Asked to shoot a craft beer festival

I do a lot of event photography and I get asked all the time to donate my services. I almost never do. At first, friends or acquaintances are usually put off by my rejecting their offer of bartering for my services and then they usually turn to Joe Blow down in Accounting who just got a new camera, and he takes the pictures. Many times, those same folks give me a call later and ask how much would I charge next time to shoot their event.
 
I agree with Bill - you're on the way to being used like a wet dishrag. Unless the people know you personally, and very well, they will not appreciate the effort and time you put into this kind of work. And it is work. You need to treat it like a job and smash it. Before you go you should be previsualizing your images, and the minute you hit the venue you should be adjusting your previz and planning your shots. I hate to say it, but this is not a situation where the wife and kid can be in tow; if you are there to shoot, you need all your attention on the job and not divided between a five year old on your knee and a wife wondering what the heck is going on.

Gear: two bodies, two fast lenses, pocket backup. Many event/wedding photographers use a 24-70 and 70-200, plus a couple of fast primes. Others have something like a 16-35mm as well. In your case, I'd use two X bodies with the 35 and 56, and have a fast wide zoom in your bag if necessary. Food type events are fast paced and you need to be able to smash candids from a medium distance - the 56 will give you reach, speed and depth of field separation to pick out one subject amidst many.

Shots: your use of establishing shots to warm up is a good one. Establishing shots of the venue, the displays, the people behind the displays, all good. Next come people and action. Beer in hand, bartenders pouring, people talking animatedly, all good. The distinctions will come from the kinds of expressions you can capture. After a while you'll develop a kind of radar sense of 'action that is about to go down'. You'll spot a group of people and notice who is talking with the most volume and gesticulation, so you can capture not only them, but the bemused expressions of the people around them. Better yet if they have beer in hand. Etc. Also look for the shapes that people's bodies and heads form against a backdrop, if this makes sense. Think cinema.

Payment: I only shoot for free if I know the people really well, and they are not expecting me to shoot. It's a bit of a paradox. If someone wants you to shoot for free, you must clearly establish the results they will get, so they know what to expect. The only time I was asked to shoot an event, and the people who asked me didn't like the work, was for free. They had never seen my work before but expected me to rock up with all my gear, give them photos, and for them to be satisfied. Not doing that ever again. On the other side, I shot two weddings while being a guest and both parties not only liked my work more than the hired pros, but also have my photos hanging on their walls. They knew what I could do, but did not expect me to deliver the way I did.

Otherwise, think very carefully about how much time and effort is going into shooting an event and charge accordingly. Shooting for free devalues photography, which makes it harder for the people who are doing this to make a living.

Just wanted to say how much I appreciated this. I've gone back to re-read it a few times over the weeks. It sinks in differently each time.
 
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