With Christmas and New Year rapidly approaching, why not take the time to read our handy tips on photographing events and parties to ensure you make your festive photographic memories the best they can be!

Go beyond just capturing the high points of the celebration and arrive at the party early. This will allow you to become familiar with the space and also to capture all the important details such as food, presents and decorations before they are demolished by the guests. You can also get shots of people arriving, which helps to build anticipation of the coming photographs. Detail shots of guests' clothing and photos of people greeting each other/hugging will inject more fun and emotion into your event photos and make them stand out from the crowd.

Tell the full story of the event by capturing wide shots that take in the entire venue and all the guests, then get in closer. Whether it is finding out what time Santa is arriving or when the host will be bringing out a cake, try to find out in advance or at least be ready to grab these shots as they occur. One of the main challenges of event photography is keeping up with rapidly unfolding events, so fast reflexes are a must! This is a good time to forgo full manual control and use the shutter priority mode on your camera; just set the shutter speed to what you can comfortably hand-hold (usually the reciprocal of your lens' focal length) and let the camera select the aperture.

Often events will take place in dimly lit venues, leaving us with two options: bump up the ISO or use flash. What option is best will depend on a range of factors, but keep in mind the following. Try to use the ambient lighting as much as possible so you don't end up with photos of overexposed party guests with a black background that can result from using flash. Flash is less ideal if you are trying to shoot discreetly to capture candid moments without intruding on the atmosphere. In this case it might be better to increase your ISO to a point where your photos are sharp but still with an acceptable amount of noise. If this is not possible, or if you want photos where people are looking at the camera you can get good results by combining flash with ambient light. If you have an external flash unit try bouncing the light using a bounce card or bounce off the ceiling or a nearby wall to soften the light. Be aware that a dark or coloured surface may introduce a colour cast into your image although this can often be adjusted in post-processing. Use a slow shutter speed to capture the ambient light for an even exposure. If you are using your camera's built-in flash, dial down the flash compensation or set your camera to party or night portrait mode.

Tools for Party and Event Photography

Nissin Di466 Flash

Suitable for Canon EOS and Nikon DSLR cameras the Di466 is ideal for applications from sports to wedding photography and can be used indoors or outdoors. Features a TTL auto exposure system, wireless remote slave function, wide angle diffuser and silent oscillation.

Also features a quick loading system battery magazine and dual energy saving system. It is deal for a range of applications from sports to wedding photography and can be used indoors and outdoors.

Only $199

Stroboframe Pro Folding Flash Bracket

The Stroboframe Pro-Digital Folding Flip Flash Bracket offers high value, compact size, fast handling and light weight aluminium construction, being made with the same quality materials as Stroboframe's professional brackets.

The bracket accepts all SLR cameras, except those with large accessory battery packs or motor drives, and also works well with compact cameras. When folded, the bracket can easily fit into a small gear bag and is great for travel. With a 1/4"-20 thread it will easily attach to most cameras, be it film and digital types.

Bracket height also adjustable.

Only $109.95

GorillaPod Hybrid (NEW)

The perfect companion for your compact system camera, the GorillaPod Hybrid is the most versatile, portable tripod out there. Its rock-solid stabilization and precise ballhead with ±90° tilt and 360° positioning allows you to capture professional-quality images without the size and weight of a traditional tripod system.

Flexible, wrappable legs with rubberized ring and foot grips stabilize on any surface. Whether you’re staging a last-second street portrait, shooting time-lapse photos, or recording shake-free video, GorillaPod Hybrid lets you unleash the power of your hybrid camera.

Only $49.95

OP/TECH USA UTILITY STRAP™ Sling

The UTILITY STRAP™ Sling offers a streamlined option for carrying cameras, battery packs and much more. The neoprene, internal support foam and non skid surface are bonded together to form a comfortable, durable strap that can make carrying extra gear a joy.

Achieve rapid access to your camera or binoculars while maintaining the security of a strap worn across the shoulder.

Only $18.99