When it comes to any type of photography, the goal is to progress, advance your skills and become better in what you do. Event photography requires the same amount of effort and knowledge to get better, boost your portfolio’s value and make more money. One common challenge in event photography is dealing with mixed lighting conditions, especially indoors. To handle mixed lighting, try balancing the color temperature by adjusting your camera’s white balance, using gels on your flashes to match ambient lighting, and, when possible, positioning your subjects near consistent light sources. These techniques will help you achieve more natural and professional-looking images even when the lighting situations are complex.
In this article, you will find the best 10 tips to capture great indoor event photos, including action shots. Whether if you’re a beginner or a pro, these tips will help you become more creative and increase your awareness to get where you want. The goal is to capture better images after each event. Specifically, when photographing people at indoor events, focus on composition by using techniques such as the rule of thirds, ensuring good lighting on faces, minimizing distracting backgrounds, and capturing candid moments that show genuine emotions. Position your subjects near light sources when possible, and try to frame them naturally with surrounding elements to add context and interest to your shots.
Understand the Camera Settings for Indoor Event Photography
The camera settings differ in each situation. There is no such thing as setting up your camera and using the same settings on every event. That won’t work because each place is different. To achieve the best results, switching to manual mode is essential as it allows you to adapt to the different lighting, space, and people.
Before any type of event, you must know what your camera is capable of. If you’re not sure what the best way is to set up your camera, read the manual, visit your camera’s official website or follow instructions from top photographers who use your camera on YouTube or on online photography websites (or contact me for more info?).
Have the right Indoor Photography Equipment
A photographer needs to have the right camera gear with them. If you’re a beginner, you can start by using your camera, an external flash, and at least two lenses. As your skills and experience grow, you will have to put money on the side to buy professional photography equipment, including a camera with a larger sensor. That will include:
A second camera body (preferably full frame)
A zoom lens with a wide f/2.8 aperture (24-70mm f/2.8 for full-frame or 16-50mm f/2.8 for APS-C cameras)
A prime lens with f/1.8 or f/1.4 aperture.
Professional lightweight tripod.
High-Speed Sync Flash with Wireless Trigger.
Strobes or LED Lights.
High-Speed Memory Cards of at least 64GB of storage (preferably 128GB).
Extra batteries.
Use the Best Settings for Indoor Photography with Flash
In the beginning, flash scares everyone. Some of you may have heard “never use flash” or “try to shoot in natural light.” Those people don’t know how to use flash effectively, especially considering the challenges posed by reflective surfaces. If you know how to use it and master it, you can come up with the best photos ever taken.
In the beginning, you can start using TTL mode and gradually learn how to use manual settings. TTL mode gives you full control and a lot of flexibility too. Keep your ISO in higher values (between 800-3200), use White Balance, and the right metering mode.
Use “center metering mode” when your subject is in the middle between the foreground and the background. Alternately, use “spot metering mode” when the subject is closer to the background. Also, make sure you use a diffuser to create more ambient light.
Shoot in Low Light
On some occasions, shooting in low light creates dramatic awesome results. That said, point your camera to capture a moment where only the faces of people lighten up. However, be cautious of camera shake when shooting at slower shutter speeds. You can try to take these kinds of photos and then use proper filters in the post-process to enhance the details and brightness of the whole image. Don’t be afraid to try taking photos in low light. You can create a different style and your photography will instantly get more exposure.
Use both Prime and Zoom Lenses
Most photographers use two camera bodies. They choose to mount a prime lens on their primary camera and a zoom lens on their secondary body (or the opposite—it doesn’t mind). This way they quickly choose a lens to take a photo without having to switch lenses and miss the moment. To prepare your camera before photographing an indoor event, consider cleaning your lenses and sensor, checking battery levels, and setting appropriate ISO, white balance, and aperture for indoor lighting conditions. Additionally, adjusting your shutter speed can be crucial in low-light or fast-changing environments. Mount your chosen prime and zoom lenses ahead of time so you can adapt quickly.
Prime lenses will give you a wider aperture and better lighting indoors, whether zoom lenses will give you more depth of field. Both are very useful in event photography.
Become More Creative
Each time you book an event to shoot, you gain a lot of experience. In the field, try to remember not to take photos as an ordinary guest but observe the space you’re in and try to find areas you could place your camera to capture more interesting photos of key moments.
Take candid shots of the attendees while they’re interacting with each other. Capture a nice smile and reveal the story behind their conversation. Use black and white during the time of the event or in post-process. Shoot behind flowers, find mirrors that give you reflections, or create depth in your shots. Don’t forget to get wide-angle shots of the whole event, including full body captures too.
Take Group Shots
If you book a corporate event, you have to choose a nice background to get group photos. This happens in coordination with the host. You can either use any of their displays (if they have any from their company) or hire someone to prepare a special backdrop that fits the occasion or the space of the event, enhancing the results beyond what flash photography can achieve.
Place several people in front of the backdrop and start taking photos. As you adjust your camera settings and flash, remember to not get too consumed in technical aspects and ensure people feel comfortable by talking to them and guiding them on how to pose better for the perfect shot!
Edit Your Photos
Professional photo editing should be included in your work, especially in social media. Nowadays, it is essential to edit your photos and create your style. Remember to edit your photos the same way for every event and create consistency.
If you are not sure how to do it, ask the advice of another professional or attend a workshop or online course where you can find more information on how to edit your photos in Photoshop / Lightroom or using other professional photo editing software.
Network Network Network
Each event will allow you to connect with so many people. Some of them might be interested in booking you for their next event. Make sure you have a business card with you and know exactly what to say. Be short and schedule a phone call or a meeting in the next few days.
Study Your Work
Don’t let previous work stay on your computer. Take an hour each week and view some of the photos you have taken previously. Check the exposure, the aperture, or other settings you have used, and consider if you were using the right gear. How much time did it take you to edit your photos? Could you save more time by improving your camera settings during the photoshoot?
Is there anything else you need to change/improve? Do you see more noise in your photos or notice any chromatic aberration that needed to be corrected in post-process? Is your composition good? Do you need to try different angles? All these key elements and questions will help you improve your skills and give you better results in future work.
Extra indoor event photography tips
Shooting in RAW Format
When it comes to indoor event photography, shooting in RAW format is essential for maximizing the quality and flexibility of your images. Unlike JPEG, RAW images retain more data, allowing for better adjustments during post-processing. This means you can correct exposure issues, tweak white balance, and recover details in the highlights and shadows without compromising quality. It’s particularly invaluable in challenging lighting situations often encountered during indoor events, where mixed lighting can lead to tricky color casts. Additionally, shooting in RAW provides a broader dynamic range, ensuring that even subtle nuances in lighting and color are well-captured and can be edited to perfection afterwards. So, whether you’re capturing candid moments or staged group shots, opting for RAW format will give you the creative control you need to enhance your photographs and make them truly stand out.
Mitigating and Correcting Noise and Chromatic Aberration
When capturing indoor events, mitigating and correcting noise and chromatic aberration can significantly enhance the quality of your photographs. Noise often creeps into images shot under low-light conditions, which is common during indoor events. To combat this, always use the lowest ISO setting that allows for a proper exposure, as higher ISO values tend to introduce graininess. Additionally, consider shooting in RAW format, which provides greater flexibility during post-processing to reduce noise with specialized software tools. Chromatic aberration, characterized by color fringes around high-contrast edges, can detract from your images. To address this, use quality lenses designed to minimize this issue, and in post-production, most editing software offers features specifically for correcting chromatic aberration. By employing these techniques, not only will your images become sharper and cleaner, but they will also reflect the true ambiance of the event.
Final words
In conclusion, mastering indoor event photography requires a keen eye for detail and an understanding of the unique challenges posed by artificial lighting. By opting for RAW format, you unlock a world of editing possibilities that can elevate your images. Moreover, addressing noise and chromatic aberration refines the visual quality and ensures that the essence of the event is captured authentically. Embrace the ambient light while leveraging additional tools like external flash or reflectors when necessary. Experimenting with various angles and perspectives will add depth to your portfolio, allowing personality and emotions to shine through in every shot.