Tips for shooting a book launch anyone?

starr0409

I've been asked to photograph a book launch tomorrow. Ive never shot an event before so I'd be really grateful of some idea of how to go about it or what angle to take etc.
Are there any essentials to bring?
Any insight on what to expect would be great too.
Please share your tips and tricks with me!

Thanks a bunch

pixbyjohn

bring a flash if its indoors ( it has to be in this weather lol).
Shoot at shutter speed 160 @f5.6 and bounce your flash off the ceiling if it is a bright and not too high one. Use a short zoom lens, 17 to 55 or 24 to 70 Thats my advice for what its worth.

Who are you covering it for? Local paper, author, company involved in the promotion/sale of the book, the shop..?


If it's a job for a paper, then just get people posed for the camera. between 2-4 people per photo, fairly straight forward photos, looking at the camera, preferably holding the book if possible.

If it's for the author or a company involved, then focus less on those posed shots (though one or two won't do any harm), get a few shots of the line to purchase (if there is one), the book being handed over a counter to a customer, the book being slid into the bag bearing the shop's name (if they have branded bags), if the author is there (presuming it's a local thing) then you want to get a few meet-n-greet style photos done (posed with people with the author, book-in-hand, preferably, or candids of people talking to the author), see if you can get candids of people flicking through the book in the shop, a shot of the shelf where all the book's spines are visible, if there are any promotional materials be sure to get them (posters in the windows, etc.).


If I were you I'd just get back in touch with whoever you've covering for and find out exactly what it is they want (otherwise you risk getting it wrong).

If covering for a paper, be sure to get names and caption the photographs accordingly.

jpfahy

Get there early and get some practice shots in
Don't be afraid to rearrange the furniture to suit You.
Remove any distracting bits and pieces that might get in your photos
Bring spare flash batteries
Bring a notepad and pen to get names of people you photograph if they are going to be published. Think of a disclaimer
Take a few posed close up photos of the author signing a book at the start - close up of the page with different depths of field, stack of books, etc.
Try a few shots with shallow depth of field - author sharp/client blurred

starr0409

Thats brilliant! Thanks everybody!

Its actually a friend's book but he's told a few local papers he has his own photographer and they've agreed to publish some images from them. So I'll aim to do that 'for the paper' style but I'd also like to tell the story of the day in a way the author will enjoy looking back at it.

Really really great advice. I feel alot more focused now. Bring it on!