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New 5th District U.S. Congressman Parker Griffith greets supporters during a reception in the Morgan County Commission Chambers Friday morning. Griffith and Ernestine Elliott enjoy a moment up close and personal during the reception. Photo by Gary Cosby Jr.

Wow, now here is an exciting post!  Okay, not really but it is something that everyone has to do from time to time.  Here is what you expect, handshakes, hugs and presentations.  Now you know what to try and avoid.  Seriously.  I don’t even remember how many of these things I have covered over the course of my career but they are regular news assignments like them or not.  Many times they relate to retirements or special career occasions for someone in community service.  Just this week  I have done two of these.  One was a reception for a new US Congressman from our district and the other was for a judge who is retiring.

This stuff can get really repetitious so you have to work a little harder on these just to be able to provide something approaching original content for the readers, and really, for yourself too.  The worst thing you can do is to settle for the same old shot over and over again so just refuse to settle for the ordinary.  You won’t always be able to pull off something original but if you go in with the mindset that there is a real moment there and you are determined to find it, then you will have a much higher success rate than if you go in just trying to get it over with.  See, after many years of doing these things, they can get really dull so there is an extra challenge in just staying sharp.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this may be your tenth reception assignment of the year but this is the only time the person you are photographing is going to retire, get promoted or be honored.  It is a very meaningful event to the person being honored; therefore, it is an event worthy of your best effort.   So, how you ask, do you stay fresh and on top of things when it is your tenth reception of the year?  I am so glad you asked.

First of all, you have to go in with the mindset that says you simply will not settle for the ordinary.  That has been touched on already.  Secondly, if you have determined not to settle, you have to decide what you can do to make it successful.  I have used every technique in the book from off camera strobes to high angles, low angles, long lenses, short lenses, you name it.  The thing is, when you walk into the room, the situation will often dictate what technique you use.  Lately, I have determined to shoot available light on these things.  I carry a strobe in my pocket just to be safe but I am working hard to do available light, partly because it makes me work harder to see moments rather than depend on some lighting trick.  I am also trying to mix things up a bit and use telephotos as tight as I can.  These usually don’t work but when I get one it is a nice thing.  It is also cool to have a long zoom with you because you never know when something unexpected is going to happen.  You will notice the little boy in the judge’s chair in this post.  He is the grandson of the retiring judge and I saw him as soon as I walked into the room.  I grabbed the body with the long glass and fired several frames before he moved on.

Then, I am moving in as close as possible with a wide zoom and trying to really get moments and expressions during the interchange between honoree and guests.  This is a great technique as long as the people ignore y0u and go on about their business.  If they are continually stopping and posing for the camera I just move back and try another tactic.  The primary thing is to remain on your toes and don’t settle for average.  You would be surprised how many real moments happen in these otherwise staged events.

Photos copyright Gary Cosby Jr., The Decatur Daily.  The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.