Scouting a location in advance makes shooting any event much easier – and therefore improves the results for the client.

I make a point of visiting locations in advance when I can, or if that’s not possible of arriving at least half an hour before shooting is due to begin. I look for a number of things in particular:

• A secure but accessible place to leave my equipment and valuables. During events, I usually only carry two camera bodies, each with a prime lens. But it’s good to be able to slip back for a flash unit or a different lens, knowing that they will still be where I left them (unlike this poor photographer who had a camera and a lens stolen during a wedding).

• Key spots from which to shoot the main action. Is there a balcony from which to get an overhead view? Is there an angle that will allow me to get shots of the protagonists (performers, speakers, bride and groom) ‘from behind’, with the audience/congregation in the background? Where will I be able to get closest to the action?

• How will I be able to move from place to place? Getting from one side of a stage, podium or altar to the other is not always easy. Sometimes the only option is to slip on my invisibility cloak and tiptoe across as discretely as I can. But often there’s a back way behind the stage. Arriving in advance allows me to open doors and explore the building in order to find passages.

• What is the light going to be like? I prefer to shoot in manual mode, so it’s important to have an idea of light levels before the start of the event. Is the lighting even across the whole space? More often than not, some areas are brightly lit while others are fairly gloomy. (Beamers and projectors pose a particular problem.) Will the lighting change during the event? If there’s a lighting technician I try to get a demonstration before audience/guests arrive.

• What are the best spots for portrait and group shots? Often, individuals ask for impromptu portraits, or the organisers may want me to shoot VIPs or groups. I try to identify the most suitable places around the site in advance, taking into account light, background, space and shooting angles.

Of course, arriving early also allows me to meet my clients and discuss any last minute requests or changes of plan.