Introduction
I find it exciting to capture photos of my friends enjoying an event in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Events are where we have court, participate in tournaments, and experience the fun of the Current Middle Ages together. I like to record these things not only for my own memories but for other people’s memories as well. I enjoy sharing these “moments of time” with others that they will cherish; and it is well worth the effort of lugging my camera around to an event. From my experiences my local group is accustomed to having their photos taken and are positive with it because I worked hard on creating a repertoire with them-- creating a positive atmosphere for photographers in my group. Event photography is as easy as bringing along your camera and taking pictures, right? Is it that simple?This type of culture was, I thought, quite common; who doesn’t enjoy having their picture taken? It turned out not quite true. While following several groups on social media I noticed a disturbing trend—photographers in other groups were facing opposition when they tried to take photos at events, often being chastised for it. This made me wonder what is going on because I am welcomed by my local group to take pictures. What was difference?
I came to the conclusion that these other photographers must be either doing something deconstructive or were operating in a culture that has had a bad experience with other photographers in the past. While many of us try our best to serve The Dream we can sometimes fall short through simply not knowing enough. However, a poor culture in any group for photographers makes it difficult to capture The Dream which, when these photos are utilized well, can encourage others to attend events, excite newcomers, and preserve the local history of a group. To not have access to photographic artwork in any group is not a good thing.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to share your images with others in the Society. You don’t have to hold a position in the baronial court to wield a camera. You don’t need the most expensive camera imaginable to get great photos. You just have to get to the event and remember to pack a camera along with you. There are some other things to think about as well; things that can help you put your best foot forward and capture those amazing shots that everybody talks about and cherished years to come.
I have compiled some of my common practices when taking photos at events and what I do afterwards in the processing phase. This is not a definitive list that will ensure great photographs but merely a list of what I look at and follow. This information should be helpful for those looking at starting to bring a camera to events or those who are looking for more ideas on what to with the camera. I feel that with these ideas you can help keep your local group happy with you so that you can continue taking those amazing photographs uninhibited.
Taking Photos at Events—The Easy Part
Taking the photos is the easy part; just take your camera to the event. While I am at an event I try to remember a couple of things. I first want to respect the people at the event—they aren’t there just to be in my photographs. I also remember to have fun and not hide behind a camera all day long. Below is the list of things I focus on when taking photographs at events.Don’t Be Entitled. We love to take photographs; the world is our inspiration. However, SCA events are not for us photographers. You shouldn’t tell somebody to move out of the way because you are trying to get “the perfect shot.” You shouldn’t tell people that they need to stand a certain way just to get a great effect. We shouldn’t interrupt court so we can get the photo. We should aim to be part of the event, not just recording it. Additionally, we as photographers should be as unobtrusive as possible; blending in with the rest of the populace at the event. Most of the time I get the best photos from people not realizing that I have a camera pointed at them. A good zoom lens helps with this, but is not necessary as cropping a high resolution photo and resizing it works just as well.
Know Who Doesn’t Like Their Photos Taken. It is easier in smaller groups where you may know who doesn’t like their photos taken. In larger groups, it can be more difficult. Ask groups of people or an individual if it is okay to take their picture. Some places the seated Royalty, such as Barons, Princes, and Kings are fair game. A person hiding their face from you in a group photo may not want their picture taken so don't push for it.
Image 1. A friend demonstrates what a person who doesn't want their picture taken may look like. Photograph by Halfdan Ozurrson.
At one large event in my area the Autocrats had orange flagging tape for those who did not want their picture taken to wear as a baldric. This idea could be further implemented I am sure, and I thought it was a good idea. While nobody at the event wore one I could see how an idea like this would help me in determining which photos to crop or delete altogether.
Take as Many Photos As You Can. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can take as many photos as you want. You have a lot of space to fill on those little cards and this is good. It gives you a better chance of getting amazing photographs. In group photos I tend to take five photos or more so that I can get a perfect shot; some people may have their eyes closed or making a funny face. By taking many photos of a certain shot, you have a better chance of getting a good one in the end. I also tend to take a lot of pictures of the fighting so that I can get that one amazing shot as well. Take the pictures, take a lot of them.
At smaller local events I can take 200-300 photos and at larger events I can take twice that many photos or more. While these numbers change from one event to the other; I do try to take as many photos as I can and there is nothing wrong with filling up your memory card—don’t think of it as a sin but as a challenge.
Take Photos at Different Angles. One of my friends takes wonderful photos just by changing the angle in which she takes the shot. Sometimes she will sit on the ground or get up to a higher location and take the most amazing photographs of the tournaments or of court happenings. Working the angles in your favor can help produces unique and interesting photographs. Feel free to experiment with different angles, such as low or up higher than normal, to get interesting and striking shots.
One event where there were large battle scenarios the site had a children’s playground nearby. I took the opportunity to climb to the top of the slide to get more interesting position. Many of the shots came out unique and interesting from such a height.
Image Set 2. Getting a different angle can help get amazing photographs. Try sitting on the ground or standing up on something (safety first!) to get some unique and interesting photographs. Photographs by Yamano Yuki and Halfdan Ozurrson.
Do Not, DO NOT Use Flash. I despise using flash as it calls attention to me taking the photograph. It could also dangerous especially if taking photos of fighting. Also, flash washes out the natural colors and looks jarring and flash photography destroys the medieval ambiance of an event. I know its difficult as many of my shots that I thought would look spectacular where ruined because of poor lighting. However, I feel it is more important to preserve the medieval atmosphere than to ruin it because I wanted to get a nice shot.If you haven’t done so already; take a moment to read your camera’s user manual and see if there is a setting to take low-light photographs without using flash.
Take Different Shots. I am a big fan of taking photos when people don’t notice me doing so. I tend to get more interesting shots that way. However, I also appreciate the artistic expression of the portrait shot. When taking shots look at the background if possible. It is a nice background that helps make your subjects look great? It may or may not. Action, posed they are all wonderful and you can get some nice memories that way.
The background can be especially hard in some cases. Sites that are rustic, such as out in a field, can give the best shots with little work. Some cases, cars can easily be seen in the background and can ruin the ambiance of the shot. In some cases, simply changing where you are taking the photo can help, in some cases not. Take a moment to explore the place where the event is and mentally note which areas would be good to take a photo from. Avoid cars or mundane items in the background as much as possible and you will be more proud and happy with your photographs in the end.
Indoor events are much more difficult to get mundane items out of the shots. You will have to simply work your angles for the best shot. As a note, I do not use extensive end-photo stuff with photos, such as pasting a new background in the shots that I think may need it. For me, this twists what I am trying to do—preserving the history of the group.
Bring Extra. Bring extra batteries and memory cards and keep them in a pouch that is always with you. Ensure that you actually have a memory card IN your camera; woe has befallen photographers who left their memory cards at home. A while ago I had a camera that had a rechargeable battery and I would bring my charger as well. In cases where I had no access to an electrical outlet, like a camping event, I just prayed that I had enough of those little batteries. Always keep your spare parts in one place, and SCA specific if possible.
Hiding Your Camera at Events
There has been ample discussion on hiding your camera while being at events. Some of these range from a simple cloth to an elaborate leather satchel. I don’t hide my camera at events, but I try to make it unobtrusive as possible. For example, when not in use I try not to string it around my neck, when putting it on the table I try to make sure it is out of the way or covered with a napkin.These work well for the smaller DSLR cameras; but not so much for the professional grade jumbo camera with a twenty foot lens. However, there are ways to disguise those ones as well and those types of cameras are usually used at larger wars, such as Pennsic and Estrella, where the photographer cannot get very close to the action.
Um, always remember where you put your camera if you hid it well…enough said on that.
Observe all safety rules when taking photos during battles and tournaments. It is really hard to see how close the action is when you are in zoom and you run the risk of getting accidentally clobbered by a sword or polearm if you are too close to the fighting. Assume a safe place, and again, do not feel tied down to one area.
Post Production and Posting Your Photos Online
Taking photos is really the easy part; now we look at what to do with them. I have a three-step process that I use in post-processing. The first is a culling of photos that are too blurry to be fixed by my photo processor. The second is cleaning images, and then finally is the posting. I usually post to the hosting groups Facebook page and send cleaner, more definitively artistic photos to the group historian (in some cases, like mine, it’s the same person).Don’t Post Photos of Children Without Permission. The first and foremost of my own personal rules. This is a big one and one that I am adamant about. Posting images of children is dangerous, rude, and can get you into trouble. Ask the parent if it is okay and get permission. Most of the time parents are okay with this, but always ask. What I do is collect the images of the children and send the photos en masse to the parents online, via private message, asking for permission to post. I do not do this when the image only shows the back of the child or the child is undiscernible in the image. In most cases the parents are good with it, in some the parents will wish you not to post it. It is their call, and in any case, the parents have a photo of their child that they can cherish later on; and its up to them if they want to share it on a more limited basis. This process itself takes a lot of effort but is well worth it in the end and you help contribute safety to the youth of today.
Do not post embarrassing photos. The second most important thing I can emphasize in my own personal rules and just a good rule of thumb for being a compassionate and kind human being. It happens; from time to time we manage to get some funny shots of people. We love these pictures but sometimes the subjects don’t want them posted. It doesn’t matter their reasoning; we simply must respect their wishes. The best thing to do is if you think that the photograph could be embarrassing send the image to the subject. If they like it they will post it or allow you to post it with the rest of the images from the event.
Another thing that works well for me is that when I post images on Facebook I give an opt-out. In my comment section on the photo post on Facebook for example I write something along the line of “if there is an image you do not wish posted please contact me privately and I will remedy the situation.” Having them contact you privately doesn’t bring undo attention to the image in question and allows you to remove it without making a public deal about it. Quick service on this will help you to keep in good standing even if you goofed and posted the photo in the first place; it shows that you care.
Clean Up Your Photographs. I always clean up my photos before sharing them; it helps to ensure that really good images are being put out there. Using Photoshop or GIMP (my favorite) to clean up your photos does wonders. Cleaning up the colors, sharpening the image, and in some cases cropping or resizing the images before posting them is good practice. In some cases, especially with GIMP, you can batch process your images to make it easier. If you take your images at full resolution on the camera this step is important because it saves space on your computer and is easy to upload to GooglePhotos or Facebook.
Image 3. The image on the left is the original image. After cropping the image and adjusting the color and sharpening the image the photograph on the right far better than the original. Photograph by Halfdan Ozurrson.
By cleaning up your photos before sharing them you present your best face to the rest of the group; you show that you care enough to present art instead of quickly posting photographs to get the job done and move on to the next project. When people see that you care about your photos they will start to care about them as well.
Take A Million Photos but Don’t Post Them All. The wonderful thing about digital cameras is we can click away and get amazing photos. Are first thought is to do an image dump and post them all. Posting every single one of them is not only annoying to the viewers but imitates that you don’t know your photography well enough. Out of a related series of photos, such as a couple walking together, find the one that is the best and post that; and sometimes its not easy. If you are stuck with two photos that are in rapid sequence perhaps think about cropping one down a bit further to make it a unique photo.
Conclusion
These are some ideas that will help you to not only get great photographs but will also help in getting your local group to slowly accept you as a photographer more. Once they learn that they can trust you by not posting embarrassing photos, by not being obtrusive, and by showing that you care about your photos, you are good to go.While these are my ideas and thoughts, what are yours? What things do you keep in mind when taking photographs at events? Let me know in the comments below—I would love to hear from you.
Related Websites You May Find Interesting
Photography and the SCA by Lord Eirik Andersen. A comprehensive look at photography especially post-processing techniques. A very good website with lots of ideas.
Preserving Your Local History by Despotes Halfdan Ozurrson. The authors work on what he does with the photographs he takes at events; focusing on preserving the history of his local group.
Image Sources
Image 1. Example. Photograph by Halfdan Ozurrson.Image 2. Set: Extreme Angles for Photography. Photographs by Yamano Yuki and Halfdan Ozurrson
Image 3. Set: Cropping Images Comparison. Photograph by Halfdan Ozurrson
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