Before the event - do your homework properly
The biggest mistakes at events happen before anyone picks up a camera. Get a detailed brief from the client. That means knowing the schedule, the key people they want photographed, any moments they consider non-negotiable - speeches, award presentations, product reveals - and any guests who should not appear in published images. Some events have attendees who have asked not to be photographed, and finding that out on the day is not the time.
Visit the venue if you can, or at minimum get the floor plan and look it up on Google Street View or Instagram. Understand the lighting situation. Is it a dark warehouse with coloured uplighting? A bright conference centre with fluorescent overheads? Each calls for a different approach, and walking in cold is unnecessary stress.
Charge everything the night before. Both batteries - or all four if you are carrying spares, which you should be. Format your memory cards. Pack a second body if you have access to one. Gear failures at events are not a matter of if, they are a matter of when, and your first job is not the moment you want to find out your backup plan does not exist.
Confirm the brief again the morning of the event. A quick email or message to your contact asking if anything has changed takes two minutes and can save a lot of grief.
When you arrive - get your bearings before the guests do
Show up early. Not five minutes early - properly early. You want at least 30 minutes before doors open to walk the space, identify where the light is workable, where it is horrible, and where the key moments are likely to happen. Find the stage, the entrance, the bar area if it is a networking event, the registration desk.
Introduce yourself to the event manager or organiser on the ground. They are usually easy to spot - they are the person with a clipboard and a slightly stressed expression. Let them know you are there, confirm who the key contacts are, and ask if the running order has changed at all. Things shift. Speakers get moved, dinner gets pushed back, the CEO is arriving late. Knowing early means you can adapt rather than miss something.
Take a few test shots in the venue before people arrive. Check your exposure settings, your white balance, and how your autofocus is performing in that light. Fix problems now, not mid-speech.
During the event - stay alert and keep moving
Event photography is not about standing in one spot and waiting. Work the room. Look for genuine moments - conversations, reactions, laughter - not just posed group shots. The posed shots have their place, particularly for sponsor boards and formal group photos, but the images that clients tend to love are the ones that feel real.
Keep an eye on the schedule. If a keynote is starting in ten minutes, position yourself before the room fills up and you lose your sightlines. Anticipate rather than react.
Be invisible where possible. Move quietly, avoid blocking sightlines for guests, and do not use flash in situations where it will disrupt proceedings. A fast lens and a high ISO will take you further than a pop-up flash ever will.
Back up your cards during any natural break if you are carrying a laptop or portable drive. Losing a full card towards the end of a long event is not a situation you want to experience once, let alone twice.
After the event - delivery matters as much as the shoot
Agree on turnaround time before you start, not after. Most corporate clients expect a first selection within a few days, with the full edited set to follow within a week to ten days depending on volume. If you cannot meet that, say so upfront - do not go quiet and hope they forget.
Cull ruthlessly before you edit. Clients do not need 800 images from a two-hour networking event. They need 150 strong ones. Remove duplicates, anything out of focus, anything with unflattering expressions. Your job is to edit the selection down to the images that actually serve them, not to hand over every frame you pressed the shutter on.
Keep your editing consistent across the set. Colour temperature, exposure, and contrast should feel cohesive. Apply a light, professional treatment - not heavy presets that will look dated in six months.
Deliver via a proper file transfer service - WeTransfer, Google Drive, or a dedicated gallery platform like Pixieset. Include both full resolution files for print and web-optimised versions. Label the folder clearly with the event name and date.
Follow up. A short message asking if they are happy with the images and if anything needs adjusting goes a long way. Most clients do not ask for changes if you have done the job well, but knowing you are approachable makes them far more likely to come back.