I did some event photography this past Sunday when I attended the Markets For Makers event in Jacksonville, at a beautiful venue called The Glass Factory. It’s a dream venue with high ceilings and large windows that flood the wide open space with natural light. About 30 different vendors lined the aisles, with their food/crafts/merch on display.

As a vendor, you should always document your presence at the event and share it. It’s a great opportunity to share a behind-the-scenes look to your audience, especially if they can’t be there in person. But it’s easy to get caught up prepping for and working the event itself that you may forget to take photos or videos.

I’ve been guilty of that before - I’ll work an event, have an awesome time, but not have any tangible evidence of the experience I had. I’m left hoping that someone else tags me in footage they took. But of course there’s no guarantee that will happen.

To help document your event participation, just focus on these 5 types of photos you should get - whether you take them yourself or ask/hire someone else to handle it.

** FYI these same ideas can also apply to video.

Prep

Build anticipation. Share what you’ll bring to the event - your products, backdrops, flyers, or even what you’re planning to wear that day. Tease out these behind-the-scenes photos/vids on social media in the week leading up to the event.

Ideas:

Some of the products you’ll be selling, especially if products made specifically for that event
Packing your luggage and car with gear/merchandise
Event day outfit
Holding up business cards or event flyers

Table/Booth Setup

Capture your space in all its glory! Take this photo before the event starts, when things are laid out nicely and you’re looking and feeling fresh! Then share that on social media to let your audience know where you’re located within the event so they can find you.

Once attendees start flooding in, you may forget to do this - so again, do this at the beginning.

AND BE IN THE PHOTO! Show off your smiling face - after all, YOU are representing your brand and want customers to become familiar with who you are.

This is also a great time to go live on Facebook or Instagram. In addition to showing your space, walk around the event area and describe what’s going on. Your audience may have questions about the event or what you’re selling, so it’s the perfect time to engage with them.

Interacting With Customers

Showcase your customer service skills. A great time to capture footage is when your booth is filled with attendees. Ideas:

Customers browsing through your selection
How you help a customer select a product
How you carefully package or gift wrap an item

With their permission, you can also snap a pic of customers holding up their purchase from you. This serves as social proof that people were interested in what you offered.

Detail Shots of Products

Show off your stuff in wide, medium, and close-up angles. Start with a wide group shot of all your products to showcase the variety you offer. Use medium shots to promote a group of items that should be bought as a set. Finally, use individual “hero” shots to highlight particular pieces.

It’s also helpful to show the relative size of your products. For example, a customer can get a better idea of how big or small a piece of jewelry is if you hold it in your hand.

The Aftermath

Since you took a “before” shot of your table/booth setup, remember to take an “after” shot to bring the story of the event full circle. Especially if you sold a lot of products, show off your nearly empty table! Other ideas:

Packing up your setup
Photos with the event coordinator and other vendors (so you can tag them later in social media posts)

Conclusion

If you have the budget for it, hire a brand photographer (like me!) for an hour or two to capture all this for you - it’ll be one less thing on your plate. Having these types of photos from your next event means you’ll end up with fresh content to share across your social media, website, and email newsletter.

To the vendors out there, are you capturing these images each time you participate in an event?

Thanks for reading!

Klara

5 Types Of Photos You Need When You’re An Event Vendor