Italian Food Festival – Korea Event Photographer

I shoot a lot of events here in Seoul. Everything from embassy delegations to hotel GM parties. But my good friend Alberto from DAB Miller gave me an assignment this week that tested my ability to shoot quickly and effectively.

The breif was simple. 5 chefs are gathering at one restaurant. They will each prepare a dish. Armani/Dolci are providing chocolate. Pernoni is providing beer. The Italian ambassador is coming. We need you to photograph everything. We will need portraits of each of the chefs, food shots, beer shots, photos of the displays. The ambassador will make a speech, as will members of the Italian Chamber of Commerce. Also, this is a media event, so many other journalists will be there interviewing and photographing the event. However, we need our own coverage for newspapers, glossy magazines, and internal company reports.

Me: How long do I have to shoot all this?

Alberto: About half an hour, perhaps a little more.

Me: …

And thus the madness ensued. My trusty SMDV Diffuser-50 and SB800 combo on a light stand got dragged through everything I shot during this event. In the chef portraits, it provided a little direction to the existing window light. For the food it was used as a backlight. During the speeches as a fill light.

It was a great, busy event with a lot of fantastic photo opportunities. Never underestimate the ability of Italians to put together a great food event.