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Outdoor events - The beginners guide to event photography

Capturing atmosphere

When photographing an event it is often worth taking extra shots of surrounding scenery and the smaller objects in order to capture atmosphere. Often these images are useless by themselves however when it comes to presentation they can become very effective. You will find that a macro lens or a standard lens is best for this job as you will want to capture as much intricate detail as possible. You will have more time to compose these images so take your time and think about framing and adjust props to look good. It is best to use natural light as flash can make objects appear washed-out and can ruin the ambiance. You may need to use a tripod with a long exposure if the lighting is dark. 

Extra Tips.

Netbook laptop

Spending a whole day shooting, then getting home and realising your favourite lens is faulty and every shot is out of focus is every photographer’s worst nightmare. A portable laptop allows the images to be seen full screen and adjusted if necessary.

Spare card - It may be tempting to settle on one huge memory card rather than bringing a couple, but a single visit to a faulty camera or poorly PC can result in a corruption. A backup, even if it’s of a smaller capacity, can mean a day isn’t wasted or shots lost.

Shot list - When covering an event in which the images will be posted to a website or used in print it’s worth writing up a shot list then sending it off to the relevant organiser. Additions and alterations can then be made prior to shooting, so the day can be planned out.

Bring a friend - Keeping an eye on all your gear while taking a group shot in a public place is pretty impossible, so a helper to hold onto gear and swap out lenses makes everything far easier to handle on the day.

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