Introduction
Photographing a public event or gathering is often fun and rewarding, but having no control over the scene or the lighting is a challenge that needs careful planning. Let's explore some practical tips and suggestions to help you be ready for anything!
Challenges and Difficulties
The main difficulty of shooting during the events is the fact that they generally happen in a defined place and time of day. It means that you can't wait for the perfect light or move the crowd; you have to take the photos as best as possible in the situation you find yourself in. You have almost no control over most of the elements that photographers want full control over.
Another challenge is that sometimes you need a pass to get into dedicated areas; if you're an amateur, you'll probably have difficulties obtaining one.
Some gatherings and events go on for the whole day; others depend on an event that may last even a few seconds. Sometimes you may be at the center of the action; other times you may be far away. Everything mentioned so far is to make you understand that there are different things to think about before arriving at the event, to have a clear idea of the situation.
... Always scout the location first ...
Having the right gear with you is essential, so the first step is to think about what you may need and what you could expect. Do you need a telephoto lens, a wide angle, or both? Will you need a flash? If you've never been at the event, it's surely a good idea to scout the location first, when possible.
Another option, if you have no idea what to expect and you can't check in person, is to ask for some advice from someone who's already attended the event or do a bit of research on the photos taken the previous year. This way, you can get some extra inspiration from those who already have experience.
If you need some ideas to make more engaging photos, we wrote a page about following a theme when you shoot your photos. You can find it below:
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Having the Right Gear
As mentioned earlier, it's very important to try to anticipate which gear you might need. We don't want to miss something essential, but neither do we want to weigh like a pack mule.
If we take photos at a small local ceremony or a neighborhood festival, we'll probably be able to position ourselves close to the action. In that case, a good wide-angle lens might be the ideal choice, possibly supported by a flash and a normal prime such as a 50 mm.
If you plan to take a lot of portraits, or you're documenting a major sports event in a large stadium, the large distances will make a long telephoto lens absolutely necessary.
Those are only a couple of examples just to let you realize that it should generally be possible to decide if you'll need a wide-angle, or a telephoto, or a normal lens, or all of the above.
Zoom lenses are extremely flexible since they allow you to change the focal length, but prime lenses generally have better sharpness and larger apertures, so you have to choose between the ease of a zoom and the quality of prime lenses.
... the flexibility of zoom lenses is priceless, but prime lenses are optically superior ...
You should avoid being like our friend who goes everywhere with a backpack of 18 kg, or 50 lb, risking a heart attack every step he takes, but also avoid being like us, on a trip in Barcelona, where we went to see motocross in a stadium with only a wide-angle lens, at a huge distance from the motocross bikes doing jumps.
To sum up, it's essential to bring the right lens. If you have a clear idea of what to expect during the event, your choice will be guided by logic; if you're not quite sure what awaits you, it's better to leave with several options or a zoom lens.
If the day will surely be long and tiring, you may take an unconventional choice and force yourself to use a single, lightweight, prime lens, generally a 50 mm or a 35 mm, training to take the best possible photos relying only on the old-school photographer's zoom: your legs.
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How Many People Will Be There?
In the previous chapter we've seen that the distance from the point of interest will decide what lens we need, but there's another thing to consider at the events: the crowd.
First of all, at the "The Bad Haircut Fair of Nowheresville" there will be for sure fewer problems photographing than at the Super Bowl, so you have to use your critical judgment and ask yourselves the key question: can I access the event?
Most of the time, in high-profile events, the best places are reserved for professional photographers chosen by the organization. You may try to contact them and ask if you can have a pass, but you may not be lucky, so keep in mind these three things:
- If the moment of interest of the event is short, it's better to take place in the right spot well in advance. Probably you should take a high place to stay above the heads of the other participants.
- Other times you'll need to push a little to get a good photo. Within the bounds of good manners, try to make your way through the crowd to reach the best spot for a good photo. And once you've taken your shot and brought it home, courtesy suggests that you step aside and leave room for the photographers behind you.
- If there are official photographers, you should never place yourself in front of their lenses. They will ask you to move; if you're lucky, they will be gentle, but they may also be very rude. Since placing in front of a photographer is something people do without realizing it, you should have patience; you can bet unwanted people will get into your photos.
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What Settings Should You Use?
Writing this chapter is rather difficult, as there are so many possibilities that may vary by a lot, and every situation should be considered differently. In any case, there are a few things that should always be kept in mind.
If you are taking photos at an event, the main thing to avoid is motion blur, intended as camera shaking, or subjects blurred by movement. Shutter speed must always be kept as low as possible, unless you are searching for some artistic, intentional motion blur.
If you are shooting at a sporting event, do whatever you can to stay below 1/1000; in the case of parades or walking events, 1/500 will ensure perfectly sharp photos. If the light is too low, we suggest raising the ISO settings or opening up the aperture, rather than slowing down the shutter speed.
For indoor events, low light becomes a big problem; the only real solution is using very fast lenses and high ISO values. All of the above is only a brief explanation; you can find a lot more information about shutter speed on our dedicated page below:
If you have a professional camera, always shoot in RAW; it will give you more control over correcting small exposure issues, excessive contrast, or wrong color balance. If you don't know what raw files are and what advantage they bring, we recommend reading the page below:
During events with direct sunlight, one big issue is the hard light, which means very dark shadows and really bright illuminated areas. The contrast between the two will be really difficult to handle. One perfect solution is the flash, which allows you to soften the harsh shadows.
Keep in mind that you should avoid disturbing the subjects or the event itself. Blinding the participants of a nighttime running race, for example, would be completely unacceptable.
Since most of the flashes will force the camera to 1/200 as the lower shutter speed, which is not so low, avoid using it with very fast subjects. For the same reason, remember to close the aperture value if you want to use flash in broad daylight.
Really Important Events
What do we mean by really important events? Generally, weddings, but also any milestone in the life of a person. We aren't professional photographers, so our experience on the topic is really, really limited, but on a few occasions we've been tricked into... well... convinced... to photograph at a few important events.
We'd still like to share a few tips, based on our modest experience as nonprofessional photographers who have been involved a few times anyway:
- The first tip is definitely to come up with an unbreakable prior commitment so you can say ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!
- Jokes aside, always try to scout the location and take a few test shots. These events often take place in very dark places, where using a flash is often not recommended.
- Make sure you clearly inform the person who hired you about your capacity, and especially that they shouldn't expect professional results.
- During an important event no one cares about waiting for the photographer, so you need to be quick in capturing the key moments.
- You must have a very clear idea of how the event unfolds so you can be in the right place at the right time.
- Do all you can to find another amateur photographer who is completely autonomous. Professionals have two or three bodies, plenty of lenses, and memories with automatic backup; having another person is your backup, and it will lower your stress significantly.
- Tell the person who asked you to take the photos or the participants very clearly: if someone wants to appear in individual shots, they need to come and tell you. Imagine being outside the venue taking pictures of the couple with their closest friends; you definitely don't want to be blamed because John Doe was distracted and later gets upset that he's missing from the photos.
- Try to take more photos than you think you need. You can always delete them later, but you can't redo the event.
- Be extremely careful not to lose or delete any files. Stay focused on what you're doing at all times.
Some Last, Useful Tips
The last tips are the classic ones: make sure your camera battery is fully charged, your memory card is empty, and that you've set the correct parameters before you find yourself in the middle of the action. Double-check that no unwanted functions are still active from the last time you used the camera, and take a few test shots.
Experimentation is a good thing, but it should start only after you've already taken some solid, classic shots. Sometimes some small sacrifices are necessary, like getting up early or travelling quite a distance. It's not always enjoyable, of course, but the rewards are often well worth it.
We're not qualified to provide legal advice, so please consider the following points as general information that you should look into further. In Italy you can legally photograph anything you want, except military sensitive areas and personnel; no one can block you.
If a person is a part of your photo, you can keep the picture for private use. It's completely different when you want to share it; in that case privacy laws must be taken into account. That said, here are a few suggestions:
- Never publish photos of minors without written consent from their parents.
- Never publish close-up portraits of people who are not actively involved in a parade.
- When in doubt, censor the faces.
- If someone appears in the photo only incidentally, for example, in the background, you may publish the image.
- Never publish anything that could harm the reputation of any person portrayed.
- Don't publish photos taken in places where access is not allowed, even if it's just industrial archaeology.
- It's illegal to photograph military sites or buildings where access is prohibited.
- If you want to take a photo of law enforcement officers or their vehicles, explicitly ask for permission.
- Never publish photos showing vehicle license plates.
Lastly, we want to leave you an article we wrote about removing people from the pictures; you can find it below:
Conclusion
We hope you liked this page about improving your photos during events. Before saying goodbye, we would suggest you read our home page, with all the articles we wrote about Cortina d'Ampezzo.
If you want to thank us, you can read the page Support Us. If you only want to suggest a change, propose something, or just say hello, in the section Contacts and Info, you'll find all the ways to reach us.