At the opening of an exhibition, the works, the room and the audience are not competing with each other. They belong to the same story. A good report therefore shows not only what hangs on the wall but how people meet it.
My archive holds Leica private views with Jan von Holleben and David Hurn, and an opening for Anka Dahlem. Events like these combine documentary photography with careful treatment of the works on show.
Before the opening
Before guests fill the room, clean frames are made of:
- the exterior and the entrance,
- the exhibition room and the hang,
- individual works in their spatial context,
- labels, catalogs and design,
- the artists and the hosts.
During the event
After that the emphasis shifts. The welcome, the speech and the official tour matter, and so do conversations and reactions. The most telling frames are the ones in which work, viewer and room appear together.
Treating the works correctly
Reflections, the available light and sensitive surfaces all affect the shot. The room should keep its atmosphere without distorting the color and the effect of the works more than necessary.
If plain reproductions of individual works are needed, that should be planned as a separate job. An event report and a color-accurate reproduction pursue different aims.
Pictures for the press and for the record
Press work needs unambiguous frames of the artist, the host and the exhibition. Social media benefits from vertical formats and closer observations as well. The full report remains afterwards as the documentation of the opening.
More examples are under event photography and further work.
