Build UK Open Doors Launch Event

Build UK’s Open Doors launch event project gives people the chance to see behind the scenes at construction sites, offices, factories and training centres. This gives anyone considering a career in construction the chance to see up close the sort of projects they could be involved in. In 2019 alone 6,000 people benefitted from the opportunity at over 290 sites across England, Scotland and Wales.
Open Doors is led by Build UK in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). It’s also supported by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS), the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), Construction News and Go Construct.

On-Site Corporate Photography

For me as an event photographer, the first hurdle is getting on-site. I’ve photographed on building sites and oil rigs all over the world. From London to the depths of the Sahara, if I am working for a company based out of the UK, my day will always start by getting the right personal protection equipment on.
I carry various bits of equipment myself. In particular my working boots. As a corporate photographer I can be on my feet for most of the hours of my working day, so having good boots is essential. They have to be up to the standard required on building sites, in particular with steel toe caps and steel bottoms of the boots to make sure I don’t step on a nail and get it through my foot!

High visibility clothing, headgear, generally a hard hat, and glasses follow. The other main thing I carry is gloves. You almost always have to wear gloves on site now and for me as a corporate photographer that has particular issues. I need to be able to protect my hands from a variety of substances, but I also need to be able to carry and use my cameras. The way I get around this is to find building site regulation gloves that are missing the thumb and forefinger. Perfect for pressing the shutter release and turning the various knobs on my cameras as I take photographs.

Open Doors Launch Event

On this assignment, my brief was to photograph the event generally, but in particular to get some great shots of the people benefitting from the Open Doors launch.
We had beautiful blue skies, particularly good not only for the photographs, but also because the event took place in February, so it was good to have a bit of sun on our faces!
The clear weather and blue skies helped me hugely. The lovely light gave my photographs clarity and contrast, as well as some gorgeous blue sky as a background. Very different from having grey skies in my photographs.

Photographing on a Building Site

While I have to be very aware of my surroundings generally as a corporate photographer, on a building site I need to be even more so. Building sites are a lot safer now than they used to be, but they still have a lot of raw materials and chemicals sitting round as well as long drops with only a small barrier. The flip side to this is that there are loads of photo opportunities using the materials and poles and girders making up the building as it is. Having the right light is great, but most building sites also have very open spaces meaning I can use natural light without any problems.

Getting the Right Photos

I followed one group around the site getting some shots of them as they moved up the floors. However, once I was a few floors up I stopped and waited for the next group. I wanted to get a group shot of as many of the groups as I could, but I also wanted to get shots of lots of different people, rather than lots of shots of the same people again and again.
The groups I photographed were all lovely with everyone happy to be in the photos. They all got on with what they were doing, ignoring me, which was perfect as it meant I could get on with getting great documentary photographs of them all.

A Day in London

It was a wonderful day to be a corporate photographer in London. Not only because it was a lovely sunny day, but also because it was such a great assignment. I’ll be interested when I next go through Hanover Square to see what the building looks like. I would even be able to go inside as part of the building is going to be a tube station.

If you enjoyed this blog post, you might like to have a look at some more of my work. You can see more on my blog, or have a look at my commercial photography page. You might be particularly interested in this assignment I photographed for CSCS.
If you have an event you’d like to talk to me about, then please get in touch using my contact page. If you have any questions, then feel free to contact me or check out my FAQ’s page.

The post Build UK Open Doors Launch Event Photography appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

What Will The Event Photographs Be Used For?

This is without doubt the most crucial part of an event photography brief. There is often a specific reason for the event photographs. Letting me know what that reason is will hugely increase the chances of you getting great photos. There are sometimes secondary reasons for the photos, so it’s good to let me know that too, but definitely rank the reasons in order of importance.

Asking For An Event Photography brief

When booking in an event to photograph, I always ask how the photos will be used. A recent example was a conference I photographed at Excel London. The client primarily wanted photos for social media, mainly Twitter and Instagram, but also to put on their own app feed during the conference. From this I knew I needed not only to get great photos that would work well on those platforms, but also get them to them quickly and in the format they needed to get them online easily.
A secondary reason for the event photos was a record of the conference that would be used in internal correspondence and newsletters as well as for their photo library. As a result, when I had got a good load of shots to them to use immediately, I was able to spend a bit of time documenting the event thoroughly.

A Good Event Photography Brief Can Sometimes Be No Brief At All

I often find that just knowing the way the event photographs will be used can be enough of a brief to get the photographs my client wants. Sometimes being over briefed can restrict the way I shoot. For example I might approach photographing the event from a completely different angle if I have the freedom to do that. This can mean much more interesting shots with loads of energy as I will be following the feel and atmosphere of the event. Whereas if I have a specific brief I will always follow that.
Often the confidence to let your photographer shoot the event the way they see it comes from having worked together regularly.
I’ve photographed the Effie Awards Judging Panel a few times. The photographs I’ve shot have changed hugely as the client felt more confident to let me photograph the event as I saw it. As a result, the feedback from not only the client, but also many people from the company I was shooting for has been excellent.

Conditions At The Event

As a London Event Photographer I’ve shot events at a huge range of venues across the city, such as the ExCel London, the Hilton Park Lane, and even the Houses of Parliament. So it’s likely I will have an idea of the conditions I will be shooting with at the venue where you are holding your event. However, it’s also possible you will have exhibitor stands or some kind of performance or stage that will be exclusive to your event. It’s a good idea to let me know anything like that so I can be totally prepared for your event. This can sometimes mean me bringing specialist equipment, or might mean I will ring the venue to check if I can have access to specific areas to have a particular view.

Where And When I’m Needed

At lots of events I photograph there will be times when there will be a particular shot needed or a specific person photographed. For instance if awards are being given or a speech. It’s very important I know the rough timings and location of those shots so I can prepare and be in the right place at the right time with the right photographic equipment.

What Not To Photograph

This is a slightly odd one, but comes up surprisingly regularly. Sometimes there are things that my client doesn’t want photographed. This can be particular people who have requested not to be included in any photos or more often it can be a part of the event that is just of no interest to the client. For instance I often spend time photographing audience reactions to awards or speeches. Occasionally a client will say that while those shots are great, they just have no use for them. As a result, I can use my time and energy photographing what they do want.

The Best Event Photography Brief

Hopefully the information above will be helpful when putting together a brief for me or another photographer at your event. There are many other factors at an event, but I’ve specifically kept it to what is relevant to me as a photographer for the reasons I made above about not over briefing. If you’re interested in reading more about my work you might like this page about my conference photography.
If you have any questions or want to talk to me about a particular event, please get in touch through my contact page or by email at neil@neilwalker.com or by phone on 020 3633 5512.

The post Writing an Event Photography Brief appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

Looking for the Light

I’ve talked about looking for the light before and it will feature again in most of my blogs without a doubt, because it is the single most important factor for a London event photographer when looking for images to shoot.
In this particular instance, taking event photographs for the CFA Institute within a huge area without any natural light in the ExCeL London, finding areas which have interesting light is more difficult than usual. The light itself in the conference halls is pretty good, very even and bright, which means I don’t have to worry about pushing my cameras to the limit to get great shots. However, it does mean most of my shots will be similar in terms of the lighting. You can see what I mean from this blog post about the London conference where I took this photograph. As a result, at an event like this I am always looking for any areas that have lighting out of the ordinary.

Why I like this Photo

While a lot of the light at the ExCeL London is excellent, in some of the halls and rooms the light is purposely more moody. In the hall I took this shot, the light was bright and even. As a result, when I saw this little scene happening near me I walked over to capture it. It has several things to it that I like. The way I framed it, including the reflection makes the shot really interesting and the light, in particular the almost monotone dominance of the blue really creates a great feel to the shot.
Add to that the reaction of the man we are facing and the concentration of the man to the right which brings in a human element. This is added to by some of the less corporate objects in the shot like the man to the right’s watch and the coffee on the side. All these things combine to create an image that, while it could be just a good corporate shot, is actually more human.

Working at a Conference

If you’ve worked at a conference as an exhibitor, you’ll recognise the feel to this shot. It has the feel of a conference winding down. In particular the coffee and the relaxed feel to the men in the photo contrasts with the more frenetic feel to the exhibitors at the beginning of an event. While this is something most people will miss, once you know a bit of the background and my thoughts on why I took it, you can really feel the atmosphere.

Technical Information

I’ve been working with Fuji’s for some time now. I wanted to use a fairly wide angled lens for this shot, so I chose the Fujinon XF 23mm F2 on my XT3. Because the subjects in the shot were very relaxed, I knew I had some time to get the shot right. I tried a couple of different apertures, from F2 through to F4 to see if that would change the shot significantly and finally settled on F2.8. I didn’t want the shot to be dominated by a shallow depth of field as I wanted to get that end of show feeling coming from each of the subjects rather than just focusing in on one person. In that instance it would become all about the shot and not the people in it.
The XT3’s are almost silent, even when using the mechanical shutter, which means that although the subjects knew I was there, they weren’t disturbed by me, which is crucial to the way I work.

The post The Story Behind this Conference Photo | Event Photographer appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

ExCeL London

Every time I go to the ExCeL London I’m amazed at the size of the exhibition spaces they have to offer. Having been a London event photographer for over twenty years, photographing events all over the world, I still haven’t photographed an event at a venue with comparable space and versatility.
It also helps that it’s a very easy place to work as a photographer. Most importantly it has good lighting, but it also has lots of space and levels to shoot from.

The Conference Theme

The theme of the conference this year was disruption around the world and how that effects the investment management industry. Technology, business innovation, globalisation and demographic shifts were all covered by speakers and within the breakout groups. How to take advantage of the changes was key to the conference, with many impressive speakers bringing their opinions to the table.

Speakers at the Conference

Speakers at the CFA conference included noted economists, best selling authors, leading researchers and successful practitioners. Some of the speakers were within smaller breakout groups and some on the main stage speaking to two thousand people. Notably Mohamed A. El-Erian, chief economic advisor at Allianz spoke on the main stage about global markets, disruptions, opportunities and risks. Sir Ivan Rogers, who is a former senior British civil servant and served as the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union, spoke about Brexit, a continuous theme throughout the conference.

Break Out Groups

It was interesting that, in common with a lot of other conferences I’ve photographed in the last few years, this conference had some breakout groups focused on personal wellbeing. The most impressive of these in my opinion as a London conference photographer, and certainly the best attended, with some delegates having to sit on the floor to hear her speak, was Laurie Santos who is head of Silliman College and a professor of psychology at Yale University. She spoke about the course she runs at Yale called “Psychology and the Good Life”, where she teaches 1200 students about behavioural change through positive psychology. The You Tube video I linked to above is very similar to the presentation she did at the CFA conference.

Photographing a Conference

Every London conference is different, not least of all because of the amount of delegates, and as a result the different venues used. In my experience as a London conference photographer, some are held in tiny venues for only a few people and some, as this one, have a lot more people attending. This also means the way I approach the photography is different too. For smaller conferences the photography is often to document the event, sometimes for an annual report or newsletter and as a result the photographs can be delivered the day after the event finishes. However, for an event like the CFA World Conference, the photographs are predominantly used for immediate use on social and other types of media. In an age of twenty four hour rolling news, it’s important for an event such as this to get it’s message out as the event is happening, since a day later it’s old news for a lot of media.

London Conference Photographer

My brief as one of two photographers covering the conference was to capture not only the feel of the event, but also specific aspects as they happened. Most importantly of course I needed to document the venue and the setup. We were very lucky with the weather, all three days at ExCeL were beautifully sunny, so the light we had, particularly for outside shots, was lovely. I then needed to capture the speakers and audience reactions in both small rooms for the break out groups and the huge auditorium with the main stage.
The contrast between the two types of rooms is huge, though the technique for getting great shots in them is actually very similar. Taking account of the colour temperature of the lights on the stages, as opposed to the light on the delegates, getting a range of different angles and interesting perspectives and covering all the speakers was part of my brief.

Working as a Team

I was working with Harry Richards Photography, he and I have worked together a number of times and we both know well how the other works. As a result it was a stress free experience and Harry & I split the coverage we needed between us. Here’s a link to his blog post from the event.
Because our photographs needed to be turned around so fast, Harry & I regularly took our photographs to be downloaded and retouched by a third photographer David Baird, who made quick work of making them available for use.

Your London Conference

If you found this article interesting and you’d like to see more blog posts like it, you can find them on my blog page. Alternatively, here are a few that you might enjoy. Here’s a blog about an event I photographed for Mazda and here’s one for the CPA.
Please use my contact page to ask any questions you have or to book me for your event or conference.

The post CFA Institute World Conference at ExCeL London | London Conference Photographer appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

Getting the right look to your headshot photograph is very important. It will not only show people who you are, but how you want to be seen. It’s more important in my opinion initially than a CV as it is the first impression your customers or potential employers will have of you. It sets the tone for how you want them to view you and so whether they will decide to continue to engage with you, or not. Ultimately it is the key to your own personal branding.
Many customers or employers will do an internet search for your name to see any background they can find on you. Old and current headshot photographs will come up, so you’ll want to have some good ones on there!
If you follow my advice below, you’ll easily get the kind of shot you want them to find.

Preparation for your Headshot Photograph

Preparing for your headshot photograph is all important. Many people will have their headshot photography arranged for them. As a result they’ll generally, in my experience, just want to turn up to the shoot and hope the photographer will work their magic getting a great shot. However, there really is only so much a photographer can do. As a London headshot photographer I will create sympathetic lighting, use lenses that give lovely crisp effects, have a good background and post process your headshot beautifully. Even so, unless I know you personally, or have plenty of time to talk to you and take some test shots, I won’t know how you would like to be photographed. Generally I will get a few minutes per person, not enough time to talk through all the options. By this time it is also too late to get different clothes or change the way you look.
As a result, having a think through how you’d like to be photographed well before you arrive for your headshot will make a huge difference to whether you get a headshot you love and will use for many years to come, or get one you won’t be proud of.

What to Wear

It’s very important you wear not only something that presents how you want to be seen, but also that you are comfortable in.
Do you want to look businesslike or relaxed and casual? Rather than thinking about how you’d like to look, think about who will be looking at your headshot and how you’d like them to see you. Do you want to stand out from the crowd, or blend in?
Make sure whatever you wear is clean and freshly pressed if that’s the look you are after. Avoid stripes and patterns as they tend to draw the eye.
The same is true of wearing white. The eye is drawn to the lightest thing in a photograph, so I would avoid white shirts or tops unless worn under a jacket. Again with a white top, if the headshot is on a white background, then it will blend in making you look a bit like a floating head!
Flesh colours and pastels don’t tend to be very good either, mid tones are generally the best.
Having said that, if you have a colour that suits you best, then that’s what you should wear, as long as it isn’t white!
Have a think about a neckline that suits you and avoid bare arms. You can make a statement with jewellery, tattoos and very colourful outfits, though it’s important to think about how you will feel about your headshot in six months, or even a few years time. Remember, the internet has a very long memory!

Other Things to Think About Before your Headshot

Make up

I’ve often been asked if I can supply a make up artist for the shoot. I certainly can and know some very good ones. However, on the occasions I have used one I have had mixed results. Generally, unless you can do a trial with the makeup artist, it’s best not to experiment on the day. Doing your makeup yourself means you will get the results you want and look the way you will expect. It’s also worth mentioning that the camera doesn’t either shed or add on any pounds to you, so just do your makeup the way you’d like it!

Hair

Having a good and clean shave, if that’s the way you want to look, is a good idea for the guys, and I wouldn’t advise a haircut or hair colouring in the week before.

Glasses

Do you wear glasses? If so it’s a good idea to decide if you want to wear them for the headshot or not. I can alternatively do some shots with them and without.
If you aren’t going to wear them for your headshot, or if you are going to have a mix of shots with them on and off, then it’s very important to take your glasses off shortly before your headshot so there are no marks on your face from the nose pads.

How You Want to Come Across in your Headshot

You are very welcome to talk to me when we do your headshot, about how you want to come across. However it is worth having a think about it beforehand, and maybe talk it through with your partner, or a close friend, so you come prepared. For instance, do you have a best side? Do you turn a certain way when you do a selfie? Do you like photographs of yourself smiling, or do you prefer a more enigmatic look?

Things to do Just Before Your Headshot

A visit to the bathroom to look in the mirror to check makeup, hair and straighten any clothes is always a very good idea. It’s also good to take some deep breaths and just stretch a little as most people are understandably a bit tense before a headshot. Looking hunched up isn’t a good look in a headshot! Posture is very important.
As I’ve mentioned above, remember to take your glasses off if you aren’t going to wear them for your headshot, or if you are going to have a mix of shots with them on and off.

In Conclusion

Most people are quite nervous about being photographed for a headshot. It’s totally understandable, however, this often comes from a fear of the unknown and a concern I may have you do something embarrassing, or make you look silly. Rest assured none of these things will happen on a shoot with me as the photographer. No one likes being photographed in front of their work colleagues, so I try to avoid that, though unfortunately it is often unavoidable.
When taking your headshot, I will get you comfortable in front of the camera, chat briefly about how you want to look and then get cracking on the shots themselves. It generally only takes a minute or two, though sometimes longer if you want to try a couple of different looks.

It’s worth mentioning I’ve purposely not separated this article into men & women sections as there is so much overlap now depending on the industry I am shooting for.

If you enjoyed this article , then you might find a couple of other ones I’ve written interesting too. Here’s one about the different types of headshots. Here’s one from a headshot shoot I did for the Publishers Association.

If you are considering booking me as your headshot photographer, then you can use my contact page to ask any questions, get a quote, or to book me.

The post What to Wear for your Headshot Photograph appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

The Publishers Association AGM this year was at the Science Gallery. It’s not a venue I’ve been to before, though I’ve shot at lots of places shooting commercial photography in London all around it over the years! It’s a great venue for a small conference or event and is particularly useful for me as a London event photographer as it has an auditorium layout to it. This means that I am above everyone else when I shoot from the back, I have a really good view of everyone and everything and I can take photographs unnoticed and from lots of different angles. All great reasons for me to really enjoy shooting there.

Publishers Association AGM

I really like venues where delegates and speakers aren’t aware I’m photographing them. It makes a difference to the way they act and I genuinely believe people look their best when they don’t know they are being photographed. I can use long telephoto lenses so I am further away, but at this focal length it makes a difference to the way the shot feels and loses any sense of intimacy or connection with the subject. As a result, I believe it’s best to be closer to the subject, using a short focal length lens but be discreet and very much in the background.

This years Publishers Association AGM boasted Dame Helena Morrissey DBE as the guest speaker. She is founder of the 30% Club, chair of The Diversity Project and head of Personal Investing at Legal & General Investment Management. Her talk was extremely interesting with a lot to feel positive about with advances in diversity in the City.

Other business passed off smoothly and I was able to not only get all the shots I needed, but had time to try a few more interesting shots that are a bit beyond the brief. Sometimes my clients really like something a bit more creative and other times it can’t be used, but for both myself and the client my view is that it is better to get some interesting shots, if I have the time, as it can really add to their photo library. Also, in a sea of event photos on the internet, it can be good to have something that will stand out occasionally.

Other Blog Posts You Might Like

If you enjoyed this blog post, then you might enjoy these too. Here are the Mazda Awards at the St Pancras Hotel, the Build UK AGM the Publishers Association AGM 2018 and the CFA World Conference.

Contact Me

If you’d like to talk to me about your event, you can go to my contact page. You can also check out my FAQ’s page and see more of my work on my blog page.

The post Science Gallery Event | Publishers Association AGM 2019 appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

I post a lot of photos on my website and online. It occurred to me that very few people will ever know the story behind some of my photos and how I captured them. It’s hard of course for me to know if anyone is actually interested! So, whether this is just a cathartic exercise for me, or if there are actually people out there interested in the background to some of my photos, here goes.

How Did I choose this Photo?

I chose this photo because it was one of those rare occasions when several fortuitous elements came together meaning I was able to capture what I consider to be an image with energy and great light.
In many areas of photography the photographer will start with something inherently interesting, colourful or beautiful, such as in fashion, advertising or music photography. As a London event photographer, I shoot in a variety of situations and locations, many of them in business. These situations tend be designed around functionality rather than aesthetics. As a result, I believe I often have to work that little bit harder to get a shot that will be interesting or possibly, dare I say it, exciting to the viewer. This is great for me, as a photographer, as the satisfaction from creating a great image from a difficult situation is, to my mind more satisfying than capturing something that is there ready to be photographed.

Chasing the Light

To get shots with energy, I’m looking for a variety of things. However, the first thing I look for above anything else is the light. The background, the framing, all the technical elements in most situations will be secondary. Top of my mind is what light I have and where it is coming from. This in my opinion is what separates great photographers from average ones.

Soft, Natural Light

In this particular situation, high up on the sixth floor of Oath‘s offices in Mid City Place in Holborn, I had beautiful, soft, natural light. This meant that I was able to shoot without using any flash or artificial lights. Bingo! It doesn’t get much better than this!
I was able to walk around shooting from any angle I wanted in the knowledge that I would have lovely light hitting my subjects.

Reactions

Next what I was looking for on this particular shoot were reactions. This needn’t necessarily have been laughter or anything dramatic. In some corporate environments I may be looking for concentration, or a calm confident look depending on the final use of the images. However, when I walked in, the Effie Judging panel were breaking the ice and were talking about some of their personal experiences, before tucking into the work of the day judging for the Effie‘s.
As a result I was able to get straight to work capturing the talking and laughing. this was a result for me as within about twenty minutes of arriving I had already got all the shots I needed!

Judging the Awards

The next step for the judges was then to get down to looking at the entrants and put some order to them. The contrast was excellent for me. the shot above was obviously during the first part while they were chatting, but I also got lots of shots of the judges concentrating, which, while not having as much energy, were still interesting, particularly when viewed as a set of images rather than individually, as they then tell the complete story.

The Technical Bits

I photograph with Fuji XT3‘s, a fantastic mirrorless camera. It’s light and fast and produces beautiful files, very flattering to skin tones. I use a variety of lenses, but my favourites in this sort of situation are the Fujinon XF56mm F1.2 R and the Fujinon XF23mm F1.4 R. They’re both beautifully crisp lenses, great for capturing people in lovely light.

I hope you enjoyed this, I’ll be adding more posts about particular photographs I love and the reason I do in the near future. In the meantime, there are loads of other posts you can look at in my blog.

The post The Story Behind the Effie Judging Panel appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

Juul are expanding rapidly in the UK and recently had to move in to new, larger offices in Holborn. To celebrate their success and the fantastic new offices, they decided to have a launch party and approached me for some London event photography. The top floor in the new offices is perfect for a launch event, with loads of space, not only for socialising and drinking, but also for dancing. There’s a big terrace looking out over the many other offices in the area too, where guests could enjoy the spring evening.

Speeches and Presents

I started the event by getting some shots of the outside of their new offices, as doubtless they will want those for any social media and pr about their move to Holborn. I then got some shots of guests arriving and socialising in the reception area. The light was good and the mood very upbeat, which meant I got some great, energetic shots of everyone talking and laughing, always a good combination for a London event photographer.
The formal part of the night included some speeches and gifts for members of staff that had contributed to the outfitting and move to the new offices. Then after a ribbon cutting everyone moved upstairs to where the real fun was to begin.

Office Social Area

The new Juul offices have two floors of work space and a social area on the top floor. It was here the party was really going to get going.
The cocktail bar and specialist beers got everyone in the mood and the photobooth provided a lot of fun. Later in the evening the DJ Dave Clarke got some of the guests dancing.
I also had the pleasure of working alongside film maker Philip London doing video of the night.

London Event Photography

This is the tech bit! Here’s a bit of info about how I approached the night and the type of photographic kit I decided to use.
Since this event was going to be fast moving and a huge mix of very tight shots as well as long shots picking out guests with a short depth of field, I decided to pack my medium zoom to cover the night. It covers 24mm to 82mm and with a widest aperture of F2.8 all the way through it meant I had plenty of scope to shoot with the available light. I usually shoot with prime lenses, but this event was very fast moving and I was often in quite tight situations with little scope to change lenses. The lens worked well on the night, getting me all the shots I wanted, without having to resort to using any flash. If you’ve read any of my other blog posts you’ll know I much prefer shooting with the available light rather than using flash. That way I can really get the atmosphere of the event, something that it’s much harder to capture if I’m flooding the scene with flash. Used well, flash can be useful, but it’s even better not to have to use it at all!

Your London Event

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog post on London event photography. If you have an event and have any questions, then please use my contact page to get in touch. You can also look at my FAQ’s page and check out some other posts on my blog from lots of London events.
In particular, you might like to have a look at these blog posts, here’s an event I shot for Mazda at the St Pancras Hotel, and here’s an event I shot for the Publishers Association at the British Academy.

The post London Event Photography | Juul Launch Party appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

The St Pancras Hotel has to be one of the top venues for event photography London. It is not only beautiful, but because of the way the windows are laid out, the light is very directional giving lovely contrasty patterns I can use to create great, interesting photographs.

Mazda All Stars Awards

I was photographing at this iconic venue for Mazda, who held their annual All Stars award ceremony there. The production was by Phoenix Animation and the event was planned by Black Tomato.
As well as the drinks reception I was photographing the dinner and awards with relaxing and dancing afterwards.
The great light meant it was a really enjoyable night for me as I was able to make the most of the atmosphere in my shots. To do this I used my fastest lenses, letting the ambient light really give an idea of what it was like on the night. In some venues, as a London event photographer, I use a little bit of flash to lift the shadows caused by the lighting, but at this London event I just used the available light to get great shots.

Great Atmosphere at the Event

The atmosphere at this event was excellent, the master of ceremonies was extremely funny, and kept everyone laughing. This meant I was able to pick out great reactions amongst the guests while they enjoyed themselves unaware I was taking photographs of them. I used a long lens for some of the shots so that I could capture guests spontaneously laughing. However it’s important to get a lot of variety in the shots from an event, so I also shot with a wide lens quite a bit closer, getting lots of reactions, but also a sense of the venue surrounding the guests.

If you enjoyed looking at this blog post, you might like to see more events and conferences I’ve photographed. You can see them on my blog. You might also like to see my FAQ’s page. If you have any further questions, or if you’d like to chat about or book me for your event, you can use my contact page. I look forward to hearing from you.

The post Event Photography London | Mazda Awards at the St Pancras Hotel appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.

Knowing What Kind of Headshot Photography You’d Like

Backdrop headshots

These are fairly straight forward in that they are photographed on a plain background of some sort, often white or grey, with the subject looking to camera. The type of backdrop can be a brand colour or just neutral. These sorts of shots are good for when you need headshot photography for a large team, if you are short of time to get the photographs done or if you need them doing regularly because you have team members changing. They can also be done in a variety of locations, wherever a small headshot studio can be set up. This is often in a canteen or a meeting room where there is plenty of space. It’s important to remember that plug sockets will be needed too.
My personal preference is for grey rather than white as white will often wash out the subject, whereas grey lends a bit of depth to the shot.
A backdrop headshot doesn’t have to be formal, it can be quite informal given a bit of time to work with the subject. Most people are a little stressed by the idea of being photographed. For a formal shot it doesn’t take much time to relax a subject and get the shot, but for a more informal shot it really helps to have a bit of time. Here’s a link to another blog post with more backdrop headshots.

Environmental Headshots

These are similar to backdrop headshots in that the subject is generally looking to camera. However, rather than having a plain background, the immediate environment is in the photograph. This style of shot brings a lot more to the photograph. I particularly like using a short depth of field so the subject is sharp but the rest of the photo is slightly blurred. This brings the viewers attention straight onto the subject while the feel of the photograph is still informed by the choice of background. The title photograph at the top of this article is an example of an environmental headshot.
Choosing the background is obviously important, while as a headshot photographer I would need to consider carefully what light we could work with depending on the location.

Natural or Documentary Headshots

Now we come to my particular favourite. It’s not always possible to shoot like this, and it won’t always suit what’s needed. However, to my mind documentary headshots are the most natural and relaxed form of headshot. This shows off the subject at their best, when they aren’t focusing on the fact they are being photographed. With natural or documentary headshots generally I look to get a group of people in a situation where they can relax and stop thinking about the fact they are being photographed. This can be in a meeting situation or just standing talking to someone. Either way it takes their mind away from being photographed and makes them look much more natural.
It’s often possible to shoot this way with natural light too, which adds to the feel of the shots.

Other Things to Consider

When organising headshot photography it’s important to talk everything through with your photographer so the shoot goes smoothly. I like to have a good chat through the different options and give some advice on timings, clothes and how to get the most out of the shoot. Generally I advise subjects to wear something they feel comfortable in or something that projects what they want to show. However, it does look best if subjects wear darker clothing as light clothes can wash out the skin tones and draw the eye away from the face. Stripes and patterns are generally best left at home and a quick trip to the bathroom before being photographed to check hair, makeup and straighten clothes is a good idea. I have in the past occasionally used a makeup artist, but it is my experience that generally people do their own makeup the way they like it, so changing it at the last minute might not work.
Setting up for a shoot usually takes between half an hour to an hour depending on the conditions, so it’s important to consider that when booking out any meeting rooms and booking the time of the first shot. Getting equipment in and out of the location is also worth talking to your photographer about too.

Conclusion

The single most important thing when starting the process of getting headshots done is to choose the right photographer for you. The right photographer will not only take great shots the way you want them, but will also be organised, professional and reliable, all important factors when arranging a shoot. They will talk through the different options taking into account your needs and how you want to present yourselves. I like to plan well, so on the day the shoot goes smoothly and I’m thinking about the photography rather than the arrangements, as they have been sorted in advance.
I hope this has been of use. If you’d like to see more of my work then a good place to look is my blog, and also my FAQ’s. You can also get in touch with me direct through my contact page.

Equipment I Use

Finally, in case you’re interested, I like to use a variety of different photographic headshot equipment. As a London event photographer I have a whole range of kit to choose from. The main piece of kit will be my 85mm telephoto lens, which gives a beautiful portrait feel to the shot as well as a lovely short depth of field, or bokeh as photographers call it. I use Fuji cameras and Godox flash heads with a variety of light diffusers for the subject and the background.
Where I can I like to use natural light a it gives a beautiful soft feel. Though if I am photographing several people and possibly more at a later date I will use flash as natural light changes constantly meaning each shot will feel different. A wonderful thing for photographers, but not what you want for headshots that are all going to sit together on the page of a website or publication.

The post Headshot Photography – how to get the most from it appeared first on Neil Walker Event & Conference Photographer.