Intrusive photographer or not?

[PoohJen]

Hi All,

Just got back from a 2 day conference, about 150 people in the audience with panel speakers sitting up on stage. My company had a professional photographer there the whole time. It seemed to me that I noticed the photographer every time she snapped a picture. Not just the clicking, but the bright flash on every shot. She shot both the speakers and the audience.

I was curious as to why she used a flash. It was typical indoor lighting, not dim. Do professionals in this type setting always use a flash? I thought a manual, flashless setting would've been less intrusive, far less noticeable.

I guess at weddings (esp receptions) photographers usually use a flash, but those are usually posed shots in a dim dance hall. So...just wondering.

 

[photo_chick]

At my wedding and my sisters wedding the photographer did not use a flash. If it were me I woudl avoid using a flash if at all possible. But I have found there are different types of photographers. There are those there to document the event and they seem to produce very corporate looking shots (bright flash, very flat and dull most of the time), and there are those there to capture the event and produce more artistic loking shots (using available light and more creative shots). If she was there to record the event for a company and get shots for a newsletter she was doing exactly what they wanted her to do. Give them nice, clean shots for the compnay newsletter.

THe fact that you noticed and seemed to be annoyed by it suggests you would be in the artistic, available light camp!

 

[jann1033]

Hi All,

Just got back from a 2 day conference, about 150 people in the audience with panel speakers sitting up on stage. My company had a professional photographer there the whole time. It seemed to me that I noticed the photographer every time she snapped a picture. Not just the clicking, but the bright flash on every shot. She shot both the speakers and the audience.

I was curious as to why she used a flash. It was typical indoor lighting, not dim. Do professionals in this type setting always use a flash? I thought a manual, flashless setting would've been less intrusive, far less noticeable.

I guess at weddings (esp receptions) photographers usually use a flash, but those are usually posed shots in a dim dance hall. So...just wondering.

or maybe you noticed it more since you are more in tune to it due to your hobby? funny how last wedding i went to i noticed the photographer more than i think i ever had in the past. however i will say some photographers are much better at blending into the background than others...a couple weddings ago there was a husband/wife duo that i think wanted more attention than the bride and groom. they seemed to just be very visible, not because of using or not using a flash just because for some reason they always seemed to be in the "picture" , middle of the aisle, in the couple's face for ever thing they did etc. ...not real professional imo

 

[SharonLowe]

Event photographers are going to use flash unless they aren't allowed to use it - they will have diffusers or have it set for fill flash rather than full blast. Indoor lighting is horrible and the flash helps offset that. Also, the backgrounds tend to be light so if they don't use flash, the person will be in shadow. Plus, you won't get nice catchlights in the eyes if you don't use flash.

 

[MICKEY88]

I can't judge the situation since I wasn't there, however,

flash is a neccessity unless it's one heck of a brightly lit room, for portraits using long exposure and a tripod, you can get away with no flash....


you will notice that the deeper you get into photography the more you will notice photographers at events,

perfect example, if you were to go to a pro football game with a very avid sports fan with no interest in photography, you would most likely notice the large white pro lenses on the sidelines, the sports fan wouldn't know they were there..