Top 10 tips for event photographers in Edinburgh

Hi Everyone

Today I am going to look at the top ten tips for event photography in Scotland. Now event photography is a wide ranging discipline in the world of photography, it can mean anything from sports photography in Dundee, to conference photography in Edinburgh and even award ceremony photography in Glasgow. So you would think that each is entirely different but whilst this is partly true, there are a set of rules and work practices that are helpful for all types of event photography and once you apply these rules, you can use the skillset for all event photography commissions.

So here we go:

Top 10 tips for event photographers in Scotland:

Whether you are a conference photographer in Glasgow, or an award ceremony photographer in Edinburgh, it is crucial that you do your research before the event, this means you should know everything about the venue, the brief, the timings all well in advance of the event and if possible you should visit the venue before the day.
Establishing good communication with your organisers before the big event is crucial. It is very important you have effective conversations with them, so you know what is expected on the day.
Pick out the gear you need based on the brief and don’t take too much, I often have to travel in public transport for conference photography in Glasgow and Edinburgh and it is no joke if you have too much gear. You will only over tire yourself if you are loading too much.
When you get to the venue, think in advance how you can create something different, get creative and make sure you provide bespoke high quality photos for your clients.
Arrive early and practice in the existing light you have to work with. If you have any influence, you may be able to effect the light but in most cases this wont be possible. Find out exactly where you can and will stand during the event and check with the organisers if it is permitted.
Make sure you are very clear on the timings, its like wedding photography for most events, you can’t afford to miss certain key moments of the day.
If you need to and you are permitted, you should use flash some of the time, but do not overdo it, this will annoy the delegates and the speakers for conference photography, or the participants for other events. You should always try and blend into the surroundings and not really be noticed to be honest.
Be friendly, flexible and obliging and make sure you find out anyone who does not want their photos taken.
Take the essential shots first then check you have at least a few quality photos, then you can get creative and try different angles, make sure you take candid photos as well as formal ones, even if the client doesn’t ask for this, they will always like it when you give them something different. As an infrared photographer in Scotland, I have often supplied the customer with additional infrared photos along with their package and they loved them. I have done this with my wedding photography in Scotland, sports photography in Edinburgh and countless other events, particularly the ones that involved an architecture and outdoor element.
Finally, make sure you are clear of the deadlines and the format you must submit the images to the client and try and get them ready earlier than this deadline if possible, but don’t rush the editing. Finally, enjoy, event photography should be and is great fun.

So everyone, hope this helps, get out there and start snapping away. Until next time.