Corporate Event Photo Tips
Late spring is apparently the most popular season for conferences here in San Antonio. I have two big events scheduled, and recently photographed an artificial intelligence conference at UTSA. As someone who participates in these events from the outside looking in, I thought it might be a good idea to share a few corporate event photo tips from a photographer’s perspective. So, in today’s blog post I’ll share the things I notice first when photographing a corporate event.
Planning Advice
Highlight Your Logo. My number one corporate event photo tip is to make sure your logo is prominently displayed in front of, or behind, the key speakers. For photography purposes, it is ideal to have a photo of your key speakers with your organization’s logo in the same shot. This can easily be accomplished by displaying your logo on the podium itself or at least on signage behind the speaker.
Communicate with Your Photographer. Most events I photograph prefer a true documentary style. This means you will find me in the back of the room photographing the action while trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Some events, however, would like a portrait of the key speaker (perhaps after the presentation of an award or with a prominent staff member) taken at the podium. I want to make sure I am in the right place at the right time, so let me know of any specific photography requests ahead of time.
Problems and Solutions
Lighting Matters. I normally do not use flash when photographing a conference or seminar so that I do not disturb the guests. As such, it is imperative that the on-stage lighting be sufficient. First and foremost, the lighting should be broad enough to cover the speaker and any signage. In addition, the lighting should not be too ‘hot’ or contrasty to cause blown out highlights. You basically want to make sure there is enough ambient light in the room and that your speaker is not under an intense spotlight.
Keep Your Meeting Locations Close. I often photograph events with concurrent meetings that all need to be photographed. To cut down on my commuting time (and thus increase my time taking photos), try to have all of the meeting locations as close to one another as possible.
Be Strict with Time. Nothing derails a conference faster than a speaker who decides to go ten minutes over his/her allotted speaking time. The most successful conferences I have ever photographed have a ‘clock watcher’ at the back of the room signaling to the speaker when time is ticking down. Keep an eye on question-and-answer sessions as well as these are the most common culprits for demolishing a well-rehearsed schedule.
Photo Opportunities
Build in Breaks. Photographing a conference is a balance between shots of the speakers and the attendees. Unless you want photos of guests napping at their seats, make sure you plan for plenty of coffee and shorter sessions in the afternoon. In addition, these break times are perfect opportunities to take photos of networking in action.
Carve Out Time for Headshots. At both the UTSA conference and at another conference I will be photographing soon, the clients requested headshots be taken of attendees during the session down time. If you have a free moment in your conference schedule, why not use that down time for headshots? I’ll have more details soon about how I shoot on-location headshots at corporate events, but really all it takes is pre-planning to select a good background.
Photograph the Fun Stuff. Some of the best photos I take during a conference normally happen after the main session is over. Networking events and cocktail hours are great photo opportunities to show attendees and speakers interacting with one another. These images that capture the energy and personality of your event will always be your best marketing shots for next year’s conference.
Conclusion
Getting quality images during a corporate event is easy with a little pre-planning. The trick is to maximize your event for the best photo opportunities possible. Enjoy the images, and I will have more photo adventures for you next week!
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Is your company event coming to San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.
To view more images from my corporate event photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsCorporate.com
