As we get back into the rhythm of the corporate event calendar, I’ve been reflecting on the role that photography plays. As a photographer, how can I best contribute to the organiser’s efforts to communicate their event?

Traditional event photography primarily served as a record – of the ministerial handshake, the chief executive’s speech, and the award ceremony. Such images still serve a purpose, of course, and I’m happy to make posed portraits of individuals or groups if required.

But what my clients mostly want these days is photos that “capture the essence of our event” as one put it recently – photos that convey the excitement in the room. They want images that remind participants what a good time they had, and make non-participants curse their bad luck and promise themselves to go next year.

I wish I’d been there

A successful event photo evokes the response: I wish I’d been there!

It could be an image of the fabulous venue, or of the canapés at the reception. But most of all it will be an image of human connection. So what I always look for is emotion and interaction, heads turning, hands pointing, laughter. And, above all, the eyes of people fully focused on what someone else is saying. Because although a photograph cannot convey the content of a conference, it can show how information and ideas pass between us.