Samsung Event Photography: Party and Conference Settings

Different shots require different camera settings, so you’ll want to dial these in before your guests arrive. Here are the three basic shots you’ll be taking:

• One subject in a stationary location with consistent lighting (i.e. the speaker)
• One or more people in inconsistent lighting (i.e. your guests, who will be walking around the dimly lit venue throughout the night)
• A group shot (i.e. everyone looking at once!)

We’ll go over Galaxy-specific settings for each of these scenarios.

Event settings by situation

Why those settings work

Shooting a speaker at a podium is easier as lighting and distance don’t fluctuate much. Exposure won’t need adjusting. Touch and hold the speaker’s face to lock AE/AF (the AE/AF lock will be retained between exposures), as our AE/AF lock guide explains.

If you’re using Pro mode, Samsung’s Pro mode guide says that once you manually set shutter speed, ISO sensitivity is no longer on Auto. Take a few shots and check exposure (particularly of faces) before adjusting ISO accordingly. 1/250s should be fast enough to freeze gestures (which tend to happen quicker than you’d expect).

For shots where people are coming and going (exposure varies throughout the night), Photo mode should adapt better. You can use Camera Assistant (on One UI 8.5 and later) to prevent Photo mode from opting for such a slow shutter speed that faces will be blurry. According to SamMobile, you can set the minimum to 1/1000, 1/500, 1/120 or 1/30 of a second. You can see from our Camera Assistant guide where to find it.

If you notice dark bands on images (especially of LED lighting/screens), Samsung’s support page says this is caused by the frequency of the lights and is nothing to worry about. Try using a shutter speed of 1/120s or slower (in Pro mode) to alleviate this, although if your subject is on the move, wait for an opportune moment. Video also captures the same bands, and our concert video settings guide explains how Pro Video can help when shooting a band or a person speaking in front of a video screen.

Group photos without blinks

1. 1

   Turn on Motion photo

   Turn on Motion photos by tapping the Motion photo icon in Photo mode. Samsung’s S26 user guide says it saves a short clip from a few seconds before you press the shutter.

2. 2

   Arrange people in good light

   Step back with the 1x lens and avoid the edges of the frame, as facial features can get distorted at the edges. Also, have people stand/sit facing a window/the brightest wall light.

3. 3

   Take several frames

   Tap the shutter button three or four times while you talk to the group. You’ll usually notice that expressions improve after the first shot as people get used to the clicking of the camera.

4. 4

   Fix blinks in Gallery

   Go to Gallery and open the Motion photo > swipe up > tap on Choose best face. Samsung’s support page says you can then pick a different expression for anyone who blinked or looked away.

Our Best face guide covers why you might not see the option on your phone and the Galaxy phones that do have it, and our Motion photos guide describes the other features those clips provide.

A coverage list for events

Photograph to a list, since organisers remember the photos that are missing. Here’s one that covers most functions/talks/parties.

• Before the event has started, capture some photos of the venue and signage.
• Photograph the room after it’s been set up (but before people fill it!).
• Wide shots of speakers (with the audience in the background) and close-up portraits of their faces.
• Photos of the audience, particularly during interesting moments, e.g. laughter.
• Any handshakes/awards, particularly if there’s a cheque or trophy involved!
• A group photo of the team/organisers of the event (at least one!).
• Details for the album, e.g. food and decorations.

Lens choice at events

The 1x main camera is best for shooting an event since it has the biggest sensor and does the best in lower light. The 3x telephoto camera on Samsung’s Fold and S-series phones will be handy for shooting the speaker from the aisle instead of getting up and shuffling your way to the front of the room. On the S24, S25 and S26 Ultra, the 5x telephoto can capture the stage, even from the back of a conference hall. Just keep in mind that those telephoto cameras use smaller sensors, so they may be noisier in low light conditions.

The S25 Edge, Z Flip and A series phones don’t have a dedicated telephoto camera, but you can use the 2x crop of the main camera to shoot the speaker (assuming the room is well lit); for anything tighter, you’ll have to get closer to the stage. And don’t forget you have the 0.6x ultrawide camera for capturing the room and audience!

Consent at events

When it comes to etiquette at work events or parties, it’s important to remember that not everyone has agreed to appear online.

If you’re in charge of taking photos for the event, keep in mind that these photos will likely be shared on the host’s social media channels.

• Let people know pictures are being taken (organisers can say so in the invitation or on the day when people register for an event) and how the images might be used.
• Don’t take pictures of people who don’t want to be photographed and delete images if people ask you to.
• Ask before you post a close-up of someone else at an event, particularly if they’re eating or drinking.
• Get permission before you post pictures of children at family functions, asking the child’s parent or guardian.
• Crop or blur out any potentially personal information visible on a computer screen or paper in a photo before you post it.

Editing fast after the event

Pick a few of the best shots on your phone before you edit, because the organisers will want some pics the same evening! Colour balance can be a nightmare with events as you’ll often have a few different types of lighting in the venue. Head over to the Gallery app and you can favourite the best pics so you know which ones to ignore. In the editing section, the sun icon allows you to play with brightness and contrast, and newer phones also have an Object eraser feature which can be useful for erasing exit signs, random cups etc.

I’d recommend keeping editing to a minimum, but if you do tweak one image successfully you can apply the same effects to similar images. Our Lightroom vs Snapseed comparison points out that while Snapseed’s batch editing is free (according to its Google Play listing), Lightroom requires a Premium subscription for batch editing.

And so it goes, especially at concerts. Our concert photography guide covers stage light and flicker. Weddings get their own wedding photography guide.