Capturing

Some notes on capturing photos, especially at events.

Power of the photographer

I can imagine a future were events will be recorded by many camera's from different angles in order to reconstruct a virtual world based on reality. A virtual world in which the viewer could walk around and observe it from different angles. This would be the most true and objective way to capture an event. Something that comes close to this way of capturing events are security camera's. A security guard can view a scene from multiple angles, taken at the exact same time.

Photography however is very different and this is where the power of the photographer comes from. The photographer decides when to capture the photo, what to capture, the angle and distance from which the photo is taken and thus the background, the field of view, the point of focus, the depth of field, what details are too dark or too bright to be observed, the overall look of the photo when editing and any enhancements that might be done. Besides capturing what is there, photographers can also influence the environment in explicit or more subtles ways. They can ask the lighting to be changed, they can move plants and banners, they can ask people to step aside or form a group. Lastly the presence of a camera changes the way people behave. A photographer can try to influence the environment back to a more natural state, but it can never undo its own influence.

Photographers have great power. They can portray somebody badly or at their best. They can make an event look dull and empty if they choose to do so. They can also make it look interesting and alive, making the viewer wish they had been there. I choose to use my power to make events look exciting and inspiring.

Backgrounds

Events have a natural background as a result of the location they are held at. Whether this is a fancy historic room, a dim lit lecture hall or a dedicated events venue. I keep an eye on the surroundings and backgrounds when photographing to get the best photo's.

I make adjustments like moving plants, moving event banners to be in the background, move the lectern to a better position, move bags or jackets and cleaning up cables. If I arrive early I can make more adjustments, but some adjustments I can still do while capturing photos. In one case a speaker decided to stand in front of the stage instead of on it. I gently moved the event banner two meters to make sure it was in the background.

Lighting

Like backgrounds, lighting matters a lot. As a photographer I like bright lights, that are not too directional, and have a consistent color temperature and have a high color rendering index (CRI) to represent all colors. I have taken photos in dedicated venues in both a very bright and white setup and at a site where there were black backgrounds with theatrical lighting. Both can be very nice, resulting in very different looks. Worse examples are rooms with large windows without screens that get bright directional light of a different color temperature than the room lighting. Or situations where the beamer is not very bright and thus the room has to be made very dark in order for the audience to see the slides. I once shot photos at a location with a nice milk glass ceiling as diffusers, lit from the back by greenish fluorescent lighting. But there were also windows letting in a more blueish light and there were pendant lamps providing yellowish light. Getting this mishmash of color temperature too look good was a struggle.

Flash

The use of flash can make a lot of difference in the final result. Not only does it increase brightness, it can fill shadows or create them and can help with the representation of color. I use an off camera flash which I can direct and is more powerful than a built-in flash. To get as much ambient light I often expose for -0,3EV and then use a fill-flash of -1.0EV. Bounced flash in a light colored room create a diffused light which is flattering but can lack definition. In editing I can change white balance, exposure and contrast for a more natural look.

In event situations flash can be hindering. If there are situations where a good picture is required, I will often to take a few photos with flash. I do that when I have settled on a composition whilst photographing in natural light. If I find a composition that is particular great, I'll make sure I get an even better quality picture by taking a few photos with flash. This way I can reduce the hindrance of flash to a minimum whilst still using it to my advantage.

Types of photos

There are a some types of photos I try to capture as the foundation of my event coverage.

• Venue and location some photos to show the exterior and interior of the venue, so people knew where it was. The outside might have prominent logo's that make it a good image for publication.
• Badge handout if there are badges to handout, this is a great and friendly moment of interaction where visitors are welcomed by the organisers.
• Speaker with slide when speakers have an introduction slide about their topic, I like to capture them with this slide as it is a good photo to promote their presence afterwards. This works the best from the opposite side of speaker because then the speaker will look into the camera when the speaker standing on the side looks to the room.
• Speaker as seen from the audience by photographing through the audience to show the interaction. Ideally I capture the speaker looking at the person closest to the camera for the most powerful interaction.
• Speaker head many speakers have a profile picture of them speaking. A nice zoomed in photo can provides them with a new profile picture.
• Large audience especially at the beginning of the event there will often be a large audience. In this case the speaker and the content is less relevant as long as it is not distracting. The main goal is to show the large attendance.
• Event capture show people photographing slides, taking notes or show a videocamera capturing the event. It shows that the event is so good that it is worth recording.
• Food and drinks people get friendly and start conversations. By shooting from a good angle you can capture the interaction within the group and also show other groups in the background. There is the risk of portraying people badly when they eat, so capture more to be able to select the best.
• Group picture some events call for a group picture. It requires some time to arrange, but can be a good photograph to use to show the size of the community and the fun they have. It has a stronger community feel than regular event photos where people are part of a crowd.
• Audience questions questions show interaction in an otherwise monologic situation. This can be captured from different angles: the speaker and person asking question as seen from the speaker, as seen from the person, or the person with microphone in the audience.
• Booth interaction when there are booths there is a good opportunity to capture interaction whether this is talking or handing out goodies or pointing at the material displayed.
• Objects when there are relevant objects displayed like a hardware prototype I try to get a photo of that as well as it might be the only time it is shown in this configuration.
• Laptop stickers in the IT scene it is not uncommon to find laptops with stickers that display the affiliations or interests of the speakers. If the position of the lectern allows it I try to capture the laptop lid with stickers with the person in the background. These photos are useful if one of the stickers is related to the event, otherwise they are more a token of appreaciation of sticker culture.

Privacy

Some people in technology are very conscious about the risks of privacy in a world of technological advancements and changing politics. A picture from the past might be used for face tracking or to create false imagery. I fully understand these risks, but at the same time think it is important to capture the vibrance of the community of people that have a different perspective on technology.

My compromise in this dilemma is to be conscious of privacy of people. I follow the policy that is in place by the event organisers. In some cases they have different lanyards for people that don't want to be photographed, which is very helpful to prevent photographing them. If people take the stage by presenting or hosting a booth, I assume they pursue reach and therefore are fine being photographed. Depending on the situation and policy I take pictures of attendees, or make sure I only photograph them in a way they cannot be recognised like from the back or have them be part of a blurred background.

I have had people come to me and ask me if I had taken a photo of them, because they didn't wanted to be photographed. I then took the time with them during a break to go through the pictures I took and deleted them on the spot. In both cases the persons were hesitant to ask, so my response was considered very friendly.