Photo Highlights From Annual Community Awards Gala in Mukilteo

Janelle Cass, Candidate for Washington State Senator

The Chamber of Commerce celebrated the past year and looking forward to a bright future. The event was held at Rosehill Community Center on November 4. Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce was the organizer of the event with the City of Mukilteo being the co-sponsor.

This gala was intended for honoring community members and businesses that have made 2022 a year to remember. There were also a Fling the Ring Wine Toss, a photo booth, silent auction items, and a live band playing on stage.

Photographing an awards gala can be an exciting prospect, but it can also be a lot of work. Speaking from a photographer’s perspective, you may not have much time to get a good shot, and there are many distractions that can make it difficult to capture the moments you want. Here are my top principles whenever I’m doing an event like this:

Dancing and having a good time

Know who's going to be there. You don't want to show up only to find out that your favorite guest isn't going to be present because he or she is on vacation in Europe. Find out who is attending ahead of time so you can make sure you get shots of everyone you want.

Don't take flash photos. If you use flash, even if it's "on camera," it will wash out your subjects' faces and make them look like they have glowing faces, which isn't flattering at all. Instead, use natural light as much as possible by choosing a spot near some windows or doors that have plenty of light coming through them.

Ask permission before taking photos of people standing next to each other or posing together; especially if they're famous people who expect privacy when not working professionally.

Know your venue - Most award gala venues are large public buildings, so it's important to know where you stand in relation to the stage and any other photographers who might be covering the event. You also need to know what equipment is allowed and where you can set up your tripod or monopod without causing disruption. Some venues will allow you to use tripods, but others will not allow them at all, so make sure you check this out before selecting your shooting position.

Be prepared - Make sure you have enough memory cards, batteries and spare batteries as well as chargers with you on the evening; also make sure your camera is fully charged before leaving home so that there are no surprises during the evening! It's also worth bringing some water with you if there isn't anywhere nearby to get refreshments during breaks in between awards presentations.

Award winner Sean Drought

If you want to get good photos from afar using a long zoom lens, then make sure you have enough space around you so you don't get caught up in other people's shots or cause problems for them by blocking their view or getting in their way when they're trying to move around freely. When photographing people at an event, it's important to find a good vantage point from which to shoot. If there are many people in attendance, try shooting from above so that nobody looks up at you while they're eating and drinking. If the venue has backdrops or other elements that make for good photos, use those as foreground elements. The angle at which you take your photos will depend on where you are positioned when taking them – if you are in the middle of the crowd then it might be more difficult for you to angle your camera upwards or downwards without anyone noticing what you are doing! However, if you are near the front then this shouldn't be too much of an issue since it will be easier for you to get higher up shots without people noticing what they look like when photographed from above! As well as this, think about how many people should be in each shot as well as how long they will stay in the shot before moving on to their next destination.

When possible, try to get photos of attendees when they are most engaged with each other — either during introductions or during breaks between activities or speeches. You'll want to avoid getting shots of people looking at their phones or laptops — although these may make for interesting photos too!

There's no such thing as a bad photo at an awards gala; there's only more opportunity for making better ones! Make sure that you take lots of pictures during each part of the evening so that you have plenty to choose from later on when you are in the process of editing.

Photo booth entertainer Zachary Lee

I hope the above tips help you learn more about event photography. If you or someone you know need an event photographer, I would be glad to assist you. Submit an inquiry on my website, I will get back to you as soon as possible!