Taking photos at a public meeting

Stephen P

Does anyone know if I need permission from people to take a photo of them at a public meeting? From my understanding if it was one particular person I would but what about a shot of a large group?
Thanks

Paulw

Is the public meeting in private property? If yes, then you need the permission of the organiser, at the very least.

Quackles

I've often done it, but I would have been invited to do it, so I can't say for sure I'd check with the organisers to be on the safe side.

Sully

I was one of the organisers of a public discussion on the Lisbon Treaty on public property. Took a picture of a speaker and she wasn't impressed, fairly rude about it and demanded it be removed. Probably one of very few who would give a **** tho!

AnimalRights

"As long as I can host this meeting you can shoot away"

Stephen P

I offered my services and the organisers are happy to let me shoot away but to ask the speakers first if they wouldn't mind me taking a few shots. It's a public meeting in a hotel, it's open to anyone to wonders in. I was just a little worried about taking shots of the crowd from the top of the room, some might not be impressed, but then on the other hand it's quite common for a photographer to be present taking pictures? I was thinking of shooting in Aperture Priority mode and focusing in on someone I know and just take a picture of them with the background blurred, this way you can kind of see the crowd but not their faces.

AnimalRights

I assume this is with no flash?

Anouilh

Stephen P wrote: »

I offered my services and the organisers are happy to let me shoot away but to ask the speakers first if they wouldn't mind me taking a few shots. It's a public meeting in a hotel, it's open to anyone to wonders in. I was just a little worried about taking shots of the crowd from the top of the room, some might not be impressed, but then on the other hand it's quite common for a photographer to be present taking pictures? I was thinking of shooting in Aperture Priority mode and focusing in on someone I know and just take a picture of them with the background blurred, this way you can kind of see the crowd but not their faces.

I think you are worrying a bit too much. In a meeting people are quite relaxed and having a documentary of the event is valuable. I was asked to take photos at an opening of an exhibition once. All my energy was put into trying to work out angles that made the people look well. It was difficult.

CabanSail

As long as the organisers are fine with it then you are OK.

Act confidently & people will assume that you do this all the time & let you get on with it. It's amazing how well this approach works. In the summer I was in the UK at an event where there displays happening in a showground. One of my mates was going to have his vehicle out there so I went along to shoot it. I just wandered in with him looking confident & had full access to shoot as I wanted (making sure I was safe) One of the guys who writes for the magazine that runs the event wandered over to me & said "The people running the Showground think you're the Official Photographer" and said I was a Cheeky Person .... or something that means the same.

Stephen P

All I have is the on-board flash, I'm still trying to build up my collection of equipment. I shoot in RAW so I should be ok with the lighting etc., I'll sort it out afterwards in LR & PS.
I'm still learning so I'll take a few shots with flash and a few without flash. I always find when using flash especially the on-board flash that the picture looks crap, I presume if I had an external flash the picture would look different? Am I right in thinking that?

Thanks by the way for the replies!

AnCatDubh

Stephen P wrote: »

All I have is the on-board flash, I'm still trying to build up my collection of equipment. I shoot in RAW so I should be ok with the lighting etc., I'll sort it out afterwards in LR & PS.
I'm still learning so I'll take a few shots with flash and a few without flash. I always find when using flash especially the on-board flash that the picture looks crap, I presume if I had an external flash the picture would look different? Am I right in thinking that?

Thanks by the way for the replies!

An external (hot shoe) flash will be better but it can still look c**p unless used correctly. You need to begin to work on technique - the most basic and probably the most effective is to bounce the external flash off a ceiling or wall to disperse the hateful shadows. This tends to give a pleasing aesthetic. Beware of shadows that it might create under the chins or in the eye sockets - this as your flash is now effectively coming from above rather than below. Also be mindful of the subjects position in relation to background. If you have your subject further away from the background, the less opportunity to get hideous flash shadow in the shot.