PokeMedic
New Member
Pokemon Event Photography
At any event there will be great opportunities to capture photos of plays, actions, and emotions. This guide is intended to serve a person taking photos by giving them ideas of what kinds of images they can capture and how best to capture them. It will apply some photographic science to Pokemon events to get as great result as possible. This guide assumes that you have the ability, equipment, know-how, and consent of all needed parties to take photos at a Pokemon event. It will also include examples of photos. You can click on these examples to see lager versions of them.
The better your cameras capabilities, the better your pictures will come out. A Digital SLR camera is ideal for events. It allows you to switch lenses and function in all sorts of different lighting conditions and distances. If you already have one then pull it out and snap away! Point-and-shoot cameras can work fine, but you may find yourself limited to what you can shoot due to environmental factors such as lighting and physical factors such as distance -both near and far.
General Advice:
- Getting the O.K.: Ask for permission before you shoot from whoever you need it from. This could include not just the players but the organizer of the event. Some people don't like to be photographed. In the candid society we live in now, people are not very easy going about digital media (even though that same person may have a Facebook page full of pictures they took of themselves). Consider who you want to take a photo of. Never take a picture of a Junior player without the permission of the parent. The same should go for seniors, but people that age may be considered old enough to decide if they want a picture taken of them or not.
- Take many pictures!: It's best to take as many pictures as possible, even of the same subject. They may move or react to something during your shot and it's always worth trying to capture. A subjects body language may change during an opponents play that will stun them, making for quite a photo. If your camera is capable of shooting continuously, use that function! As far as taking many photos is concerned, do not think that you're taking pictures of just anything that's there. Follow the hints in this guide for great shot ideas!
- Keep a low profile: At any event, be it Pokemon, a party, or a wedding, the photographer wants to be a fly on the wall and should try to be noticed as little as possible. You're going to be noticed because you have a camera of course, but that should be the extent of it
- Take natural pictures: You don't always need people to pose. Just get shots of players, staff, and other participants acting naturally in their scene. Limit posing to people who aren't involved in a match if you must have them do so.
- Built-in flash is a weapon!: If you do use a DSLR camera you may have a built in flash. These things are harsh and ineffective. If you can manage, get yourself an external flash that you can mount on your cameras hotshoe. An good external unit will have power settings so you don't use too bright flash. They also rotate around so you can aim your lighting at a wall or ceiling to have it bounce onto your subject. This makes for much more flattering images. Point-and-shoot flashes are not as harsh, but still aren't the best for low-lighting
- Bring spares!: Taking into account the amount of shooting you are going to do, combined with the length of the event, you will want spare and extra equipment. Bring an extra memory cards as well as some spare batteries for both your camera and your flash if you're using one. If you have a rechargeable battery then make sure to bring spares and your charger along. Bring a laptop too if you can so you'll be able to transfer the data off of those cards so you can keep using them.
Things to consider:
- Lighting: Lighting will affect the quality of your pictures in either a positive or negative way. Bright white lights will offer a more even tone and allow faster shutter speeds to be used, meaning less blurring and noise in your photos. Dim lighting can lead to underexposed images and even more noise. If you use a camera with an auto feature it will try to use a slower shutter speed leading to blurred images in dim lighting. To deal with low light conditions, use a lens that has a high f-stop (aperture) of 1.8 to 2. Opening up your f-stop will allow more light to pass through to the image sensor allowing for brighter images, even with a fast shutter speed. A flash can help, but make sure you don't use the flash at full power when you have your f-stop open -you can whiteout the image. If you have a point-and-shoot and you are shooting in low light, try to configure your camera to a higher ISO setting of over 400. If you use a night shooting mode the camera will try to take a long exposure which is totally pointless when your subject and background is full of movement. Your camera may have a manual setting feature. If it does experiment with a higher ISO, fast shutter speed, and higher f-stop. Sometimes though dim or dappled lighting can set the mood for a creative picture.
- Environment: How is the play area set up? You need to consider space restrictions. If your camera has a good zoom you could probably take some good shots from a distance so you don't hover over the player. Keep in mind what your equipment is capable of. Will you have enough space to get a good image into frame? 35mm to 50mm fixed length lenses make for great equipment if you have a DLSR -just make sure they have high f-stops so you can focus on your subject and blur the background if needed.
- Timing: Certain things will happen at certain times. The organizer will be making announcements during the course of the events, as will the judges. Do you think these would make for interesting pictures? Keep in mind the time left in a round and when door prizes may be given out. Consider announcements and prize giveaways event highlights and do not miss them!
Getting to the people:
There will be 3 types of people present at all Pokemon events: staff, players, and observers. Each group offer a unique opportunity for photographs. All 3 fulfill a different role in the scheme of things:
Staff: staff ensure the operation of the event. The enjoyment, ebb and flow of the event depend on them being on their toes and attending to their responsibilities. Their labors make the 2nd group, the players, all the more worth photographing. Here are some ideas for photographing staff:
- Get photos of staff making match slips and running them back to the computer. Get shots of them checking decks. Anything they do will make for an interesting photo if you take the shot right. Try to make a visual example of their hard word for others to see. Please note that this type of photo may or may not fly in the airspace of your organizer or judges.
- Players usually mob a wall when postings are put up. This is a shot that is always interesting. Staff can tell them not to do it, but it'll happen. A shot like this can capture the anxiety, excitement, and impatience that's filling the room. Players do not know who their opponents will be, and most of the time they still don't even after finding out their names on the paper. Match postings are a tense moment because a player knows that it's time to throw down. That much is certain, but what isn't certain is who will come out he winner. If you can get a players facial expression when he reacts to a posting, all the better!
- Whoever is running the computer is in a stressful position. What that person enters has to be correct. If it isn't then a wrench gets thrown into the gears of the entire operation. They're back there behind a desk, glued to a computer screen, unable to leave their post. A photo of this person checking and double checking the match slip before entering a result makes for a good photo -especially if they're conveying any stress.
- Judges making calls make for great shots. These can make for some of the best action shots in the event. When a judge is called over the game is in their hands. Be it a small game play error or a player picking up all his cards before winning, a judge will make a call and will have an affect on the outcome of the game as well as an affect on the players.
- Try to get general shots of the event staff. There's nothing wrong with just taking pictures.
- Staff taking breaks is a good thing to look for. Wait for them to have their guard down when they're not required to be judging or at their station. See if you can manage some contrasting shots. You can find a contrast between how hard they've been working in earlier shots and how easy-going or stressed out they appear when they're not needed at that particular moment.
- Try to get creative shots of the event staff. Is a judge up to something interesting? Is the TO about to make an announcement? Check the environment around them; would they have an interesting background in their photo if you could take it? Creative shots are the most difficult and most random to occur, so pay attention throughout the event.
Players: Events are all about the players, so consider them the focus of most of your photos. This will be the most dynamic group of people to photograph as they will be displaying the widest array of emotions. Rest assured that all players went to an event to enjoy it, but keep in mind the truth: many of them will get through part of an event and not be enjoying it at all. Tournament events reward players for winning. There's something on the line here; be it prizes, a rating, or pride. It may even be all of those things in combination. Anytime there are stakes emotions will show through. Here are some ideas for photographing players:
- Shoot at eye level when you can. This is a standard rule in many types of photography. It allows the viewer to feel more connected to the image you took by putting them on the same level as the subject or subjects.
- Scale of the event: The larger your event the larger your player area. A good shot of a crowd or play area can convey to your viewer the size of the event from the players eyes. Try for a little exaggeration if you can. Crowds and wide-angle shots are great for this.
- Keep an eye out for games that are going sour for one player. I've been donked before and it ruined my day. Most players at events have been donked before as well, and any facial expression they make can convey the exact emotions they feel. A player may also have been doing well before his opponent turned the game around on him. Again, watch the game and how each player reacts to the others moves to find and capture these great shots.
- Takes photos of the play area, and really try to focus in on the bench and active Pokemon. Sometimes a perfect combination of active and benched Pokemon can lead to disaster for the the other player. It may even spell disaster for the player who played all those Pokemon!
- If the player has an interesting hand it might make for an interesting shot. A hand full of evolutions is always nice. If you can identify a hand full of cards that can be used in combination like Crobat G and Poketurn, consider that a full-house and capture it.
- It helps to have an understanding of the mechanics of the game. That way you can identify upcoming plays that would make for good shots.
- How about some action shots? The most physical action you'll see, hopefully, are players just playing the game. The playing of cards is always a good thing to get shots of, so are rolling dice, flipping coins, and placing counters. These are the most general shots you can get during matches. You can take a lot of photos of games in progress, but they can get pretty stale and boring if there isn't any action in them. Don't be afraid of a little blur in pictures like this; the blur equals movement.
- When a round beings to come to a close there will probably still be people playing. Try to get pictures of a match that has gone into the 30+3 procedure. If you're lucky it could go into sudden death! Photos like these are more about the story behind them then the usual visual content, just be sure to tell people what was going on when you took it. Games that go on this long usually require a judge to step in and watch every facet of the game. Imagine the emotions that the players are going through. These make for good pictures and will be abundant in any event.
- A player will be their most jubilant after a victory. Always do your best to get pictures of a player who has juts won a game. Hopefully they'll express their joy in some way, shape, or form that can be seen. The same goes for players who have lost a round, only they won't be very thrilled.
- Sometimes a playmat or table charms like Pokemon dolls and figures will be present. These make for an interesting subject -table charms especially. Some players bring them along for luck, so it means a lot to them. They're like a friend tagging along with them, cheering them on through the good and the bad. Pictures showing a players attachment to a Pokemon toy demonstrate their affection and affinity with Pokemon.
- When a player isn't playing they could be doing all sorts of things. Their activities make good contrast shots from previous ones you may have taken of them in a game.
Observers: Observers come to events for a variety of reasons. Some are the parents of juniors and seniors, so they stick around in the background. Some are the friends and family of players in any age group that came to chaperon or to be there for support. Sometimes they can even be players themselves after they've finished their match. Interaction between observers and the other groups at an event are interesting as they usually lack the tension that's between people who have to compete against one another. Someone who isn't playing the game is not a competitive threat, so interacting with them can feel like a temporary sanctuary before the next round.
- Get the snacks: Observers are usually carrying the goods: snacks, water, and other sustenance. There are two things that are exhausting to the human body: doing absolutely everything and doing absolutely nothing. Pokemon does both of those to players at the same time! It stresses out the mind from the competitiveness and does nothing because it lacks physical energy -you just sit in a chair most of the day. Those observers who hold onto the food and drink are valuable to the players they support. They're like an oasis in a dessert. Get shots of observers coming to the rescue of exhausted players with food, drink, and affection. This may be most common amongst juniors. You may have to take this picture and ask for permission after the fact.
- The collection: sometimes non-participants play Pokemon as well. They may have brought part of their collection to trade. Get some good shots of their collection. Be creative with it if you can.
- Parents and staff: sometimes parents need to talk to staff about something. They could make for interesting photos, but if your close enough to hear the conversation keep it confidential later after you show your pictures to others.
- Lounging around: Many observers will be doing other things while others are playing. They could be reading a book, playing a game, or even sleeping. A group of mothers are guaranteed to be having a heavy discussion on Mom topics. These make for great natural shots if you can capture any of them. Make sure you follow through on that offer, though!
Confidentially and Sharing pictures
- Ideally you want to ask permission to take certain photos. You can snap snap snap away all you want, but sometimes you really want to ask someone if you can snap something in particular. If a player has a good hand and you want a close up shot of it, ask if you can take a picture of it. Players and staff know that the content of a players hand is private knowledge -and so should you. If the player allows you to do this you should not share the picture with anyone during the event. If you are displaying your work in a slide show on your computer after you take them, cut those shots out of the cycle.
- Unless you personally know someone, do not identify them in any pictures if you display them online. People may be fine with their faces, but you shouldn't put a name to their face unless they are okay with it.
- People may be more willing to let you photograph them if you offer them the photos after the event. Offer to email it to them. If you are able, you can maybe offer them a print of the photo on the spot if you have a small photo printer (this is common in event photography -but I've never done it at a Pokemon event) By offering them a copy of the picture you're making your intentions clear to them: “I want to do something that you can enjoy”
I hope you've enjoyed this brief guide. If you have any questions on anything I've written about I'll be happy to answer them. If you have anything you think would be a good addition to this guide, then please reply with it.
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