At our Squats and Margaritas launch party, we had the opportunity to meet photographer Derek Anderson who truly did an unbelievable job telling a story through his photos from the event. He even took his awesomeness up a notch when he was texting us edited photos throughout the night!
Derek was nice enough to chat with us about his experience with photography and why it is important for your brand to invest in the right photographer.
1. How did you get into photography and how long have you been doing it?
After High School, I began taking photos at the concerts I would go to. Eventually a magazine asked me to submit my work. By the age of 19, I started shooting all the time and was published in an international magazine on a monthly basis. Going on tours, I gained unbelievable access to some of today’s household names in the music industry. I’ve been shooting professionally for over 25 years.
2. What do you look for when you’re covering an event?
Doing event photography, you want to capture the feel and the flow of the gathering. For someone who wasn’t there, you want to ensure your photos tell a story, allowing them to imagine themselves at the event. The people, atmosphere, special moments, entertainment and the fun, should all be captured.
3. Why do you feel it’s important for brands to invest in professional photography for their business?
A good photo creates an emotional connection with the individual viewing it. Whether it be joy, amazement, empathy or any other emotion. It is a deep connection between the individual and the image that stays with them and the brand.
4. What’s something you notice a lot of photographers do wrong or do poorly?
I can only speak for myself and things I can do better. With all the tools available today to fix and edit photos, it can be easy to over edit and end up making a photo something besides what I initially envisioned it to be. Sometimes the best work is simple and not retouched.
5. Favorite Lightroom preset or tip…
I don’t use others presets instead I create my own for each event. If you edit in Lightroom make sure you save your edit as a custom preset so you can use it on all the other images for consistency.
Contact Derek here for your next event!
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