5 reasons to employ a professional event photographer (and why you can’t trust Darren)

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Written by Guy Walsh

Why should I use a professional event photographer?

It’s a question that’s probably crossed the mind of any event professional with a tight budget – why should I invest in professional event photography when Darren has an iPhone that takes great photos?

I get it – I’ve even been that person. I was an event organiser long before I was a photographer, and I’ve fallen into this trap myself.

Trust me, as lovely as he is, you just can’t trust Darren.

1. To free you up to manage the event

Idea: You’re overseeing the event, so you’ll be able to take some wonderful candid photos while you’re moving around between tasks.

Reality: You’re being pulled from pillar to post and having to deal with technical issues, customer concerns, exhibitor demands and confused staff members (probably Darren).

A professional event photographer’s only job is to take photos of an event. They’re very unlikely to be pulled in other directions, so they are free to focus on obtaining high quality imagery.

Creating an image that tells a story requires more than just being in the right place at the right time. A good image is created through a combination of factors – composition, lighting, creative choices and timing. The latter is perhaps the most important.

This is because even once the shot is lined up, a professional photographer will be waiting for the crucial moment when the pieces all fall into the place. The facial expressions, the people walking by, the path of a moving object – these are all composition elements that are usually beyond our control, so it’s important to have the time to be able to wait patiently for the right moment. If Darren is likely to pull you away to find an extension lead or deal with a complaint, then even with the skills and knowledge to take the shot, you’re unlikely to be present to execute it!

I always make a point of integrating myself into the event team. I learn the layout of the venue, carry a programme, and learn where the customer service points are, so that I can assist as much as possible without disturbing other team members, but never at the expense of capturing the critical moment.

2. To ensure that your photos meet the brief

Idea: You’ll ask Darren from accounts to take the photos. He’s got nothing else to do on the day.

Reality: Darren spent most of the day flirting with one of the exhibitors and completely forgot to take photos of the keynote speaker in the main auditorium at 2pm.

There’s nothing worse than looking through the images afterwards and finding out that a crucial moment was missed. Damnit Darren! Not only did he forget to take photographs during the keynote speech, but he also didn’t make a plan for the day and so missed two important presentations in the breakout rooms. Also, the photos he did take were all from the back of room and the speakers look like tiny dots. Some are so blurred that they’re useless.

Using professional event photography means you’ll have worked on a plan to ensure that no crucial moments are missed. They’ll also have the confidence to put themselves into position for the best shots, while remaining respectful of the audience’s view.

I always make a point of discussing the event brief with you beforehand. It doesn’t need to be anything complicated or convoluted – just a simple list of shots that need to be captured on the day. A five-minute phone conversation will usually do it, and if you’re not sure what you need, I’m more than happy to guide you through the process.

3. You need high-quality, high-resolution photos

Idea: Darren has a great mobile phone. The quality of photos it produces is really good.

Reality: Darren’s phone automatically processes his images and makes creative choices for him.

While there’s no doubting that the quality of cameras in most modern phones is excellent, there are still some significant drawbacks to using a camera phone.

Firstly, unless you have mastered your phone’s manual mode, it’s likely making all of the creative decisions for you. Decisions such as what shutter speed or aperture to use play a big part in telling the story of your event. For example, a slower shutter speed can make an event look lively with only a few people in the room. A larger aperture can bring out the details of an object or person close by, while showing just the right amount of blur behind the subject. Sometimes your camera makes the wrong decision – and this is why the shot you see is not the shot you had envisaged.

Secondly, most phone cameras only offer the option to shoot at a wide aperture. This allows more light in and so supports photos taken in lower-light conditions, but it comes at the expense of the sharpness of the image. You won’t notice it on the phone’s small screen, but this is particularly problematic if you intend to print your photos on large surfaces.

Thirdly, camera phones usually capture images in JPG format, which reduces the ability to bring out details in the edit (i.e. lighten underexposed areas/darken overexposed areas). Professional photographers usually shoot in a format called RAW, which contains a lot more detail.

And finally, all phone cameras have wide-angle lenses. Your camera may offer you an option to zoom in, but this is a digital zoom, not an optical one. This means that it’s essentially a crop of a larger image. It’s the same as taking the photo, then zooming in on your phone. The quality will drop the further you zoom in. Professional cameras have optical zooms, ensuring that the image quality remains high from the widest to the tightest shot.

This also leads me nicely on to point 4:

4. A range of lenses can help with better storytelling

Idea: Darren can stand at the back of the room and take some photos, then crop in when he edits them.

Reality: As well as the issues regarding image quality discussed in point 3, Darren will find many of his images look very similar.

While I don’t always use more than one lens to shoot an event, the ability to zoom within the range of one high-quality lens offers a greater variety of shots than simply shooting using a phone.

For example, zooming in to a person or object from slightly behind a wall can create a dramatic look that a phone image would struggle to create. This gives options when it comes to making creative choices, which can help with telling the story in the way that you want.

Having a selection of lenses in my kit bag ensures that I always have the option of capturing an array of shots.

5. To put your mind at rest knowing that it’s covered

Idea: You can leave Darren to it because he knows how to take nice photos of trees on his iPhone.

Reality: Darren doesn’t get the pictures you wanted, and the ones he has taken aren’t great.

Poor Darren. He tried, he really did. He just didn’t foresee all the potential issues we’ve discussed in this article.

Hey, I LOVE taking photos of trees. I even have a Landscape Photography YouTube Channel. But the skills required for landscape photography are very different to event photography, from the preparation to the kit required, to the ability to work to a brief.

By employing a professional photographer you are able to rest knowing that an experienced professional is doing the sole thing you have employed them for.

I offer a free phone consultation, as well as a clear and transparent pricing structure. I have bases in Leicester and Brighton and I work across the UK. I’m friendly, approachable and I listen to (and understand) your needs. I can even help you put the brief together.

Don’t take the risk with Darren. Give me a call on 07890 063830 or click here to check my availability for your next event.

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