Convention Photography

Many conventions and conferences will hire out or assign an employee to cover the convention photography. They usually want a set of Photos to be taken of the highlights of the event, like the opening ceremonies, awards presentations, installation of officers, and various group photos.

A hired photographer has an opportunity to take additional photos that may be offered for sale to the attendees. These photos need to be of the highest quality and offered in a timely manner. Proofs need to be displayed for easy access by attendees and plainly numbered to avoid confusion as to which photo they may want.

Lighting Concerns

When taking photos at banquet events, the lighting is usually very poor so you will need a very good flash unit that has the ability to bounce the main beam off the ceiling or a wall and provide a fill flash for frontal illumination. There are several of these on the market in the $150.00 - $600.00 range. Look for a flash that can be used on the camera through the hot shoe or detached as a slave. In slave mode the flash is not connected to the camera, but held off to the side and will flash when the built in flash of the camera is operated.

Back-up Plan

When taking group photographs, it is best to set up a mini studio with umbrella flash units. This will allow you to really control the parameters of the photo and keep the light perfect. You will need an area set aside just for this purpose. Sometimes it is indoors and sometimes outdoors. If planning on taking group shots outdoors always have a fall back location indoors because the weather may not always cooperate.

Prepare

The bottom line is, do your homework. Try to find out all the conditions you will be shooting in and plan accordingly. And always make sure you have in writing the photos that the customer is expecting. That is the easiest way to make sure that everyone is happy with the product you are providing.

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