Whether you’re hiring a professional photographer or putting your own event photography skill to the test, it may be worth investing in professional-level photography gear. After all, compelling imagery is key to motivating attendees to buy tickets to your event. And the quality of your photos affects how people perceive your brand.
Here’s the event photography equipment you should keep in your kit:
Get advice from seven professional photographers and learn how to use photos to promote your event in The Ultimate Guide to Event Photography.
1. Cameras
The most obvious piece of event photography equipment is the camera. Our photographers recommend the Sony RX100 or the Nikon D500 — and the GoPro.
“GoPros are amazing cameras in low light, and you can install them anywhere,” says Misha Vladimirskiy, a partner at Filterless.co who has photographed events like Coachella and specializes in nightlife and music photography. “Especially for promoters or nightlife events, I recommend mounting them all over the club, mounting them on a turntable, or using them for livestreaming.”
2. Lenses
It’s more important to invest in a good lens than a good camera body. Bodies become outdated every two years, whereas a good lens can last a decade. Even the least expensive DSLR digital cameras these days are high quality, and should be able to handle your needs. But a good lens will likely be the most expensive — and longest-lasting — piece of event photography equipment in your toolkit.
3. Off-camera flash
Flash can be a necessary evil in photography. Instead of using your camera’s flash, consider investing in a hotshoe flash, which mounts to the camera and makes photos look way more professional than built-in flash.
If you’re ready to make a bigger investment, “a really nice piece of gear to have is an off-camera cable for your flash, so you can hold your camera in one hand, and your flash in the other,” says David Silverman, owner of David Silverman Photography. “That way it’s impossible to get red eye.” It’s also a good idea to invest in some sort of diffuser to spread the light out over your subject.
4. A wireless camera tether
If you want to get the photos you’re taking out into the world as soon as possible,it’s worth looking into a wireless camera tether. By plugging one of these into your camera and downloading their app, you can load the photos the photographer is taking onto your phone in real time. That way, you can post high-quality images on social media without the wait. Cam Ranger is the tether Silverman used to get his NFL photos out into the world in real time.
5. Editing software
Photoshop is the standard for editing photos on computers, but if you’re on the go and need to get pictures ready to post, our photographers recommend the free mobile apps Snapseed and Photoshop Express.
6. Backups of everything — especially batteries and memory cards
When it comes to event photography equipment, “don’t buy one, buy two,” Silverman says. “Anything can happen — somebody will spill a glass of wine on the camera, you name it — so have a spare.”
Christie Connell, the owner of Azure Photo Studio, echoes Silverman’s advice. “At minimum, you need a backup of each piece of equipment,” Connell says. “At least two camera bodies, two lenses, two flashes — and don’t forget backup camera cards and batteries.”
Once you’ve stocked up on event photography equipment, it’s time to learn the technique. Get more event photography tips from seven professional photographers in The Ultimate Guide to Event Photography.
