Tag Archives: Event photography

The Importance of Motivation

February 16, 2017 WP Admin Leave a comment

A business is only as good as its workforce. Great companies improve their workforce through training and education.

A lot of companies have never considered using motivational speakers to try and enhance their team’s motivation. Bringing an established business speaker to your company or event is a great way to educate and inspire your employees and industry partners.

Motivational speakers have been popular across many countries for many years. However, what benefits do motivational speakers give to people and their businesses?
The best motivational speakers not only inspire and motivate, but also offer ways to fuel employee and business growth.

Motivational speakers work with your company to identify and strengthen your goals and objectives.
Most business objectives are clearly displayed in most office communal areas and online. A motivational speaker, however, will bring these goals and objectives back into focus.

Speaker: Rio 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist and London 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Crista Cullen, is widely recognised as one of the best hockey defenders in the world

@ZulfPhotography

All Portfolio, Blog

Published Photographers, the Best of Both Worlds?

September 7, 2015 WP Admin Leave a comment

Do you really get the best of both worlds when working with published photographers?

In short: yes!

Published photographers have a tendency to think differently when composing and taking photos. They will have a track record of working with various editors and printers to perfect the format and print quality.

This is what sets them aside from unpublished photographers.

In this digital age many photos never make it to the print stage. It’s not easy to have images accepted for print, making it more of an achievement when images are published.

Great images always have the upper hand when it comes to acceptance rates. That’s why studying the various types of format and colour profiles needed is what really counts.

If you ever work with a photographer it’s always a good idea to make them aware of the intended use for the final photos. It can determine the level of work the photographer will need to put in the final image and possibly save you time and money.

Above images are some published photos taken and edited by Zulfiqar Ali

Blog

Low Light – Fashion Catwalk Shows

December 14, 2014 WP Admin 1 Comment

The scenario: you arrive in good time and ask for a preview of the shows lighting setup.

Don’t panic, lighting is not always this bad, but… this show has no overhead lights on the runway at all.

As photographers we need to be able to adapt quickly to conditions. How do you deal with capturing a model walking down an unlit runway? By making smart decisions. If you get to know your camera settings, there are a few things that can help you…

Keep in mind that this may be a case of “making the best of a bad situation”.

Here are some quick tips to consider in low light:

Use a flash
Be creative
Steady your camera
Shoot tight
Position

Below I have expanded upon these points in more detail and provided samples of photos I took.

Use a Flash
If you’re using a DSLR and you have to use a flash, your best bet is to use an external flash. These flashes can be manipulated and turned to bounce off of a wall or the ceiling. So you’re lighting your subject from the top or the side, rather than directly. As you can see below, the direct flash in this situation casts a harsh light on the model and sharp shadows behind her.

Be Creative
Embrace the low light and get a little creative. Shoot to include the name of the designer in your photos and get the audience perspective of the show. Make the low light a feature of a few of your images. Silhouettes always look cool.

Steady Your Camera
Yes, sometimes the use of a flash just can’t be avoided. Get your camera on a steady surface and you can avoid the blur that inevitably spoils the photograph. My choice would be to use a mono-pod and low light flash to fill in the shadows.

Shoot Tight
Set your aperture to its widest setting, 2.8 in my case. This will allow the most light to enter your lens. Shoot at the top end of you zoom, in my case 200mm, and wait for the moment.

Position is Key
Try your best to get a different view from other photographers. By getting a close enough position, you can compose your shot to emphasise the small details and capture movement.

These photos are the “better” ones I could share to help put my tips into perspective. Keeping calm and working with what you have will pay off. You will always get a few bad shots to begin with. Learn from those and remember to capture a different perspective at the event.

Photos:Zulfphotography.com
Event: Asiana Bridal Show 2014
Location: Birmingham Edgbaston Stadium
Date: Sunday 30th November 2014

Blog, Tips

Event Photography – Tips

August 17, 2014 WP Admin Leave a comment

Event photography can be a big challenge for photographers but if you approach it in the right way your talent will sparkle.

Commercial clients often require this type of coverage to effectively record significant events. You will be under an element of pressure from the client to document the highest level of quality while boosting their public persona.

Corporate coverage is a speciality, with years of expertise providing indoor and outdoor coverage here are our key tips to keep in mind

Identify
Homework
Prepare
Cover it
Seek variety
Windown

Identify

Make sure you know what the client needs, you should know what the desired outcome of the shoot is and be sure to deliver effectively.

Homework
Check out the location before the shoot and know the schedule. Make sure you know the timings of the particular sections you’re shooting taking note of any opportunities for delay. There’s a big difference between photographing a wedding and shooting a function or corporate event.

Prepare
Prepare with adequate memory for your cameras and stack up on a quick energy snack. Consider the gear you need and how this will affect your flexibility. If your best shots are going to be from a distance, be sure to pack the right length lenses too.

Cover It
Get establishing shots at any large gathering you should capture some images that give your audience an overall feel for the event. In contrast with the establishing shot, find faces that communicate the feeling and excitement of the event.

There are times when the events only come along once, and for those special moments, it may be worth considering a second cameraperson. If you’re confident in your own abilities, you may be able to cover it yourself.

Seek variety
Be sure to get some detail shots with a good mix of people in them as well as the relative size of people in the frame. The more variety you have, the easier to create interesting layouts later — whether for editorial publications, corporate brochures or wedding albums.

Wind down
Check all your equipment at the end of a shoot and pack up the memory cards, batteries, lenses, flashes. Make sure to have a debrief with the organiser/client. Communication is key, let them know when to expect the final product be clear with times and final completion dates.

Ultimately, it comes down to being prepared and professional.

Good Luck

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