The Life of London Event Photographer | One Great George Street

I wake up in East London.......

As an event photographer, my day often starts early with a mug of tea and a quick glance at my schedule reminding me of any specifics required for the day. Recently I had a corporate event at One Great George Street, a location I know well and so I understand the nuances of the light from one conference room to the other.

After a hearty breakfast (you never know if or when you might be fed as an event photographer) I double check the gear bag making sure I have the cameras, lenses, and lighting equipment I need. A final check ensuring everything is in perfect working order and that I have extra batteries and memory cards ready for the day ahead. Although I have worked with this client many times, I am slightly nervous that everything is packed and all will go well. Especially the journey to the event locations. London travel can be a total nightmare!

I am excited to meet my clients and to catch up on the gossip and make sure I am fully briefed. This client always provides a detailed brief so all is good for a successful day.

Arriving at the One
Great George Street......

I’m greeted by the buzz of planning and preparations. I take a moment to assess the chosen rooms, looking for the best angles and lighting. I am excited to meet my clients and to catch up on the gossip and make sure I am full briefed. This client always provides a detailed brief so all is good for a successful day.

As guests begin to arrive, I capture candid moments: smiles, laughter, and the excitement in the air. My goal is to tell the story of the event through my lens, documenting every detail from the decor to the interactions. I also check in with the sound and AV guys to make sure we help each other best we can and ask politely for a little more light on the speakers if needed.

The Shoot Begins

Throughout the event, I stay on my toes, moving around to capture different perspectives. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time, which requires a mix of intuition and planning. I engage with guests, making them feel comfortable in front of the camera, ensuring their personalities shine through in every shot. My style is reportage quietly shooting throughout the networking breaks. I will also make sure I’m aware of people hiding from the camera as this is a clear indication they do not want to be shot.

On this occasion one of the speakers is wearing glasses. I always ask people with glasses the opportunity for a few posed shots on the stage. I find ladies are very keen to take me up on this offer and men tend not to be bothered.

Today the client is using the Great Ballroom for networking and the Telford Theatre for presentations. Content consists of both solo and panels for fireside chats including interaction with the guests. There is plenty of light on the stage a blessing for me as often the speakers are in the darkest spot in the room

All goes well throughout the day and I have got everything the client needs. I am confidant the editing is going to be relatively smooth.
Click the button for my business portfolio

Back home in East London I do as always and start uploading and backing up the shots from the day. I never feel comfortable until I do this process to make sure I have the shots on two hard drives and ready to edit.
This process takes over an hour as I have taken over 1,000 shots. They will of course be culled to around 300 final edits.

The client had paid a little extra for next day delivery so it was a very late night going to bed at 3am. This is not unusual for an event photographer.

I'm very happy to say the client was extremely happy with the shoot.