GET KILLER PHOTOS AT YOUR NEXT EVENT!

By Mads Pierce

We all know these days that content is queen 👑

With so many companies eagerly sharing post-event highlights and roundups to their social platforms, it’s no wonder others are quick to hop on the content train. Most people have a pretty good little pocket camera in the form of their phone, and while hiring a professional is a game-changer (thankfully, otherwise I’d be out of a job), there are ways to achieve this yourself.

If you’re ready to level up from finger-over-the-lens, Aunt-at-a-wedding snaps to something a little more slick, this is the guide for you! Here are a few simple tips for capturing photo content (video content guide coming soon 🫡) that you can easily implement at the next event you attend. A lot of these are personal preferences, not blanket industry standards, but they have worked for me. And don’t worry – no technical jargon.

Photo Tips 📷

Set the Scene: By this, I mean, don’t get too close when taking a photo. Give your image context and space, and the audience things to look at. Avoid making it TOO busy, as you want your audience to be drawn to the subject, but some surrounding filler helps capture the vibes of a space.

Rule of Thirds: This is a CLASSIC photography tool taught at the absolute base level because it works and is generally easy to implement. The rule of thirds involves dividing an image into 9 equal parts, with the subject off-centre to the left or right, and leading lines drawing your attention to the subject, as in the examples below. It draws our eyes to the subject, and this movement of our eyes and division of the image is engaging and pleasing to our brains. Try to spot spaces like this at your event: shooting down an aisle at an exhibition, focusing on one subject walking off-centre, or using the structures of buildings to do the same. You’ll soon be able to spot examples of this everywhere! Bonus: Turn on the grid feature on your phone camera to make this easier.

Face Height: Unless you’re in a high fashion shoot trying to capture some mad angle of a model in a very dramatic, yet practically unwearable outfit, you don’t need to be getting too wild with angles. Taking content from face height, means you are photographing people in proportion, rather than with a big head and tiny feet, or vice versa. It also means that people view the subjects of your image at eye level, making them feel as though they could be in the image themselves.

Organic Emotion: While it’s not always possible to capture organic emotion, if you can it will set you apart. As mentioned, people want to relate to what they see in an image – after all, people buy from people. If you stay subtle when taking content, the likelihood of capturing off the cuff images of people laughing, hugging, or even shedding a tear (every wedding photographer's dream), is much higher. We tend to tighten and pose when we know there are cameras around - people generally either love it and want to show you their best angle, or they shy away – using your phone keeps you more incognito and works to your advantage here!

Bonus: Don’t be afraid to be forward and try to make people laugh! It’ll improve your images and probably both parties’ day!

Get creative: While you don’t need to get too wacky with your angles, you absolutely SHOULD get a little creative: try and capture something that others might miss at a live event. For example, if you see balconies above an exhibition centre that seem unoccupied, speak to a member of staff and pop up to get an awesome aerial shot of the event. I personally love to use things in the foreground of my images and make the subject the only part of the image that is in focus. This is known as a shallow depth of field, and it can create layers and texture to your image, making it stand out. I’ll admit this is a little harder on an iPhone than a professional camera. Try framing your image by taking photos by a wall, or through a piece of furniture or staging. You’ll likely have an event map, flyer and/or lanyard on your person, so use this to slightly distort a section of your image. Some examples below, as this is a bit tricky to describe in words!

Quickfire Dos & Don’ts of capturing an event

DO

• Get creative

• Ask for consent

• Have fun

• Move around

DON'T

• Stay in one place the whole time

• See it as a chore

• Assume everyone is comfortable having their picture taken

• Stagnate

It can feel like a huge pressure to be constantly taking and posting content in today's fast paced, social media driven world – particularly when promoting your business. Remember you’re capturing these moments as memories for yourself as well. If I’m finding it frustrating to get content, I try to see it as a creative outlet, rather than just a tick on the to-do list. So - have fun, get creative, engage with your fellow event attendees and just post your creations!

Stick around for the video content guide coming soon, and get in touch if you want your event content taking off your shoulders - electriccat.co

Peace out ✌️