How To Cover A Non-Profit Event: Everything From Cameras to Editing
When we see others do good, we want to do good as well. As we note in our article about non-profit conferences to attend in 2023, there's nothing that fuels motivation like a gathering devoted to helping the world, whether it's about learning about the latest technology to promote social interests, how to develop effective social awareness campaigns, or listening to expert philanthropists.
That inspiration can continue even after the fact—as long as the event is documented properly. If you understand the importance of visually documenting an event to maximize this potential, here's everything you need to know to cover a non-profit event.
Choose the right camera
You won't have the flexibility of bringing multiple cameras around—so to shoot your non-profit event, pick the best one. There are generally two types of cameras utilized: mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Compared to DSLRs, mirrorless cameras are lighter and more flexible, as they use an electronic viewfinder instead of a bulky internal mirror. They also come with powerful features. Take the Canon EOS R6: its 26.2-megapixel maximum image resolution and its ISO range of 200 to 40,000 offer outstanding image quality. Meanwhile, DSLR cameras have extensive lens choices and leverage optical viewfinders that allow for raw, real-time views of your subjects. The Nikon D850 is a solid option, with its full-frame format and in-built 4K time-lapse capabilities. Choose the camera you feel will be most helpful for the non-profit event you're covering.
Curate your shot list based on your research
It's important to enter non-profit events with a plan for how to shoot them. However, don't just base your shot list on what you think would look nice. When curating your shot list, do your due diligence and research what the event will be about and what purpose your photos will serve. If you're covering the start of a charity for a newspaper, you'll only have one or two slots to capture the essentials—so consider boiling your list down to a wide shot of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and a portrait of the guest of honor. If your coverage of an annual fundraiser will be used as marketing material for the next year, you'll want to take close-ups of guests smiling, laughing, and generally enjoying themselves. Ensure you understand your goals for taking pictures and plan for visual success.
Select high-quality images
Even with your trusty shot list, it still helps to stay sharp and look for great, spontaneous moments to capture on camera. That often means you'll take more photos of your non-profit event than you need. That's perfectly fine: the next part of the process is choosing the appropriate images for your deliverables. You can use photo library management software like Shotwell to organize your photos by category and sort through them quickly. You'll want to prioritize high-quality images that are well-lit and focused—and from that group, you can choose the best photos that give a sense of story, whether that's a shot of the beneficiary of a scholarship fund passionately giving their testimony or a group photo of the hundreds of volunteers that make up a charitable foundation. Pick the pictures that authentically capture the essence of a non-profit event.
Edit for emotion
Ideally, you shouldn't edit pictures of a non-profit event too heavily. Preserving the speakers' and attendees' genuine, unfiltered emotions is generally best, especially for the industry you're operating in. However, you can still do some minor photo editing using a program like Photoshop for things like touch-ups and resizes. In addition, if you feel like blurring the background slightly to focus more on the charity founder's heartfelt microexpression will better enhance the non-profit's message, or if you feel like the stray flailing arm in the background would detract from it, go ahead and do it. Utilize your best judgment in crafting photos that will create emotional connections with your viewers.
Non-profit events do good for both their participants and the people they help. Make the impact grow larger by covering it well.
Article written by Rebecca Jules Exclusively for LindaHandley.com.
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