Event Photography – What Has Digital Done?

Event Photography is an age-old profession where a photographer will capture images at an event and make them available for sale to anyone who is interested, right there at the event. With the rise of digital technology in photography, the possibilities of what events can be covered and what can be provided at any event have ballooned.

Before digital photography, an event photographer would take the photos at the start of the event, such as a black-tie dinner. The photographer would then have to rush off and get the films developed, printed and mounted and rush back to the event before the end of the night to try and pick up any sales from guests who were still there and still interested. The latest digital equipment and workflows have turned this on its head. The guests can now have the photos taken and see them almost instantly.

A typical setup for an indoor event, such as a charity ball or school prom would include a portable studio complete with backdrop and studio lighting. Digital capture of the images and automatic transmission of the images to the computer systems via a wireless network. Then there would be the sales desk where the images can be processed almost instantly. Once the images are at the sales desk they can be viewed by clients, they could then choose to purchase any of the images or have the photos retaken if they weren’t happy with the results. This can especially be useful for large group shots, inevitably there’s going to be someone who blinks or doesn’t like the way they look in a photo. Digital photography allows the photographer to shoot multiple images and get an image that’s going to please the whole group or at least a large portion of them.

As well as allowing for the provision of better photos digital capture of photos also frees up the photographer from the shackles of using film. The photographer can wander around the event covering award presentations, doing informal or table shots or anything the client wants to cover. All these images are then immediately available at the sales desk for viewing. This can be a really entertaining part of the event, the guests love to see themselves on the big screens and this encourages other guests to take part. It’s now part of the events entertainment instead of just a memento of the evening.

Digital photography has also played a part in the output of the final prints. Modern Dye-Sub printers are portable, easy to use and capable of producing “Real” photos that are durable, won’t fade and of high quality. Exactly the same as you would get from any high street photo lab.

Digital Photography really has changed the face of event photography. Different sized prints can be produced on the night, digital images could be put onto USB keys for the guests, slide-shows could be created and displayed at the event or put onto a DVD for the guests to buy. T-shirts, key fobs or mugs could be made by any event photographer who wants to invest in the equipment to create them.