A Guide to Event Photography in Stockholm
Event photography for clothing brand launch.
Planning an event involves a ridiculous number of moving parts. The venue, the guests, the food. Speakers, Lighting, Timings, the list goes on! Photography can sometimes become another thing on the list to organise. But good event photography is not simply about having someone there with a camera. It's about creating a record of everything you put into the event, while also capturing all the things you couldn't possibly have planned, the conversations, reactions, people meeting for the first time, someone laughing, and the energy in the room when everything finally comes together. Those are often the photographs that tell the story best. So, if you are organising an event in Stockholm, here is what I would think about when choosing your photographer and planning the photography.
What kind of events do event photographers cover?
Almost anything! Event photography is not limited to huge conferences or corporate parties, I photograph events including corporate events, conferences, brand and product launches, PR events, openings, dinners, networking events, hospitality events, festivals, celebrations and private events. The scale can vary enormously too, An intimate dinner for twenty people can need just as much thought photographically as an event with hundreds of guests.
What should event photography actually capture?
There is the obvious stuff like The venue, speakers, guests and branding. Food, drinks, Entertainment and Important people. Those photographs matter, but they are only part of the story. When I'm photographing an event, I am also constantly watching what's happening around those moments, Someone reacting to a speaker, two people deep in conversation, guests arriving. Details that matter for storytelling. I want someone looking through the photographs afterwards to understand not only what happened, but what the event was actually like.
Documentary event photography
My approach to event photography is predominantly documentary.That means I don't spend the entire event stopping people and asking them to smile at the camera. I would much rather photograph people while they are actually talking, laughing, listening, or experiencing whatever you brought them there to experience. People behave differently when they are aware they are being photographed, so a big part of my job is learning when to step forward, and when to disappear into the background. That doesn't mean there can't be any direction, If you need photographs of your speakers, management team, VIP guests, sponsors or particular groups, I will make sure they are covered.
Think about what you will need the photographs for afterwards
This is something worth discussing with your photographer before the event, because your photographs can have a life far beyond the day itself.
They might be used for:
Social media
PR and press coverage
Your website
Newsletters
Internal communications
Advertising
Reports and presentations
Promoting next year's event
Sponsorship material
Knowing this beforehand changes how I photograph, If you know you need images for Instagram Stories, for example, I can deliberately create vertical photographs as well as horizontal ones. If a sponsor needs to be visible, I can make sure their branding is included without every photograph looking like an advert. If you are planning to run the event again next year, I will be thinking about photographs that can help sell the experience to somebody who wasn't there, that's very different from simply documenting who attended.
Create a shot list, but don't make it too long
I absolutely recommend giving your event photographer a shot list, but there is a difference between “We need photographs of these six things.”
and “Here are 147 individual photographs we'd like you to recreate.” Tell your photographer what cannot be missed. That might include the CEO's speech, an award being presented, a particular guest, sponsor branding, a product reveal or a group photograph, those things go on the list. Then give your photographer room to look for everything else, some of my favourite event photographs are things nobody could have put on a shot list because nobody knew they were going to happen.
How long do you need an event photographer for?
You don't necessarily need photography from the moment somebody unlocks the venue until the last person goes home, think about where the story begins and ends.For some events, two or three hours might cover everything important, For a conference or larger event, you may need a photographer for most or all of the day. For a launch, it might be important to photograph the room before guests arrive, arrivals, speeches, the main event and some of what happens afterwards. Rather than choosing a number of hours first, I'd look at your schedule and ask yourself What do you actually want photographed? From there, we can work out how much coverage makes sense.
What about the venue?
Stockholm has an enormous variety of event spaces, and each creates different photographic challenges. A bright summer event overlooking the water is very different from a candlelit dinner in December. Neither is a problem, but your photographer needs to know how to work beforehand when the light isn't perfect. Professional event photography often means moving constantly between completely different lighting situations, daylight outside, dark interiors, stage lighting, candles, coloured lights and everything in between. That's one of the reasons experience and professional equipment matter, you can't ask everyone to stop while you fix the light.
Should your photographer use flash?
Sometimes. Flash isn't automatically good or bad for event photography, there are situations where it can create beautiful photographs or where there simply isn't enough available light to work without it. There are other moments where flash would completely change the atmosphere or become distracting, I make that decision depending on the venue, available light and what's happening. My priority is always to preserve the feeling of the event rather than making every room look artificially bright.
When should you book an event photographer in Stockholm?
As soon as you know your date is ideal, particularly during busy periods, but don't assume it's too late if your event is approaching. Photographers' schedules change, weekday availability can be very different from weekends, and shorter events can sometimes fit around other work. If you know the date, approximate timings and location, that's usually enough to start the conversation.
I'm a Stockholm based photographer covering events throughout Stockholm, Sweden and Scandinavia. My approach is documentary and unobtrusive. I will make sure the important photographs are covered if you are planning an event and need a photographer, get in touch.
Want to read more about my event photography in Stockholm? head on over to my Event Photography page.
