Event Photography – Pensions Industry Awards Night hosted by Mallowstreet       

Event photographers: Andrew         Event location: Banking Hall, London 

As part of a whole sequence of work for various pensions-related companies I photographed this major evening reception for Mallowstreet (“the Facebook of the Pensions Industry”).

The Banking Hall is a magnificent venue, just across the road from the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England. It was vibrant on the night, with a large crowd gathered for a real party. This was pre-Brexit and pre-Covid, both of which have led to some belt-tightening and, of course, the complete forgoing of events like this. An excellent covers band, great catering, an electric atmosphere – it was a good night.

My brief was to capture the awards themselves, to get as many posed portraits as I could in front of the Mallowstreet “wall” and to generally cover the event informally. I used flash at the wall, but most shots were done by available light – which was highly coloured and not a lot of it. A challenge at times, but a great night out. I delivered around good 150 edited shots to the client.

As with all event photography, there can be a fine line between “fly on the wall” and enjoying the party”. It helps to be in a party mood, and to interact, but it is also important much of the time to be quiet and careful, respecting people’s space. I hope I get the balance right!

This couple cleared the floor with their excelllent salsa – a great opportunity for some dance shots. I used slow rear flash to grab some solid detail while still capturing the sense of movement.