These 5 Event Photographers Are Some of the Best in the Business – Here’s Why

These 5 Event Photographers Are Some of the Best in the Business – Here’s Why

The one skill you can’t teach is also probably one of the most important when it comes to event photography. Event photographers are hired to capture life as it unfolds, and there are no second chances, so the ability to anticipate a moment and get in position to photograph it is crucial. Check out these 5 photographers from The List, and see why their clients – everyone from professional sports teams to past Presidents trust them to deliver the best shots every time.

Feature photo by Andy Paradise

 

Stephen Green

Primary location: Chicago, Illinois
Instagram | Twitter

“From the Mississippi Delta to the Oprah Winfrey Show to the Chicago Cubs, I’ve spent the last thirty years honing my craft and producing incredible images for the upper echelon of entertainment, sports and events. From high profile celebrities to professional athletes to Fortune 500 CEOs, I’ve seen it, and I’ve shot it. There’s no ego too large, no event too large, and no detail too small.

I have extensive experience working with high profile clients in stressful situations to deliver quality images without needing a lot of supervision. There is a trust factor our clients appreciate.”

Do you have a favorite memory from an event you’ve photographed?
“I photographed an event where Bubba Watson was visiting the Cubs. He spent the afternoon working as a groundskeeper at Wrigley, and he and Anthony Rizzo spent a lot of time in the clubhouse talking about the upcoming US Open, how to hit wedges, and playing under pressure. I asked Watson if he knew about the time Sam Snead hit the scoreboard at Wrigley in the early 60’s, and he said he did and always loved the story. He asked if he could hit a ball as well, so Rizzo gave him his wedge. He hit a sweet shot that landed about 20 feet from the ivy to the delight of all the fans and players. He also said it was one of the only times he did not scold a photographer for shooting during his back swing.”

Photo by Stephen Green

Photo by Stephen Green

 

Chris Lusher

Primary location: Hong Kong, China
Instagram | Facebook

“I’ve always felt that learning photography and ‘rules’ will end up making your photographs like everyone else’s, so instead I learned the technical aspect by doing, and I developed my style from mashing all my life experiences in music, art, reading, human research and observation. I am a self-taught photographer based in Hong Kong.

My goal is simply to provide the best and most unique images I can at any stage of my development, and hopefully something that holds someone’s attention for some period of time.”

What is the key to being a great event photographer?
“Good event photography is about capturing everything that is going on – all the mandatory items from the show flow, but great event photography is all about anticipation. It’s about having a pulse on the mood and flow of an event an sensing what may be about to unfold. I can feel something developing and get myself positioned to capture unscripted and candid moments.”

Photo by Chris Lusher

Photo by Chris Lusher

 

Ralph Alswang

Primary location: Washington, DC
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

“For more than 30 years, I worked for Newsweek, Reuters, and for eight years, I worked at the White House under former President Bill Clinton as the official documentary photographer for the President and the First Lady. This job took me to every state in the union and to more than 60 countries, where I captured history as it was unfolding. I have photographed hundreds of celebrated people and events.”

Photo by Ralph Alswang

Photo by Ralph Alswang

 

Andy Paradise

Primary location: London, UK
Instagram | Twitter

“I have been a professional photographer since the start of 2000. During my time as a staff photographer at UK broadsheet newspaper ‘The Independent’, I went on a wide variety of assignments from portraits of A-list US actors to gritty news and politics. After just nine months of professional working, I received my first award at the ‘Picture Editors Awards’ for Best Black & White Image of 2000.”

What do you love about event photography?
“Since going freelance I’ve been able to take on a variety of interesting clients and pursued other areas of the medium as well. I consider it my personal aim to create photography that gives the client an angle of their event they hadn’t necessarily perceived, and I love it when they can stand back and give themselves a big pat on the back!”

Photo by Andy Paradise

Photo by Andy Paradise

 

Darrylee Cohen

Primary location: Phoenix, Arizona
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Vimeo

“I am the President and Founder of Haute Photography & Videography. We specialize in corporate, community and charity events, and we are passionate about giving back to our community by donating full photography services each quarter to a non-profit organization.
We work closely with the client prior to the event, and we always send out a questionnaire to collect all of the important details. That way we are fully prepared when we arrive, and the client can enjoy the event and know that we will get all of the important shots without interrupting the guests or the flow of the event. We love what we do and it shows in our work!”

Do you have a favorite memory from an event you’ve photographed?
“Every event is different, and there is always something new and exciting happening. That is what we love about event photography. You also get to meet and interact with some of the most amazing people. Celebrities, athletes, authors, inventors, presidents of huge corporations, philanthropists, politicians and dignitaries – you never know who you are going to photograph next.

One of my most exciting experiences in the event industry was when a client of mine called me and asked to book us for a top secret event. I had no idea what the event would be, but they needed all of our personal information and had to run a background check – it was the real deal! We arrived at the event to learn it was a private meeting with our client and the Vice President of the United States! It was such an incredible experience to see the secret service motorcade and everything that went into hosting a visit for the Vice President. That was an experience I will never forget!”

Photo by Haute Photography & Videography

Photo by Haute Photography & Videography

 

Check out PhotoShelter’s Instagram for more beautiful shots from these photographers and the blog for more highlights from other members of The List.

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There are 5 comments for this article
  1. James Barton at 5:29 am

    As an event photographer with a growing business, it is great to see some examples of folks who are doing the highest level work in the same space. It is really inspiring to hear the examples of meeting famous people, and still having exciting moments well in to their careers!

  2. Orlando Sydney at 4:46 pm

    With so many sub genres of event photography you could update this list and break down into categories. Music, festival, 6 types of corporate events and so on. Our website has a list of 30 types of events in life and business a photographer can specialise in.

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