asked to shoot one of a notable speaker or such. But usually, I’m shooting these for myself. It gives me an opportunity to work more intimately with someone, get creative in a different way than I spend most of my time shooting, and a fun way to build a portfolio.

Detail Shots:

There are many ways to shoot detail shots. I have shot these with a 24-70mm lens, 70-200mm lens, 50mm vintage lenses, 135mm lens and more. These shots will compliment your wider establishing shots to tell a story. Details matter at an event; Organizers put in a lot of work to produce an event of any size with many details to show for it. When photographing an event put on to showcase a product, the product should be your focus. That said, be sure to get shots of attendees interacting with the product. You should always discuss what your client is looking for, but this will most likely be it. Although a photographer’s job is in part to capture details, their focus should typically be on capturing defining moments. These moments tell a story and evoke a feeling regardless of the type of event. Every photograph delivered should be about something. It can be about an emotion, someone’s reaction, or an interaction between people, but there should be meaning behind each image. These highlights offer a window into what it was like to be there. Always shoot with intention and never raise your camera to your eye just to snap a shot. Event organizers and marketers do not need thousands of lousy images, they need photographs they can actually use. At private events people want emotion filled images that bring them back to a moment. Capturing the height of an expression can be a ringing reminder of exactly how they felt in that moment.

I have been a professional event photographer and photography instructor in Los Angeles for over 10 years. Click on the button below to see my event photography work.

Why I Bring a Film Camera to Every Event Photography Job I Shoot in Los Angeles

Having been an event photographer for over a decade, I am constantly looking for new ways to stay engaged with my craft. I mean this in a good way, but making images at an event with my digital cameras has become routine. My cameras are like extension of my body and once you put one in my hand, I completely zone into a meditative, creative space: I begin to move and think in certain ways with a fluid precision that can only be developed by thousands of hours spent developing habits. So what’s wrong with that? Well, nothing actually. This is ultimately where you want to be as a professional photographer. You want to be at a point in which you are no longer thinking about photography at a conscious level so that you are able to seamlessly document moment to moment without any hiccups over technical issues or the equipment you are using.

Familiarity with my craft is a great thing. But I know routine can prevent me from finding new ways to push my creativity, enhance my skill level, and find new ways of doing things. It is important for me to always consider new ways of make images. Sometimes this is for the benefit of my craft or skill. Other times it is simply to stay engaged with my work by infusing some extra fun into it.

For me, shooting film achieves all of this. Theres something extremely satisfying about manually operating a camera to do things modern cameras automate. This manual process forces me to consciously think about making images again. Because I use so many vintage cameras, my relative lack of familiarity with them in comparison to my usual work tools, forces me to stop and think. The limited number of shots I get on a roll forces me to more seriously consider if its worth pressing the shutter. When shooting digital, I always shoot with intention. But there is something about knowing you have a finite number of shots on a roll of film that enhances that. The stakes are raised and its thrilling.

With digital files, the tedious part of the job begins once the shooting ends. Culling and editing digital files is a lot of work. Because I strive to make meaningful images at an event, most of my images are keepers. But that said, I want to deliver the best to my clients which means painstakingly editing down the images I deliver.

But with film, it is almost as if the fun begins once I get home. A skilled photographer does not need to have a digital screen to know their images came out. The more you understand photography, which includes understanding how the camera sees in comparison to your human eyes, the less mystery there is in how your images are going to turn out. But with film you never really know until you see them with your own eyes. Every step of the hands on development process I do at home is filled with anticipation and focus. Like the first time I developed a roll of film, there is something magical about the first time I see my images. I have found this delayed gratification incredibly rewarding. What I once bemoaned about the process of photography, I now enjoy. And for me this very process has reinvigorated my passion for professional photography.

you can hear more of my thoughts in the video below!

Photographing Jamie Lee Curtis and Bernie Sanders with My Rolleiflex (Event Photography)

When not photographing events in Los Angeles, I can be found photographing the streets of Los Angeles. Click on the button below to see some of that work.

Los Angeles Event Photographer Tips and Tricks (advanced)

I hope you find these event photography tips helpful. They are based on over 10 years of professional experience as an event photographer in Los Angeles. These event photography tips and tricks have mostly been developed through practice and developing habits, but I also spend a great deal of time working on my craft. I am always trying to improve my event photography and I hope these help you do the same!

Event Photography Tip #1 Pre Select Your Focal Point.

When capturing a moment as an event photographer, rather than waiting for the viewfinder to reach your eye, consider where the point of focus will be in your composition and use your controller to set it. With practice this becomes intuitive. Keep in mind, that with evolving technology, this tip may become less or even irrelevant. Sony's eye AF, is a good example of technology that may replace the skill of pre-selecting your autofocus point. Also, as I am currently experimenting with new cameras, I want to mention that the delay in which the viewfinder activates in mirrorless cameras has been a challenge for me, in some cases preventing me from pre-selecting my focus point before looking through the viewfinder.

Event Photography Tip #2 Photograph With Both Eyes.

While one eye frames the shot, use your other eye to monitor the action. This technique improves your timing and you’re able to monitor the space while still framing a potential image. When covering an event, the goal should be to both get as much coverage as possible, but also to make sure each image is a quality one.

Event Photography Tip #3 Read the Room. Follow the Energy.

This is not hocus-pocus. Do not overthink it. Whether at an event or anywhere for that matter, there is always energy. There are plenty of auditory cues that give away where the energy is but there may be things that give it away that you are not even conscious of.

Event Photography Tip #4. Predict Smiles.

Have you learned to follow the energy? Good. Now it's time to predict a smile. watch the eyes and anticipate the pause- that is when you should be making your photograph. Of all my tips, I think your ability to implement this one may largely come down to personality traits. Not everyone will have as easy of a time predicting a smile. I do think that with practice, anyone can improve, but this is a skill highly determined by one's empathy.

Event Photography Tip #5. Time Your Shot Ahead of the Peak of Action.

You have a delay. Your motor skills have a delay. Your camera has a delay. Because of this, it is essential that you time your shot right before the peak of action. This is a tricky one. Of course shooting a burst of shots with a camera with a high FPS would help, but if your goal is to improve on your skills as an event photographer, it’s well worth it to practice this.

Did you find these tips helpful? Looking for a more complete and thorough guide on event photography? Check out my A-Z Guide to Becoming an Event Photographer!

Event Photography Guide

Tips for getting into event photography with an A-Z guide.