Kevin Newsome: I was born in Virginia, but have lived in Florida since I was a young teenager.
P: You have a great experience in many photography styles. What style of photography do you prefer?
KN: I prefer documentary style, photo journalism. I’ve done portraits in a studio environment for many years and I still enjoy that, but I love the challenge of working in a “non-controlled” environment, such as corporate events and conventions.
P: What is more difficult thing: to take a photo of children or to work on the corporate event?
KN: They both present their own challenges – a small child will dictate the pace and level of cooperation you might get from them; a corporate event can be just as unruly depending on the event planners in control of the itinerary. I would rather photograph a corporate event over a simple child’s portrait, but only because it tends to be more lucrative.
P: What is the difference between the corporate event and wedding (for the photographers)? Which one is harder for you?
KN: Corporate events are a lot like wedding receptions, but without the drama. The level of emotional stress is far less at a corporate event than a wedding. I photographed over 800 weddings before leaving that industry in favor of corporate events.
P: What feauters does an American event have?
KN: There is usually an event coordinator who is responsible for keeping everything on schedule. Have a good rapport with that person is vital. They can make your job easy, or your life miserable. Keep them happy, and your images will always look better for the client.
P: By the way, have you ever been to Russia?
KN: I have never been to Russia. I’ve only been to Europe three times, but was limited to England, Italy and Austria. I look forward to the opportunity to one day work in Russia. Moscow looks like a beautiful city. Maybe you can put in a good word for me with President Putin. ;-)
P: What other places have you worked? Do you have a secret place for the best photos?
KN: I have worked in several major cities throughout the U.S., but only outside the U.S. once, when I photographed a wedding in the Cayman Islands. My most favorite city to work in for corporate events has been Palm Springs, California. I’ve worked there at least once a year for the last four years.
P: What is your picture you are proud of? Tell about it, please.
KN: I was photographing an outdoor dinner party in Palm Springs, California with about 150 people in attendance. It was after sunset, but the tables were beautifully lit with candles and the client had brought in a working Ferris wheel for the guests to ride after dinner. The image I captured has the dinner party in the foreground and the Ferris wheel in the background. It was taken four years ago, and the client still uses it widely to promote their brand.
P: How many times have you worked on the corporates? How did it all begin?
KN: I can’t begin to count the number of events I’ve done over the last ten years. It began when I shifted my marketing efforts away from weddings and towards corporate clients after the U.S. economy crashed in 2007/08.
P: Could you share your experience with Russian photographers: what is the secret of success in photoshooting of global corporate event for 500-1000 people?
KN: There is no secret to success, there is only hard work and a dedication to providing your clients with the best images possible. Find out what their “end use” is going to be for the images and shoot towards that goal. Don’t approach them all the same – they all have different needs/wants, so communicate with your clients prior to, and throughout the event. With all events, I require a “shot list” provided by the client (their most important images needed). I might bring an assistant for events that have 500-1000 people, but I prefer to work alone on smaller events.
P: What project has been the most difficult in your entire career?
KN: I’ve been hired by KelbyOne Media to photograph the “Photoshop World” Convention in Las Vegas for the last two years. That convention typically draws about 1,500 photographers. When you’re the only photographer at a photography convention who has been paid to be there, people tend to size you up and analyze everything you’re doing. Knowing that every move you make during a five -day convention is being judged by your peers can be a little unnerving, but I enjoy the challenge.
Knowing that every move you make during a five -day convention is being judged by your peers can be a little unnerving, but I enjoy the challenge!
P: How to look good in photos?
KN: There is no easy answer here. I like to catch people when they’re unaware I’m photographing them. I think they look far more natural and less plastic. The subject has no control over that – it’s all on me. If I take a bad photo of someone, I delete it – the client will never see it. I respect my subjects and would never make them look bad if I know I can get a better image.
P: How to become a famous event-photographer and get good fees?
KN: Well, I’m not exactly famous, so I’m still trying to figure this one out. I consider my fees to be reasonable, but at the end of the job, the client usually discovers they got a great bargain. This is because I deliver good, clean, sharp images that exceed their expectations in lighting, color, and composition. Additionally, I pride myself on providing stellar customer service. I arrive early, stay late, work hard, don’t complain, and deliver the images ahead of schedule. I’m not just a hired photographer, I’m part of their team. I’m just as interested in them having a successful event as I am in taking great photos. THIS is why my clients hire me again and again.
P: And how not to get lost chosing a corporate event photographer? What qualities should corporate photographer are possess?
KN: I have found that most of my competitors are just plain lazy. They shoot an event and take several weeks to deliver the images. Corporate event planners and their clients do not want to wait that long. I’ve found that having a quicker turnaround time will often sway the client into hiring me. Many of the events I photograph will receive their images within 24-48 hours after the event.
P: What are your wishes to Russian photographers, event-planners and those preparing events?
KN: To the Photographers: Work every event like it was worth a year’s salary, no matter what you’re charging. Never stop looking for “the money shot,” it exists at every event – your job is to FIND it. And speed up your workflow so you have the potential to provide color/density corrected, low res JPEGS on a daily basis, then high res JPEGS within 24-48 hours after the event.
To the Event-Planners: Find a photographer whose work you admire and has a track record of being easy to work with, has a great portfolio and an exceptional reputation. The money they charge will be worth it. Listen to your photographer. Trust their experience level and the suggestions they make. They want great images, and so do you.
Text by Julia Chernaya (original answers are provided)
Photo by Kevin Newsome
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