I need to cover a Business Event

Hi there,

The Company I work for decided to organize "an event" for one of its subsidiaries that trades in medical equipment. The "client" is my employer, I will get paid and cannot screw this up. I've covered a skiing/mountainclimbin​g event earlier this year for them and they were satisfied with the results, but this is hardly the same thing and I've never done this kind of "gathering" before.

The setting is the (huge) local hospital. Lighting is mostly neon, and quite bright. There will be food, drink, people in suits and various flesh cutting instruments in several showcases.

I know there's supposed to be a certain coherence between the brand image, the mood of the photos, the choice of subject and the post-processing that follows... maybe you can help me with some corporate photography tips? What should I shoot? Some nice clichés, like two guys shaking hands and the such... macros on instruments? I'm really clueless on how to go about this.

I have a 7D, a 10-20, a 30 1.4 and a 70-200 3.5, as well as a 350D for backup.

All advice much appreciated.

Cheers

As for what you shoot, find someone in the company who will ultimately be the end user of the shots and treat them like an art director. Have them be as specific as possible and use that as a starting point. Then do the following. Identify the most important people there. Shoot them in a variety of candid, and perhaps not so candid (lightly posed) fashion. Even if they dont love the shots, they love feeling important. Get creative after you've covered your bases with the mandatory stuff.

If I were you I would consider renting a slightly longer fast prime like the 85L. What sort of flash do you have?

Even if it's bright, it's still deadly top light. I'd want to kick in just a touch of strobe to fill the eye sockets & add the red that is usually missing from institutional flourescent light. See post #3:
Tips for Xmas Ball Please

Get there early before it opens & get those shots when you can have some control.

Thanks for the tips.

Absolutely no flash, I need to be invisible, as per organizer's request.

I also have a 85 1.4, the full manual Samyang which i am proud to say that I master (meaning very few oof photos).

I will have access to the place before and after, so i will be able to play with the showcases. I've also asked the organizer what exactly he has in mind, and he's now searcghing the net for a few photos to give me an idea of what's expected of me.

On a different note, i am the company's legal adviser... I may NOT state who I am when there taking photos, as apparently these two activities are incompatible. Should I laugh or cry I wonder.

Well since the two jobs are not comparable, if you screw this up you shouldn't be fired, right?

ecce_lex wrote in post #10785360
Thanks for the tips.

Absolutely no flash, I need to be invisible, as per organizer's request.

I also have a 85 1.4, the full manual Samyang which i am proud to say that I master (meaning very few oof photos).

I will have access to the place before and after, so i will be able to play with the showcases. I've also asked the organizer what exactly he has in mind, and he's now searcghing the net for a few photos to give me an idea of what's expected of me.

On a different note, i am the company's legal adviser... I may NOT state who I am when there taking photos, as apparently these two activities are incompatible. Should I laugh or cry I wonder.

No flash? Just let them know that the quality of the lighting at these events for photography is pretty poor and that without a flash (even if its just a kicker for color and shadow control) that you might not be able to match the samples if they provide any.

Hi,

No, I won't get fired even if I completely screw it, but there's worse things than getting fired, such as no more secretary, male assistants and so on

I did my best to wrestle a small flash unit, but no chance. Maybe with the onboard flash wrapped in a napkin I may get away, but even that's not sure.

ecce_lex wrote in post #10785482
Hi,

No, I won't get fired even if I completely screw it, but there's worse things than getting fired, such as no more secretary, male assistants and so on

I did my best to wrestle a small flash unit, but no chance. Maybe with the onboard flash wrapped in a napkin I may get away, but even that's not sure.

So do you like working for the mob?

ecce_lex wrote in post #10785360
Thanks for the tips.

Absolutely no flash, I need to be invisible, as per organizer's request.

On a different note, i am the company's legal adviser... I may NOT state who I am when there taking photos, as apparently these two activities are incompatible. Should I laugh or cry I wonder.

Are you sure that the no flash wasn't from the legal department - oops, you? congrats on being the go-to person on photographing events!
as a side note, you're there to take pictures in defense of your company in case someone hurts themselves on the products and tries to sue. this is a strange thread...

Unfortunately I've done a couple of no flash allowed events.

If there are florescents and big windows B&W is your friend. Close shots of individuals and pairs is what normally gets used. Emotional expressions, either happy, focused, intense etc... Concentrate on key figures but also groups viewing any displays or talks. You might also do closeups of those "flesh cutting instruments". Those shots work well with someone holding them. Use a closeup of the hands. Gives perspective.

Good luck!

I'd use the money you were getting to hire someone who knows what to do properly. Or at least come and assist with you and show you what to do, you can call them "an assistant"

an assistant should ideally know what you do, and how to work with your stuff as much as you do, and if more then bonus.

Most assistants can be hired from 15-25 $ an hour, easily enough. Some even do it for free, but it's easier to just pay someone qualified.

There could be a work for hire thing going on here, too, since its your employer..

ScottKCooper wrote in post #10785575
Are you sure that the no flash wasn't from the legal department - oops, you? congrats on being the go-to person on photographing events!
as a side note, you're there to take pictures in defense of your company in case someone hurts themselves on the products and tries to sue. this is a strange thread...

Nope, the photos are to be used for marketing... And yes, it pleases me that I'm sent to do such things

Karl Johnston wrote in post #10787354
Most assistants can be hired from 15-25 $ an hour, easily enough. Some even do it for free, but it's easier to just pay someone qualified.

I did think of that, but this is not the US. There are no assistants, only snobby hot-shot expensive photographers. I'll have to deal with this on my own.

ecce_lex wrote in post #10785218
Hi there,

The Company I work for decided to organize "an event" for one of its subsidiaries that trades in medical equipment. The "client" is my employer, I will get paid and cannot screw this up. I've covered a skiing/mountainclimbin​g event earlier this year for them and they were satisfied with the results, but this is hardly the same thing and I've never done this kind of "gathering" before.

The setting is the (huge) local hospital. Lighting is mostly neon, and quite bright. There will be food, drink, people in suits and various flesh cutting instruments in several showcases.

I know there's supposed to be a certain coherence between the brand image, the mood of the photos, the choice of subject and the post-processing that follows... maybe you can help me with some corporate photography tips? What should I shoot? Some nice clichés, like two guys shaking hands and the such... macros on instruments? I'm really clueless on how to go about this.

I have a 7D, a 10-20, a 30 1.4 and a 70-200 3.5, as well as a 350D for backup.

All advice much appreciated.

Cheers

I was the staff photographer for a hospital for 10 years and have worked mostly in healthcare since going out on my own almost 10 years ago. Thats almost 20 years working in hospitals and now I work in hospitals almost everyday and the lighting is very even and fairly bright in most cases. I usually work without flash but when I do use flash I gel for the fluorescent or if its tungsten I will gel for that. Fluorescent light can give you really good results if you know how to work with it. Here are some examples of some of my work.

All fluorescent available light only

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Nice work