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Event Photography Tips: What It Is, Gear, and Workflow

  • Oct 3
  • 3 min read

Shooting conferences, concerts, or company offsites? This guide explains what is event photography in plain terms, then gives you field-tested event photography tips you can put to work tonight: planning, camera settings, lighting fixes, and delivery that clients actually use.

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What is event photography?


Event photography is documentary coverage of a live gathering (people, key moments, and atmosphere) delivered fast and in formats that work for PR, social, sponsor decks, and internal recaps. It’s timing, access, and consistent results rather than staged portraiture.




Event photography tips


Pre-production that saves your night

  • Define success. Who’s using the images and where? Turn that into a short must-have list.

  • Run of show. Mark non-missable moments and plan your route between rooms.

  • Stakeholder micro-lists. Organizers (crowd, stage, décor), sponsors (logo + people), VIPs (handshakes, awards), performers (energy, crowd).

  • Usage & rights. Separate editorial recap from commercial sponsor use; plan model releases for staged promo shots.

  • Crew sync. Five minutes with AV/stage managers unlocks sightlines, power, and a safe shooting lane.

  • Lineup & second shooter. If the talent or extra photo support were booked via a marketplace (one excellent example is Linkaband, where you can hire not only event-specialist photographers but also bands, musicians, and entertainers for all kinds of events) pull the set list and any no-flash notes from the booking, and confirm contact details in one place. It cuts emails and helps you time peak moments.



Recommended equipment for event coverage


  • Camera bodies: Two mirrorless bodies with silent/electronic shutter and dual card slots.

  • Lenses: 24–70mm f/2.8 (general coverage), 70–200mm f/2.8 (stage reach), plus a 35mm or 50mm f/1.8 (low-light candids).

  • Lighting: On-camera flash with bounce card or small diffuser; one off-camera speedlight for step-and-repeat or sponsor wall.

  • Accessories: Spare batteries and cards, microfiber cloth, gaffer tape, earplugs, and a belt or sling for mobility.


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Settings you can trust (by scenario)

Scenario

Mode & Exposure

AF & Drive

White Balance

Notes

Indoor conference

A/Av, f/2.8–4, Auto ISO, min 1/200

AF-C + face/eye; medium burst

Auto or 3800–4500 K

Quiet; expose for faces

Stage performance

1/250–1/500, f/2.8–4, Auto ISO

Single point for backlight

Auto; fix in RAW

Respect no-flash; time shots between slide/lighting changes

Cocktail hour

A/Av, f/2–2.8, Auto ISO, min 1/125

AF-C; short bursts

3800–4200 K

Bounce/feather flash to keep ambience

Step-and-repeat

M: 1/160, f/4–5.6, ISO 200–400

Single; one-shot bursts

5000 K

Subjects 1 m off backdrop to kill shadows

Outdoor daytime

A/Av, f/2.8–5.6, Auto ISO, min 1/500

AF-C; medium burst

Daylight

Backs to sun; add subtle fill if needed

Why these work: a minimum shutter keeps motion sharp, Auto ISO adapts to changing light, and fixed Kelvin keeps color consistent across the gallery.


Quick lighting fixes


  • LED wall behind speaker: meter for the face or add +0.3–0.7 EV; shoot between slide changes.

  • Dark reception: 1/60–1/100 + bounced flash at 1/64–1/16 power to keep ambient feel.

  • Harsh daylight: backs to the sun; expose for skin; add a touch of fill or use negative fill (black card).




A shot list that keeps everyone happy


  • Open/Setup: exterior, signage, registration, empty room wide

  • People: arrivals, mingling, VIP handshakes, reactions, applause

  • Stage: wide with screens, clean medium of speaker, tight expression, reverse toward audience

  • Activations: booths, demos, sponsor interactions (logo + human moment)

  • Details: décor, badges, food, table settings

  • Groups: awardees, VIPs, team, performers with organizers

  • Closing: crowd exit, teardown team, final venue wide




Fast, clean delivery


  • Cull fast: tag selects during downtime; aim for a tight hero set.

  • Edit for consistency: exposure, skin tone, light NR; subtle grain beats waxy faces.

  • Naming & structure: EventName_YYYYMMDD_#### with separate Editorial and Sponsor/Commercial folders.

  • Exports: Social long edge 2048 px, sRGB, 80–90% quality; Press 3000–5000 px; Archive full-res JPG/TIFF.

  • Turnaround: same-day teaser; full gallery in 48–72 hours unless agreed otherwise.



 
 
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