Featured Article

Outdoor events - The beginners guide to event photography

Sunnier weather brings about weddings, fetes and shows, making it all the more important to know the best techniques for shooting outdoors

Every time you venture outside to take a photo, the conditions are slightly different. The angle of the sun moving to change the size of the shadows, a cloud might be temporarily cutting out the light or the threat of rain creating grey skies. Instead of trying to correct any issues created in Photoshop afterwards this feature will let you in on the best techniques, tips and pro methods for taking great people shots outside.

For most of us, now is the time that a DSLR or compact enters the busy season, when the kids are off school and the whole family is together looking for ways to spend the hot summer days. It’s also the time when weddings, fetes and other events are more common place, making the camera a must have accessory. One of the more difficult elements to deal with is having a light source which cannot be manoeuvred or adjusted, meaning other methods are needed to manipulate what is already there. Not only do we cover how to utilise the sunlight to your advantage, but we also show you the controls needed to get those relaxed, casual portraits of people enjoying themselves. We also tackle big group photos, such as how to organise a crowd and the kit to use to take the best image.

Getting prepared- The most important part of any shoot is the planning, and taking outdoor portraits is no different.

Unlike walking out into the back garden and snapping shots of the kids running around, heading to an organised event involves a touch more planning. One of the first, and most obvious, stages to get to grips with is to know where you’re going. This isn’t purely getting to the event and parking up, as a lot of gear being lugged miles before realising on site parking is available doesn’t particularly make for a fun days photography. Check to see if a camera shop is available locally in case the camera fails or a card becomes corrupt.

When researching the location, check to see if a website is available to contact the owners. Although permission isn’t always necessary, it’s worth letting people know if you’re planning to bring along a tripod, or need a power source. Knowing a little bit of history of the premises can help when placing people for portraits as well, such as involving significant landmarks or fixtures so set the mood. This is especially important when taking images on religious ground, as they often remain in a similar overall appearance to when first constructed, giving the location plenty of character.

‘Doing a reccie’ may be more of a filming term, but the concept of travelling to a location prior to the event in order to at the very least grab some practise images is a sound one. The direction of sun, shadowing and any areas that would make perfect background spots can all be done weeks prior to the event, or can even be done entirely digitally by using the likes of Google maps and Flickr to track down snapshots of the places.

The three values you’ll need to adjust to take the best photos.

1.Aperture - This limits the depth of field, making certain areas of the image blurred. If you’re taking individual portrait shots stick to around f8 to avoid any distracting background elements, or a higher setting for group shots to take the sharpest possible overall image. 

2.Focus Area - With busy, detailed backgrounds providing a possible distraction it’s best to tell the camera where to focus rather than letting it decide. For the sake of framing picking out the centre spot is often best, but try composing the shot first then choosing the focal area for a less conventional end result.

3. Exposure - Having the primary light source as the sun makes for some awkward exposures, requiring a slight adjustment to over or under expose the image. This allows the subject to be lit well while ignoring the background, so the sky doesn’t cause the rest of the image to be too dark.

Specific kit - A few handy extras you’ll need

There are a few specific extras, outside of the usual tripod, flashgun and spare lenses that you’ll need when shooting outdoors. The first is a reflector, which simply reflects the light onto a subject to give a more balanced exposure. These come in a collapsible variety for simple storage. An in-car battery charger is also useful to avoid embarrassing trips back home to recharge. Having a set of steps means a restricted standing area doesn’t ruin the shot, as a higher angle can enable the back of a large group can be seen as well as front.  

Return to features archive »