The work before the work
How do you ensure magical photos are taken during your next keynote?
Work with your photographer to do the work before the work.
Before every keynote that I cover, I make sure to take part in the tech rehearsal.
During that time, while the speaker is getting their mic level locked in, checking that their slide deck works, and moving about the stage and space to get a sense of where their place space is for the talk, I’m watching and photographing their movements:
I’m doing this for two reasons:
ONE, these behind-the-scenes photos are useful assets for experts to leverage in their online content. They offer speakers a chance to tell additional stories that go beyond the day-of-show performance.
These photos add color to the full picture of the experience for those they serve.
And when you’re looking to build a long-term relationship with your audience, visual assets like these go a long way in supporting that nurturing process.
You’re not simply showing them the final product - you’re offering them an entry point into your life and work journey - a journey that can, ultimately, help benefit them.
And TWO, the rehearsal gives me a chance to figure out where my ideal shooting spots are within the room, especially if it’s a theater and there’s multiple levels to be explored.
The bigger the space, the more opportunities there are to capture the speaker from a variety of vantage points. This can be both a good and a bad thing.
In some cases, the room can be, quite frankly, overwhelming.
That’s why being present during a run-through affords me the chance to shake off the, “oh shit, this is a big space - how am I going to use it?” narrative going through my head.
This is why practice is so important. It doesn’t make perfect (no such thing), but it makes the work better.
Similar to the shot sheet created through a strategy call with speakers before their portrait sessions, this run-through helps me build my “shot sheet” of spots from which to shoot throughout the entire venue.
So when it’s game-time, the nerves go away because there’s a plan in place.
And we end up creating visual assets like this:
When you put in the work before the work, it helps create better results.
For you, and the shooter in the audience.
The next time you have your keynote photographed, I encourage you to put in the strategize with the photographer beforehand to create a well-made plan for creating valuable image assets:
Bring them to your tech rehearsal
Inform them of how, when and where you plan to move about the stage and space, especially if you plan to walk off stage and interact with participants
Let them know of any signature “act-out” moments that you definitely want captured
Huddle with them after rehearsal to go over any last bits of details
Rather than hoping for the best in terms of what was photographed, plan and practice to create a more valuable image content portfolio.
The juice is worth the squeeze :)
If you’re gearing up for a keynote and want some magical pictures to share throughout your online content, I can help you with that.
Set up a time to chat with me and let’s see if we’re a fit to play in the sandbox together.