We\u2019ve all done it. Taken photos at a family birthday party or holiday and then gone back to look at them and realized the photos look like something a caveman could have drawn better.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry. It\u2019s (mostly) not your fault. Composing the photo is one step in a giant staircase that you have to climb in order to get the perfect shot. But the composition won\u2019t mean anything if the camera you take the photo with sub-par.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s imagine you can spend some money on a new camera and lens. These two things are just a few the tools you will use to better improve your event photography. The best way, though, is to get an idea for what to buy from people in the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy two Cameras that I use are the Nikon d80 and a Nikon D3000,\u201d said Rodney Miller, the Vice President of Artsbridge in New Jersey. Artsbridge, according to their website, is \u201can energetic group of painters, sculptors, photographers, writers, actors, musicians and filmmakers, gathering together on a volunteer basis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller, who photographs the show openings at the Gallery at Lower Bucks Campus at Bucks County Community College, likes to go the simple route for photographing events.<\/p>\n
\u201cI carry two cameras to make it easier when shooting an event,\u201d he says. \u201cOne with a 18-135 mm lens and the other with a 200 mm lens.\u201d This way, there is more time to get photos of people and less time fidgeting around with your gear.<\/p>\n
While posed photos are sometimes a necessity for events, Miller likes to take a different approach, stating, \u201cI like to get as natural looking shots as I can. Always trying to avoid the posed shot unless warranted.\u201d Candid photos often allow the images to tell the story, showing exactly how people are feeling and what they are doing.<\/p>\n
It is \u201calways nice when you can to show some action going on and every picture should say something,\u201d Miller states. If you want to be more serious with your event photography, John Filo, who is the Vice President at CBS Photography Operations, suggests a Nikon D3.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s heavy duty, has a big battery and can shoot a ton of photos,\u201d he said. Filo is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who has previously worked for the Associated Press as a photojournalist. \u201cIt\u2019s a good professional camera,\u201d he said. For his work for CBS, though, he uses a Nikon D300.<\/p>\n