Office parties are some of the most challenging events to take good photographs at. The dim lighting present in event venues is not sufficient for capturing high quality images. People often move about to different rooms and venues throughout the various stages of the event. The last thing people want to see after the party is a series of stiff and posed photographs of people in a line. The photographs that are actually appreciated after the event are the candid ones. These are the photos of the table in a fit of laughter, the room as it counts down the last seconds of the year, or the lucky winner of the raffle.
What makes an office Christmas party different from every other shoot?
When thinking about the best photography environment, there are a lot of things that contradict a Christmas party: low lighting, color changing lights, a full room, and a fast … filling room. A lot of people can’t capture this venue and make it look professional; this requires a lot of specific skills. Here’s what you have to consider when shooting a room like this:
- Faster lenses, f/1.8 to f/2.0, so the entire room gets a lighting high key photo, instead of a dark room and a lot of flash.
- Off-camera or bounce flash. This won’t flatten the face like a standard, fill-in flash.
- You can’t be a traditional photographer and direct people through posed photos– the best photos end up being candid. You have to let people come to you.
- To be able to check off your shot list, you should make sure to get a few agreed upon photos of the organizers, then do the same for any awards or speeches.
The goal is to be as invisible as possible; when people see the camera the entire time, photos end up looking posed.
We take photos throughout your event, including:
- When guests first arrive, and while the room is still not full
- During speeches and toasts, as well as other formal presentations (such as awards, long service presentations, the CEO’s Christmas message)
- Group and team photos, which we take quickly, so we are not taking photos during the party
- All of the action, candidly
- A final digital photo album that shows each guest and their team
FAQ
How much notice do you need to book your services?
December is the busiest month for bookings and the dates for party weeks fill up first, so we recommend booking your photographer as soon as you have a venue and a date. Your preferred photographer is most likely to be booked for your party if you wait until all the party details are finalized.
Do you have a same-day or next-day photo delivery option?
Each photographer sets their expectation for photo delivery based on how many photos they have to edit. However, most event photographers provide a small selection of photos on the same day, and a full selection of edited photos a few days later.
Can your photographer cover a party that spans multiple venues, such as drinks at one venue, dinner at a second venue, and after-party at a third?
We are able to cover parties that span multiple venues; however, this will impact the overall time booked, and may include travel time between the venues. If we know the complete schedule, we can cover it appropriately.
Do you also take care of AV? Speakers? Microphones? Screens?
Yes, we provide AV services. Check out AV hire for events for screens for slides, lighting, or microphones for speeches.