Event photography to capture the buzz at the UoN's Open Day.

Background

The University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus is one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. I was briefed on two open days, one at their Ourimbah campus and the other spread across their Newcastle Campuses. The goal was to capture lectures, entertainment, the campus and interactions between students and staff.

Solution

At the Open Days, we worked closely with a team of experienced staff to capture a mix of students, ambassadors, lectures and central hubs that were packed with entertainers and information. Utilising our experience in events photography to create and capture images that fit the universities brand. These days are fast-paced, and the sheer scale of the campuses makes it a challenge. This is where proper preparation and local knowledge is essential!

If the Open Days were a challenge, wrangling an entire faculty of staff (more than 150 people) for headshots was set to be a monumental task. Luckily we worked with one very dedicated member of staff, who organised 3 separate days that the staff could attend. Based on past experience, the simplest way to catalogue the images is to get everyone to hold two items. A white balance card for consistent colour temperature when editing and a slip of paper with their name and department on.

Formal portrait photography doesn't have to be so rigid, so we inject a little humour in there – "Ok, I want you to tell me exactly what you had for breakfast? But, you can only use a funny voice."