Welcome, photographers! Your photos will be used for Facebook, video editing, printed photobook, and promotional material. You are competing with people with iPhones and consumer cameras. As a professional photographer your shots need to look better than Joe Schmo’s shots. Here are a few points to remember that make a professional photo different from a consumer level shot:

Telephoto Shots: It is impossible to get a nice, rich, distortion-free telephoto shot with an iPhone. Why? Because its all about the glass in the lens. Glass isn’t cheap, and neither are the photos. Where possible, use a 135mm or 70-200mm 2.8 – even for group photos. Shooting with the right lens will instantly make your photos stand out.
Pay attention to lighting: Does the room cast nasty yellow shadows? Take your photos where the lighting is nicely diffused and bright.
In general we are aiming for smiles, young, diverse.
Avoid: Double chins, open mouths, sleepers, bad hair days, blinking – Ask yourself: If this shot was taken of you, would YOU want to be Facebook-tagged with this photo? If you answered “no” then you need to take a better shot.
Rule of 2/3 – Make sure to leave room for text over the image in the negative space. Avoid putting people in the center, unless there is nice symmetry in the composition.

Shotlist

At least 5 wide shots

Each Presenter with good facial expression

Usually the best time to take the shot is in the beginning and the end of their speech. Smiling is best. Avoid open mouth and double chins. Use telephoto lens.

At least 10 Audience shots engaged

Young People! Smiling is Best! No Sleepers! Intimate Interaction, people talking:

Portrait Shots in nice lighting (ushers, presenters)

find an area that is nicely lit, ask people if you can take a photo of them in the area- Use a telephoto lens if possible to avoid distortion. Think Facebook Tagging- where the subject will not want to untag themselves because the photo is so damn good. Often times the podium shot doesnt cut it, Its good to take the main presenters aside to a nicely lit environment, or have them pose at the podium .