The decor is up, the food is ready to serve, and you've been promoting your event all week. Folks are starting to trickle in. It's party time! But before you dive into the festivities, there's one more crucial step to making this event unforgettable: capturing great photos that tell a story.
You don't have to be a professional photographer or own an expensive camera to capture excellent, sharable photos. Here are three simple tips that will instantly level up the quality of your photos and help document your incredible event:
1. Consider Focus and Composition:
- Tap to Focus: When composing your shot, tap on the screen where you want the camera to focus. This not only adjusts the focus but also sets the exposure for that particular area.
- Rule of Thirds: Imagine your photo is divided into a grid of nine equal parts. Try to align the main elements along these grid lines or at their intersections. This will help you create a more visually appealing composition.
2. Good Lighting is Key:
- Natural Light: Whenever possible, use natural light. Position your subject so that the light falls on them. Golden hour (shortly after sunrise or before sunset) is the best time to achieve warm and soft lighting, so consider this when planning outdoor events.
- Avoid Harsh Shadows: If shooting in bright sunlight, try to find shaded areas to avoid harsh shadows on your subject. Alternatively, use your hand to create a makeshift shade over the subject to diffuse the light.
Pro-tip: If there is low lighting, like at an indoor or evening event, avoid using the phone's flash. Instead, grab a second phone, turn on the flashlight, and hold it in the other hand.
3. Steady Shots and Experiment
- Use a Tripod or Stable Surface: To avoid blurry photos, especially in low light, stabilize your phone by using a tripod or placing it on a stable surface, like a table. This is crucial for capturing sharp images. You can purchase an inexpensive phone tripod on Amazon like this one, so you can get the perfect shot every time.
Bonus Tip: Get a great photo editing app that will allow you to make tweaks and bring consistency to all of your photos. Lightroom, VSCO, Snapseed, or Afterlight are great for everyone from beginners to more experienced photo editors.
Now get out there and take some amazing photos! We want to see your best and favorite shots from your events. Follow our Instagram account for inspiration, and who knows, you might see one of your own event photos featured.