Tips for Special Event Photography

David Deusner offers Photography Tips For Taking Better Photographs At Special Events

As a freelance photographer, David Deusner has had a lot of experience working at a variety of special events including:

• weddings
• holiday parties
• birthdays
• bridal showers
• seminars
• conferences
• charity events
• festivals
• galas
• and many more

Each event is unique and should be captured in a special way so that guests and those who were unable to attend will be able to remember and appreciate the event upon its completion. In order to make this possible, here are a few essential tips to make any special event all the more special through photography and video.

Take shots before the event begins

This is a great way to impress that client of yours. Take pictures of the location before the setup for the event occurs, and while it is being setup as well. Having some great pre-event shots makes for a perfect way for the client to be able to catalog and capture that particular setup, just incase they need to use that again. This must be the de-facto way in which you start any event.

Overshooting vs Undershooting

Balance is the key here. Remember, that although you are there to take some great pictures, the people attending the event must have a good time. This must be your priority. Whilst it is perfectly acceptable to capture guests in either candid or posed moments, make sure you make a note of which guests have already been photographed and who all need to be photographed, so that you avoid taking repeated shots of the same people. When people start eating, that is the cue for you to take conservative shots, and to point your camera to the stage instead of the tables. This is not dogma, but a good rule of thumb to keep in mind. Find the right balance between overshooting and undershooting.

Close up and wide angle shots

If the event you are covering has speakers on stage, then you need to be busy capturing close up and wide angle shots of the speakers. You might not have the best choice of location for capturing these shots, so come prepared. Get a good lens for your camera and be prepared to shoot from far, far away or up close. As a rule of thumb, take your shots quickly, so as to be as unobtrusive as possible to the guests who are trying to listen to the speaker.

Look for moments to shoot

Special events create moments, which can turn into treasured memories if captured properly. This is where you as the photographer come in. Be proactively looking out for such moments in special events, where you can capture that. For a concert, it could be the time when the band is interacting with the crowd. At a wedding, it could be the moment when the bride and groom kiss. Capturing these moments makes for great photographs and unforgettable memories.

Check out some of David Deusner's photography and DIY projects on Behance and check out some additional photography tips on his Medium blog: https://medium.com/@daviddeusner.

Photography How To

Photography is an essential part of our lives.  I am sure you are wondering why I say this.  I was talking to a friend recently about his mother whom had passed away 35 years ago when he was 12 years old.  He said he could hardly remember what she looked like.  I asked if he had any pictures of her and he did not.  I found this to be profoundly sad.  It would have been so great for him to have a picture of her to remember her more clearly.  He now documents even the smallest things in his life.  He does not want that to happen to himself or any others in his family again. 

I have always taken pictures and I know it drives my friends and family crazy at times but when I tell them this story they have a better understanding of why I take pictures.

Here are some videos with some great tips to get awesome photographs!

Why You Should Consider More DIY in the New Year

David Deusner has been a DIY advocate for many years. This new year, he is encouraging individuals to learn more about Do-It-Yourself projects to enhance their lives.

DIY, or Do-It-Yourself, is a popular trend among people that are handy with tools and like to build things with their own bare heads instead of buying pre-made. Some people, like David Desuner love various DIY projects because it is something that can be done at home, but others are not keen on tools or building things because they can’t even get the IKEA manual right. However, there is no such thing as perfection. Regardless of flaws, people often prefer self-made goods, especially in the new year. For this New Year's resolution, consider adding a little more DIY to your lifestyle.

First, by going DIY, individuals would have a bigger appreciation for the things already owned and how they were built. By trying to duplicate a piece of furniture or a kitchen utensil, people will learn that all of those things we enjoy using all the time are really difficult and time-consuming to make. One cooking spoon, for example would take a few hours to craft perfectly. Of course, we use dozens and dozens of kitchen utensils and tools for eating and cooking. When it comes to buying any new pieces, now you might look at the price and the quality of how some of these things are made. Maybe new Do-It-Yourselfers will finally understand the difficulty of a person making a single spoon by hand and getting the right curves and corners right.

Then, there is the chance for new DIY’ers to have the chance to put some extra though into their craft and get blue-collar with what they make. Humans have opposable thumbs and a brain for creation. By going DIY, we get to build things and have to pick up the hammer and nails, measure it out with a tape measure, and test it when it is finished. People love the use of tools to nail and saw and tie things up and feeling good about what we have accomplished by doing this, hence the whole “hands-on” feeling we promote in DIY.

Then, there is also the libertarian, self-reliant feeling in a DIY project. Do-It-Yourselfers love turning their projects, things they do as a hobby, into an actual reality. It also can be a business and, at this time with economic woes and questions all over, having a side cash flow growing is a nice thing to have. To be a DIYer is to not be reliant on buying companies or the government when it comes to funding things. It is being self-reliant, rolling up the sleeves, and taking on all of the responsibility in supporting oneself in producing really good home products. Another personal aspect for new DIY enthusiasts is that there is a community of people to bounce ideas off of for all DIY projects. This will allow new friends amongst themselves in a sphere of similar interests like constructing our own things. Cooking, carpentering, and remodeling each has their own community.

By going DIY for the new year, it puts a new perspective on things from what is being made and consumed and how much we take for granted. It is a very satisfying thing to know you made an item rather than it came from a factory. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears are put into it, but it is all for saving money and empowering our minds to get creative in the future.

For more advice and information about DIY, connect with David Deusner on Quora and ask him a question today!

DIY Craft Ideas for Christmas

David Deusner DIY Christmas Crafts

Christmas is right around the corner, and decorating your home is a great way to spend time with friends and family during the holiday season. The holidays are expensive enough as it is so adding new decorations to the bill can be overwhelming and unnecessary. To keep the holiday cheer and some money in your wallet, David Deusner recommends making some of your decorations yourself. Listed below are a few ideas that are simple and easy that can add a special touch to your holiday decor. 

Photo Keep-Sake Ornaments:

These small decorations take only 10 minutes to make, but will surely bring a lot of memories back! You’ll need some tree bark wood slices, matte finish mod podge, a pair of scissors, some memorable photos and twine. Below are the instructions to make it. Check out YouTube for more visual and step-by-step instructions as well.

Just cut the pictures and slices into circles, and stick them together using some mod podge. Add a final layer on the top to seal everything. Poke a hole on top of the ornament, pass a twine through it and tie it. Hang them on your Christmas tree and take a ride down memory lane! You and your family will love it! David Deusner has also found that these photo ornaments make great gifts for loved ones! As a freelance photographer, this is one of his favorite DIY crafts to make each year. 

Christmas Tree Stars:

If you have some sewing skills, you best use them, right? These cute stars require only some yarn, cardboard and some pretty cardstock. Here’s what you should do:

Cut 2 squares of the cardboard of the same size, and place them in a square-diamond fashion. Take the cardstock and stick it on top of the cardboard. Take 8 pins and push it into each corner of the cardboard. Now, take the yarn and start wrapping it around the pins. If you need further instructions and directions, you can check various videos on YouTube. 

Wood Burned Snowflakes:

This rustic ornament can be stuck on anything or can be hung on your Christmas tree. This is most definitely the easiest DIY craft idea in this list, so you should try it out if you have time!

To create it, all you’ll need is a wood disc, and a wood burner. Heat the burner, and draw the prettiest snowflake in the world on the wood by burning it. Easy as that! If you don’t like using a wood burner, you can just carve the snowflake on the disc using a cutter or x-tip pen. The results differ, but both are equally beautiful! 

Fabric Christmas Tree:

As the name suggests, this Christmas tree is made by nothing except for fabric. Making these cute trees are easy, and they look really pretty on a Christmas tree.You’ll need different colored fabric, a glue gun, and some thread for this to work out perfectly. David Deusner also suggests using other materials you see fit to make it more of your own. 

Just cut each square larger than the first, and line them up using some thread. Now, cut a strip of fabric and roll it. Close it using a glue gun. That’ll be the stem of the tree. Using the glue gun, stick the stem under the lined-up fabric. You can hang it on your Christmas tree using a twine or extra fabric.

Be sure to follow David Deusner on YouTube for more DIY ideas and other fun activities.