Event Photographer in Dallas: Spray and Pray

Ahh, the old ‘spray and pray’. Few things get an event photographer in Dallas’ blood pressure up than the mention of it. The term is one that is used across various sectors of our society, from gangsters to gamers, and is used constantly in describing photography technique. Though it has broad usage, the meaning is the same, and is generally a negative one. Here are a few signs of the photographer who does this, and what is says about them:

The sound of silence – there isn’t one

If someone is doing a ‘spray and pray’ approach, you will not hear any silence. You will hear a shutter hammering down though. Being an event photographer in Dallas means that I have witnessed this on several occasions, and though it isn’t that noticeable at a big awards show with people cheering and music blaring, it is kind of awkward in an intimate boardroom setting. I’ve watched someone do this in an otherwise quiet room full of executives, who became noticeably irritable at the constant shutter clicks. It was pretty uncomfortable to say the least, as they had to have a talk with the photographer during a break. Though I’m not exactly a petite guy, I work very hard to not really be seen or heard, as drawing attention to myself is the last thing that I want.

They aren’t hunting, just shooting

So let’s say you go hunting. There’s two options: first, you size up your target, adjust for distance, wind, etc., and find the best possible angle to shoot from, then pull the trigger; or, you take a large caliber machine gun and just hold it down until the entire forest has been mowed down. As much as I enjoyed Mac in Predator doing this exact thing, it doesn’t translate as well to event coverage. (On a side note, Predator is one of my favorite movies ever, and if you have not seen it you have not fully lived yet) Basically, instead of using the event photographer in Dallas technique of hunting for specific moments and capturing those, they just start shooting everything that moves in the hopes that a later edit will turn up some usable photos.

They haven’t learned how to hunt

If you are working with an experienced event photographer in Dallas, the odds are good that they have had professional training, either through a degree in photography, apprenticeship with a professional photographer who mentored them, or ideally a combination of the two. With training, education and practice comes ability. Training and experience means that they can see, and don’t just rely on pressing the shutter as much as possible. Newer photographers or those with limited experience are notorious for this approach, as they are still learning to truly see moments. You remember the old saying, ‘Teach a man to fish…’ Well, someone had to teach him how to fish for him to land a big bass.

Basically, if you are ever at an event and watch a photographer take photos incessantly, you may be witnessing the ‘spray and pray’ in action. However, you cannot mistake this technique for efficiency, as any event photographer in Dallas worth their salt can move through a room very quickly to get photographs of all of the guests, and also capture any action that is happening with speed. At that point, you just need to observe how they are shooting, and how much they are covering a particular scene or subject. At the end of the day, it is all about the moment, and how a photographer pursues this says plenty of what the end product will be.