45 professional event photography tips in 15 minutes

In this video, I decided to try something a bit different and just let the camera roll to see how many tips I could come up with before I got tired or ran out of tips. I got tired. I had a lot of fun making this one, so I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did making it!

1. Hold your camera loosely 2. Hook your camera with your fingers 3. Shoot with both eyes 4. use your right eye to frame your shot 5. Use your left eye to time your action 6. Set your camera up so that you do not need to go into the menus. 7. How I set-up my ISO controls 8. Choosing a marketing strategy 9. Old vs new social media platforms 10. retaining clients 11. Don't obsess over gear 12. 5% rule 13. Switching brands 14. Remember this is a business 15. Every other upgrade cycle 16. experimenting with lenses 17. focussing on bread and butter gear 18. engaging with your craft 19. Don't cheap out on stuff like flash or memory cards 20. using two camera bodies 21. batteries and chargers 22. overcoming limitations 23. networking with your peers 24. don't think of your competitors as opponents 25. bring food to a job or get good at fasting 26. never stop learning 27. staying engaged with your craft 28. photographing everyone, focussing on VIPS 29. "over covering" VIPs 30. scanning a room 31. listen for the life of the party 32. don't over linger on a person 33. always shoot with intention 34. Generate 1:1 previews in Lightroom 35. Respect the craft and the profession 36. take and modify what you learn from a mentor 37. shoot often - muscle memory 38. tune out the noise 39. don't limit your sources of inspiration 40. question conventions - find your own way 41. make sure you're insured 42. live below your beans 43. don't depend entirely on photography for your income 44 always over dress over under dressing 45. you don't always need to wear black .

Los Angeles Event Photographers Tips on Being a Second Photographer

Getting Started as a Second Photographer

The first challenge for anyone looking to become a professional photographer is developing a portfolio. As I discuss in my complete event photography guide, you need a photography portfolio to get work but you need work to build a photography portfolio.

You do not need to work for free in order to build a portfolio. Rather, my advice is to build your portfolio around the things you are already doing in your life. An event can be just about anything including: street fairs, festivals, music events, birthday parties, etc. But although this will help you build a portfolio, second shooting has its own benefits.

How I Got Started as a Second Shooter

When I first moved back to Los Angeles and decided to make my passion my profession, I was faced with the common dilemma of not having the portfolio I needed to start doing professional work while needing to do professional work in order to build that portfolio. Most of my time during and after college was spent making fine art photography. I was confident in my knowledge of photography, but knew better than to be presumptuous and assume that it would 100% equip me for professional work. In fact I was already teaching photography, so I knew my stuff. When I decided to pursue professional work, the photography market was not as over saturated as it is today. I knew wedding photography was an easy field to get into, so I decided to pursue it. I knew that the best way to learn was by doing and I wanted to learn the trade from someone with experience. But to even second shoot, I knew I needed a portfolio. So what did I do? I shot a wedding for just about free. No joke, I think I charged about $180 just to cover my rentals- I didn’t even have all the gear I needed yet!  But that one wedding I essentially shot for free landed me a second shooting job with the largest wedding studio in Los Angeles at the time. It was my big break in what was quite honestly a very difficult time for anyone: It was 2008 in the height of the great recession.

How Did I Make that Happen?

I’ll be the first to admit I am not a very organized person. But I was serious about pursuing a career as a photographer. So what I did, was make an excel sheet of every wedding photographer In Los Angeles that I could find. In it, I included the name of the studio, the name of the contact person, their contact info, and any notes I had on them. I then proceeded to email each of them and follow up with a phone call. Sadly, very few called me back and pretty much none of them were looking to even hire an assistant. However, a couple of them referred me to the studio that  had the largest segment of the market at the time. So I gave them a call thinking that they would of course blow me off. Strikingly, the next day I got a call! I set an interview, showed up in a suit, shared my limited wedding portfolio, and was hired on the spot! I remember them telling me something like, “well, we have like 100 people interested in a job with us, but you seem good to us.” Not only did they bring me on on the spot, but it was as a second shooter, not an assistant!

How to Be a Good Second Shooter

First off, it needs to be said that what it takes to be a good second shooter will largely depend on the needs of the primary photographer. This is something that should be discussed between the two of you. Additionally, through the experience of working together, you will naturally figure out what their needs and expectation. Hopefully in time, the two of you will work cohesively with little direction. When I first started out second shooting weddings in Los Angeles, I mostly worked with one person. After a while I just knew what he wanted from me: the perspectives he wanted covered, the types of shots he needed, etc. We were in sync and I didn’t need any direction. So although needs will vary, the following information should be universal.

Remember That You Represent The Primary Photographer

When second shooting you are representing the studio of the primary photographer. Be sure to carry their business card and conduct yourself in a professional manner. In just about no circumstance should you ever share your own card. Even if you are giving someone your card for something unrelated to photography, I recommend just steering clear of it all together. It is best to just avoid any confusion.

What is a Second Photographer’s Job?

In the early days of digital photography, cameras were only equipped with one memory card. This of course put the primary photographer at a lot of risk of losing a day of work. In part, as a second photographer shooting weddings, my job was essentially to have a backup of the day. This was also a bit of a hold over from the film days in which you could lose an entire roll from user error to a mistake at the lab.

What Should a Second Photographer Focus On

What a second shooter should focus on will depend entirely on the needs of the primary photographer. This can also vary case by case. Lets talk about some examples:

Wedding Photography

At a wedding a second photographer’s job is often to capture alternate perspectives that a primary photographer just can’t. No matter how fast you can run, you can not be in two places at once and there are some specific examples in which you will need to be. One such example is during a first kiss. When I started out as a second photographer shooting weddings in Los Angeles, during the first kiss, I was always instructed to get over the shoulder shots of the groom, while the main photographer focussed on shots of the bride. Afterward, I was freed up to do more creative stuff.

During the cocktail hour, I was always instructed (eventually it didn’t need to be said) to photograph groups of people (crowd work), while the primary photographer photographed the reception room and detail shots.

When the primary photographer is shooting formals, a common task given to a second photographer can be to shoot candids of individuals in formal groups. These are often shot at a 45 degree angle from them, NOT over the shoulder of the main photographer. You should never be shooting over the shoulder of the main wedding photographer. This can cause confusion over which camera to look at and why would their client need multiples of the same shot only slightly inferior?

Event Photography

As a Los Angeles event photographer, there are times I hire second photographers. However, unlike at a wedding, their job is typically to cover what I am unable to. This can be due to multiple conferences happening at once and that sort of thing.

Large jobs can also call for a second photographer just to add extra coverage. Typically this is the case for events larger than 400 people.

Miscellaneous Tips on Second Shooting

When it comes to usage rights, be sure to have that discussion with the photographer you’re working for. Usually it is understood that you are in part second shooting for experience and to build a portfolio, but do not assume anything!

Always carry the business card of the photographer you’re working with and never give out your own. Even if it is for something unrelated to photography, you do not want any misunderstandings. You represent the main shooter, side dealing is not ok.

This may seem harmless, but it’s not a good idea to show the client the back of your camera to see an image. For all you know, for whatever reason, the main photographer might decide not to deliver that image to the client. This will lead to difficult questions from the client. They may even begin to wonder how many other images they chose not to share and open a whole can of worms. I know it is hard to say no to someone asking to see an image, but there are many polite and reasonable tactics you can use to avoid it.

Conclusions on Being a Second Photographer

I really hope the video at the top of this article as well as this write up gives you an idea of why you should second shoot, but gives you some general advice on how to go about doing so.

For me, second shooting at weddings in Los Angeles was an invaluable learning experience on top of being a great way to build a portfolio. I strongly encourage all beginner photographers to do so!

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.

How to Use an External Camera Flash // Part 2

Part Two of How to Use an External Camera Flash

In this video I focus on how to properly use modifiers and bounce your flash for more pleasing results. I use all of these techniques in my event photography work, but they are applicable to anything. Watch the video below for more information. I also wrote the main points in the continuation of this article.

No Modifier, Flash Pointed Forward

Unless you’re going for a 90’s disposable camera aesthetic, this is the worst way you can use your flash. It creates a very flat image as it lacks tonality due to the flash coming being positioned on axis with your lens. Directional light creates depth. Lighting without direction looks flat. The effect is especially noticed on faces in which this sort of light creates what I call a “frog face” look, as people’s features are flattened and blown out.

Bouncing Your Flash Off of the Ceiling and Using a Fill Card

This is my least favorite way to bounce light, but it works. You simply aim your flash upward in order to bounce light down onto your subject. This bounced light will be softer and larger than light directly from your flash/strobe unit. The fill card has the effect of adding a catch light in the eyes of your subject. Without this, you can potentially get the “dead eyes” look in which eyes appear lifeless due to not having a light source reflected in them.

Bouncing Your Flash Off of the Corner of a Room

This is my favorite way of using my flash. It allows for a natural gradation of light to cascade across your subject, adding depth. Using your flash in this way also has the effect of more evenly falling across the ambient environment, crating a more balanced, and therefore natural look.

Bouncing Your Flash Off of a Wall Directly to Your Side

This is a technique I don’t use often, but to great effect when I do. By bouncing my strobe off of a white wall immediately to the side of me and my subject, I am able to get a giant softbox like effect. This large window of light has a more studio like look I love when appropriate.

Using a Light Modifier (Any Defuser)

This is my least favorite way to diffuse my light. It gets the job done in that it creates a softer, more flattering light. But what I don’t like is that it lacks direction, which creates a flatter look. However, when there are no walls to bounce light off of, this is your only way to go…for the most part. The way I solve this problem is by hand holding my flash and triggering it from my camera. This can be a goofy way to work, having to hand hold your flash in one hand and your camera in the other, but it does create very pleasing results. You’re essentially creating a Rembrandt light setup.

I have been a professional photography work for 10 years while teaching photography at the same time. Follow the links below to see my work and be sure to subscribe to my channel on Youtube for more videos

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Advanced Event Photography Tips You've Never Heard

Below are 5 of my most advanced event photography tips. I have developed these tips and methods for over 10 years, shooting events in Los Angeles. I hope they help you on your own journey as an event photographer.

#1 Pre-select your focal point for a faster shooting experience at events.

Use your focus point controller to pre-select where your point of focus will be prior to the viewfinder reaching your eye. Keep in mind that this will require you to first develop the ability to first pre-visualize your composition prior to looking through your viewfinder. With practice this becomes intuitive. I learned this tips through repetition, after shooting hundreds of events in Los Angeles. With time, you will find yourself automatically adjusting your focus point while lifting the camera to your eye.

Although Prime lenses can be seen as less versatile for event photography, their set field of view actually makes pre-visualizing your composition easier. In time, prime lenses can be used nearly as effectively as zoom lenses. With practice you will intuitively know how many steps forward or backward you need to take in order to match the pre-visualized image in your head, all while having their own unique benefits such as reduced weight, faster apertures, and of course that guaranteed field of view already discussed.

Update:

New technology seen in mirrorless cameras may outdate this method of shooting. As face and eye detect technology improve, setting your focus point may in part become a thing of the past.

#2 Shoot with both eyes for maximum event photography coverage.

While one eye frames your shot, use your other eye to monitor the action.
Doing so improves your timing as you’re no longer viewing what’s in front of you through the tunnel of your viewfinder. Additionally you are able to monitor the space for other potential images. This will help maximize your coverage of an event. Remember, when it comes to event photography, your goal should always be to provide more coverage, not more images for the sake of more images.

Update:

Again, this is another way of shooting that may be upended by mirrorless cameras: at this time my experience with shooting on a mirrorless camera at events is not thorough enough to make a conclusion, but I am personally concerned with how seeing reality with one eye and a digital screen with the other may make for a disjointed shooting experience.

#3 Read the room to capture more moments.

Follow the energy. This is not hocus-pocus, woo woo stuff. Do not overthink it. Follow the energy for more interesting candids.

You will find that when you are truly present: when all your senses are in tune with the chorus of noise, movement, and things we are never even conscious of, that you will find yourself moving toward where the action at an event really is… sometimes seemingly before it even happens.

A note:

When photographing an event, following the energy, and focussing on the moments, you will find that you may naturally end up with more photographs of some people than others. This is normal; some people are just the life of the party. However, it is a good idea to balance this out by trying to “even out” your coverage by doing a once over of a location here and there and just try to get a shot of every individual you may have missed.

#4 Predict smiles

Have you learned to follow the energy? Good. Now it's time to predict a smile. Following the energy will get you where you need to go, but as an event photographer, you need to be able to capture the emotional highs and defining moments of an event. One way I do this is by predicting smiles.

When someone is about to smile, you can first see it in their eyes. At events, people are usually too busy talking to smile, but in between sentences they will smile to connect with the person they are talking to. This is the moment I am waiting for and I know it’s coming by watching my subjects eyes.

#5 Time Your shot ahead of the peak of action.

Your motor skills has a delay. Your camera has a delay from the moment you press the shutter button and the moment it makes an image, albeit small. Experiment with timing your image just before the peak of action to counteract that delay. I have found that with practice that I only need one shot to do this. Shooting in continuous can in theory guarantee you capture a moment, but I have found it has made me less in tune with moment at hand and when I stay focussed and time my shot perfectly, I am able to guarantee I capture the moment better than holding onto my shutter and hoping for the best. Also, I really don’t like the process of editing down my event photography coverage when I have overshot. It is more time consuming and delivering files quickly has become increasingly important when it comes to event photography.

My event photography tips conclusion

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.

UPDATE:

Since writing this blog post, I made a new video talking about how I use my tips together, in concert as an event photographer. Check the video out below.