Capturing the energy and memorable moments at a party via photographs can be challenging, but that can be its own reward. It’s a challenge to stay in the moment and enjoy the party while also capturing photos in a memorable and striking way that tells the story of the day. In this guide, we’ll share 20 tips that will help you to figure out how to make your photos stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro at event photography, these tips and techniques will keep you ready and equipped to deal with photographing the events of the night and come away with images that will leave a lasting impression on everyone who attended.
This series of tips is mainly for compact digital camera users who want to make sure that everyone else ogles at your pictures. However, the principles stay the same for mobile photography, or if you’re using a proper camera. The first few tips are about your camera, the remainder are tips about your technique as a photographer.
Tips to Make Your Party Photography Distinctive
1. Know Your Camera:
You’re not at that party just to take photographs! You’re there to have fun! Now, where’s the fun in trying to figure how your camera goes into rear-curtain sync with a slow exposure while the rest of your pals are on the dance floor?
My suggestion to you is to take a few pictures with the techniques that I’m about to describe even before you go to the party so that you’re already familiar with them.
2. Your Flash is Your Friend:
Most parties or night-time events aren’t lit all that well, and you’re going to need the flash that’s on your camera to light up almost every scene.
Knowing how to use your camera’s flash along with the existing lighting is the first step in creating stunning party pictures!
3. Stay Away…
Going really close to your friends will usually end up with them looking like they were lit by the light from an atom bomb’s explosion. Stay at least 5-6 feet away from them to ensure that they retain that pearly complexion.
4. …But Not Too Far Away!
If you go too far away you’ll end up seeing only the whites of their eyes, despite the use of your flash.
Most compact digital cameras have a tiny flash that can illuminate objects at a maximum of 12-15 feet. Each camera is different, so experiment with yours to find the best distance to take pictures at, and maintain that distance to your subjects.
5. Use Red-eye Reduction Mode:
To make sure that your pictures are memorable, you need to make your subjects look good. Nobody likes their eyes looking like they’re a deer caught in a car’s headlights!
Software like Snapseed and Photoshop Elements have tools to remove red-eye from your party photographs gone bad, but why bother when all you need to avoid it is to push a button?
The negative aspect of this is that Red-Eye Reduction mode sets off multiple bright flashes before taking a photo. This could more than annoy your friends. So be warned.
6.Turn the Flash Off; Sometimes:
Sure, the flash is your best buddy at a party, but if there are colored strobes or lasers, you could get some amazing effects when you turn your flash off.
If you’re at a club or a disco and there are a lot of colored lights, you will most probably be able to get some really good photographs using the ambient light alone. Wait till your subject is lit up with one of these lights and press the shutter, or get some really good silhouettes.
Show your friends these pictures, and you will have to watch your feet as their jaws drop.
7. Zoom Out to Get The Shot:
Most low-light photographs come out better when your camera is zoomed out fully.
This is because the pictures show less shake and end up looking sharper. This also ensures that you don’t cut off somebody’s head or feet by accident.
Try some wide angle shots to capture the mood!
8. Try Slow Shutter Speed:
Use the night exposure mode and set the flash to rear curtain sync. You’ll need to hold the camera steady in this mode because the shutter will stay open for a while before the flash goes off.
The payoff is that you’ll be able to see things that would otherwise be too dark. You can get really artistic with this mode. Try moving the camera around to get some streaks of light, but make sure that you have the picture framed as you want it when the flash goes off.
You’ll end up with some really amazing shots of your friends swirling in a sea of lights if you do this right! (Hint: this is really great on the dance floor at discos & clubs) you can also try this mode without the flash if there’s enough ambient light around you.
9. Use a Higher ISO:
Your camera can be set to be more receptive to light. Setting a higher ISO ensures that you can take pictures with a faster shutter speed so that there is less shake. You have the disadvantage of more noise though. This tends to be a problem with older compact digitals, but less with newer cameras.
However, you can always turn a disadvantage into an advantage by using it creatively. Think of the noise as a photoshop filter that adds a gritty texture to the photograph and take pictures with that in mind.
10. Try Different Angles:
Try taking pictures from high up, and from low down. A different angle can change the entire atmosphere of the event.
Try taking a picture of the entire room from as close to the ceiling as you can get, try taking a picture through the fish tank, or through a bookshelf.
There’s no limit to where you can position the camera to get a different view of the party.
Use your imagination to explore the situation, and to create unique photos.
11. Find Uniqueness in Every Party:
Try to find something unique at each party. One place may have a funky decoration, lamp, rug, or maybe just a great balcony with a view. Make sure that it plays a key part in some of your pictures, but don’t obsess over it.
If it is something that your host takes pride in and they like the way you’re showing it, you’ll be invited to every party/event that happens for the rest of your life… ;)
12. Photograph Sequences:
Take a sequence of pictures that relate to each other. It could be a sequence of people with a cigarette in their mouths, or a sequence of shots with different people standing next to the same lamp, or sitting in the same chair from the same camera position.
This will give people something to look at and compare the different reactions that people have alongside something that does not change.
13. Use Multi-frame Capture:
If your camera can take more than one picture in a row, take some pictures of people dancing or laughing in that mode.
Make sure that the camera does not move too much so that the effect is heightened. Seeing a progressive sequence in the midst of a lot of still photographs makes for some interesting viewing.
Bonus: Upload photos to Google Photos, and Google will most likely make an automatic animation out of it.
14. Put New Batteries In:
This may sound real “duh” obvious, but what isn’t obvious is that your flash is likely to be drawing a lot of power. The flash will seem to drain your camera’s battery extra fast if you’re not used to having the flash on for so many photos! Very often, you’ll find that having new batteries in the camera, spare batteries, or freshly recharged batteries in the camera bag can make all the difference.
When that new band comes on and you find that they’re really cool, or when one of your friends decides to convince you that David Blaine is just a glorified party magician … you won’t be stuck with a dead camera just as things get interesting.
15. Free Up That SD Card:
You never know how many pictures you’re going to take at a party! You may find that you have space for only 10 pictures and you’re about to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger…’s PR manager!
A good practice is to delete pictures from your SD card when you transfer pictures to your computer and to transfer pictures frequently.
16. Master Composition Techniques
a. Rule of Thirds
Improve the visual appeal of your party photos by using the rule of thirds in your photos. Imagine your frame divided into a 3×3 grid, and place your subjects or points of interest at the intersections of these lines to create photos that are more balanced and that have engaging compositions.
b. Leading Lines
Use leading lines to draw the viewer’s eye through the image and towards your subject. These lines can be anything from the edge of a table to the pattern on the floor. Incorporating leading lines adds depth and directs attention to the focal point of your photo.
17. Capture Candid Moments
a. Be Observant
Keep an eye out for spontaneous moments at parties, such as laughter, dancing, or emotional reactions. These candid shots often tell a more engaging story than posed photographs. Stay alert and ready to capture these fleeting moments, and you’ll be the star of the party for your keen eye.
b. Shoot From the Hip
To achieve more natural candid shots, try shooting from the hip or holding your camera at a lower angle. This approach makes your photography less obtrusive and can result in more genuine expressions and interactions.
18. Edit Your Photos
Enhance your party photos with post-processing. Even basic adjustments, such as exposure, contrast, and saturation, can significantly improve the overall look of your images. But you can take your photos to the next level by taking time and effort to really edit your event photos with impact in mind.
Experiment with user-friendly photo editing tools like Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, or VSCO to fine-tune your images. These tools offer a wide range of presets and adjustment options to help you achieve your desired aesthetic.
19. Backup Your Photos
Don’t risk losing precious memories; make sure to back up your photographs regularly. This practice ensures that your images are safe even if your camera or memory card is lost or damaged.
Consider using cloud storage services like Backblaze, Google Photos, or iCloud to store your images securely. These services often offer automatic syncing and can be accessed from multiple devices. Alternatively, invest in an external hard drive to store copies of your photos for added security.
20. Have Fun at the Party:
Remember, the party’s not worth taking pictures of if you’re not having fun… so put the camera down for a while or let somebody else have a go at it while you take center stage. (Added Bonus: you can laugh at the other pictures when you’re showing off your art pieces).
Remember that with party photographs, anything goes, so don’t be afraid to explore new settings on the camera and new ideas in your mind… Event photographs don’t have to be boring.
Note: Photographs have been used with permission of their respective owners and copyright remains with them. Please click on the images to be taken to their respective Flickr pages.
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i hate to take pictures using flash and thats the main reason i cant take much of night pictures as i dont have a tripod. The recent ones you see in my flickr was taken keeping my camera on the table.
I will certainly try the tricks you have explained here on my next party outing.
Slow-sync flash is a real stunner when used well. The trick is that you should not let blur affect your photo-taking. Make use of blur to emphasise the movement of people and the vibrance of the party. Of course, camera shake when its not wanted will always be a nuisance, but you can then increase your ISO as long as you’re OK with the increased noise levels.
Happy Shooting!
thanks for the article. it would be much appreciated if there’s a printable version for all your articles. last time i tried printing, it had a very weird result. just a thought. :)
Thank you “Anonymous”, its always great to hear that people do think that what you write carries value, its great to hear from you.
About the printing, I’ll look into the matter and see what I can do about it. Thanks for the heads-up though!
Cheers!
“Use red eye reduction mode.”
I disagree. Never ever use red eye reduction mode. Because it emits a light to reduce red eyes before taking pictures, it is both annoying and it ruins the spontanity of your photos. The occasional photo with red eyes is easy to fix anyway, and many photo programs have specialized functions for this.
Hi Steve,
Welcome to Beyond Photo Tips. I agree with you in part. Red eye reduction mode is annoying, especially in the dark, and may leave some people with a surprised expression. However, I have noticed that many point and shoot cameras have a tendency to have red-eyes in every shot; no matter where the subject is looking.
If your camera is not like this, and you know how to remove red-eye from a photograph with software like picasa, then go ahead and disable the red-eye reduction option.
Thanks for the opinion, Steve. Very useful.
i love photograpy but how i be a good photograffer
Shakeel, There’s a simple method. Just take more photographs. Remember what you did to take the good ones, remember what not to do to avoid taking the bad ones again.
Use a flash bracket – so that the flash is to the side of the camera – ie off centre, and then try to bounce the flash off the ceiling / not direct – and this way you eliminate red-eye in the original image. Then a softbox over the flash – gives a more natural light look. Then shooting RAW helps to fix white balance issues – which there are usually plenty of under the lighting of most parties.