Event Photographer Jobs

When people think of event photography, they might usually think of weddings or sports. However, the world of events photography is so much more widespread than that. Event photography is an incredibly easy field to break into and prosper in. It is also a very diverse field.

Unlike many other careers in photography, it is actually more lucrative to generalize in events photography, rather than focus on a specific niche.

There are events photographers who shoot everything from weddings, to concerts, company events and sporting events. More importantly, the advancements in digital photography have made the transition from amateur photographer to professional events photographer seamless. Check out a host of event jobs in another section of JobMonkey – music festivals, the Super Bowl, Olympics, and more.

What the Job Entails

Compared to other photography careers, events photography is easy in that there are not many technicalities to account for. Nevertheless, it is still hard work because you will constantly be on your feet, taking photos and trying to figure out your next best shot. Like any other field in photography, your ability to continually increase the number of clients who commission you is based partially on the strength of your portfolio.

This job entails suiting your photographic methods and equipment to the events that you are covering. At corporate events, for instance, the events photographer will need to be something like a fly on the wall. You are there to document a corporate event and you will be expected to portray employees and staff in the most professional manner possible. This can differ from sport events or club events, where you might be more actively involved in photographing attendees.

Career Routes

• Performance Events: One of the most exciting niches in events photography is documenting performances. This too, can be wide-ranging. Touring musicians and bands often hire events photographers to follow them on tour and during concerts. They create concert scrapbooks and then post them on their Web sites. In addition to concerts, there is work to be found in photographing theatre productions, dances and comedy routines.
• Corporate Events Photography: For corporate events, photographers arrive before attendees to shoot the scene of their corporate event. Events photographers also take images of people as they arrive and as they sit down to the reception. Depending on the client, the events photographer might also take pictures during the reception. For awards or ceremonies, events photographers take pictures that can be published in company newsletters, brochures and other public relations material.
• Sports Photography: If you really want a job in sports, then this is definitely a great career for you. Sports photographers can find work with newspapers or regional and national sports Web sites. Your job will to capture those football fumbles and basketball dunks; capture the excitement of action sports in a single shot.
• Social Events: One area where you may have noticed an increase in photographer presence is at clubs, galas and other social/party events. Clubs that hire events photographers, for instance, do so for promotional purposes. Your job as the events photographer is to capture the excitement of that club, and all of the beautiful people there. These photos are often featured on the club’s Web site or on gallery sites. It is an easy way to entice more people to attend that social event the next week.

Knowledge and Skills Required

• People Skills: Do not underestimate the importance of people skills. Events photographers work clients from all lifestyles. You should be able to work with everyone from young children, to partygoers and corporate professionals.
• Marketing: Events photographers spend a great deal of time marketing and promoting their own work. You will devote much time to building your online portfolios, of which there will be many. The successful events photographer, no matter what niche he falls into, is practical, versatile and very organized.

Getting Started

There is no education required for this field. Outside of technical capabilities with a 35mm (and on some occasions, larger format cameras), post-production and workflow software, no college is necessary. All that you need to get started are your camera and a few contacts with events to shoot to fortify your portfolio.

Salary

Salary range for events photography varies greatly depending on location, years of experience and business knowledge. Most events photographers work as freelancers, and SimplyHired.com reports that event photographers earn an average of $37,000.