It’s been a lively event season in Brussels, with long days and late nights for conference guests – and for photographers.
Reflections of a gala dinner in full swing, with nighttime Brussels through the window
But it’s essential that no tiredness shows through in the photographs. Images have to be fresh, spontaneous and vital. The responses I’m aiming for are “What a fantastic event it was!” (from those who were present) and “Damn, I wish I’d been there!” (from those who weren’t).
I have a number of techniques to prevent myself from getting stale:
I pay attention to the content. It’s often fascinating (of course, I treat it as confidential), and understanding something of the participants’ interests makes it easier to speak with them.
I interact as much as I can. I smile. I joke, gently and politely.
I accede to all requests. Of course people want posed group photos with their colleagues. When asked to, I retake the same groups with their own mobile phones.
I treat the often horrible lighting as a challenge to be overcome. (Whoever thought hard, vertical spots creating a chessboard of bright light in an otherwise gloomy room would make for pleasant conversation, let alone for flattering photographs?)
I do not turn off my photographer’s eye.
Guests at a dinner event wait for champagne at the bar
The last point is critical, I believe. In the course of a lifetime, I have trained myself to see, and to capture, arresting images. If I restricted myself to fulfilling the letter of the client’s requests – speakers in action, VIPs in front of branded backdrops, ambience, networking, and so on – I would probably respond to them less effectively. Those requests remain my priority. But I allow myself, in addition, to make a few images that please me, but which do not correspond to any client expectation. It’s what keeps me on my toes through the presentations, the dinners, the awards.
After a long day of conference presentations, a participant finds a quiet corner to catch up with his email
The three images here, from three recent events, are examples of this kind of work. I delivered all three, though I was not sure that they would be used or even much appreciated. But the clients concerned keep coming back to me for more, so with luck at least they did not hate them.