What does an event photographer actually do?

If you've ever seen a wedding photographer taking pictures at a wedding, you've seen an event photographer in action. They walk around, chat with guests, and snap photos. But there's a lot more behind the scenes that goes into being a professional event photographer.

Planning

For starters, we do a lot of planning. The great images of the event don't happen by accident. We meet with the organizer(s) to discuss why they want to have the event professionally photographed.

That leads directly to the next question of who should be photographed and how. Does the organizer need "action shots" of VIPs speaking or talking to specific people? Are there any specific groups of people that should be photographed together? Who are they, when can we get them all together, and who will tell them?

Other planning questions concern logistics. When is the venue open? Can I get there early to set up? Where can I park? Is there food available?

As a last step, I have to plan for ourselves. What time to leave? What is the route? What should I wear? Should I bring snacks? Are all the batteries for my camera gear charged? Do I have all the backup gear I might need?

When everything is planned thoroughly, any unforeseen circumstances can be handled more easily. It removes a lot of the stress, allowing the photographer to concentrate on being creative and making guests feel comfortable in front of the camera.

During the event

While on-site, I'm doing my best to stick to the plan. Ideally I have a detailed timeline of events and a list of shots I need to get. It may seem like we're just walking around aimlessly, but in reality we're counting down until the next important thing happens.

This is when I politely interrupt conversations, asking if I can take a group photo. A few seconds later, I'm on to the next group. My goal is to photograph as many people as possible.

If there's a down time, such as a dinner hour or lecture, I use this time to capture the environment. This can be things like detail shots of decor, center pieces, or wide angle shots of the entire room. It's also a good opportunity to step outside for a minute to get some fresh air and take photos of the exterior.

Throughout the event, I'm also managing my equipment, making sure I have the right things at the right time. I make sure I have enough space on my memory card, have extra memory cards, have the right kind of lens handy, and have charged replacement batteries. I double check that any remote flashes are working properly and in the right location. It can be a lot to keep straight which is why good planning really helps.

I also check in with the organizer periodically to see if there are any changes and to verify that what I've been getting is what they need.

After the event

When the event is over, the computer work starts.

I download all of the images from the memory cards, making sure everything gets backed up just in case a computer or hard drive dies.

Images are culled to remove anything that is out of focus, poorly exposed, or is poorly composed. I also remove images with eye blinks (I always take two or three shots for this reason), awkward expressions, or unflattering angles.

Once I have a set of final images, I color correct, adjust cropping, and fix tilting. The images are almost done, but they tend to look flat, so I add a touch of vibrance, saturation, and contrast. The final step is to sharpen them a bit so they pop.

The images are then reviewed one last time before being uploaded to the cloud for delivery to the client. If necessary, I'll help them with any technical issues they may have downloading or using the images.

After a few days, I'll check in to make sure everything is going well and ask if I can share some of them on my own social media for my own marketing.

Once the next client hires me for an event, the cycle starts all over with planning the next one.