Drinks Reception , Guest Portraits in a London Hotel
Guest portraits at a corporate drinks reception in a Wedgwood-blue ballroom of a London hotel, 23 February 2025.
Photographed and directed by Etienne MoraxEvent photographerLondon, 2025
Project Snapshot
Outcome
Guest portraits and room views from a corporate drinks reception, delivered within the week.
Case Study
A Sunday-afternoon drinks reception for a corporate client, in one of the Wedgwood-blue reception rooms of a grand London hotel: plaster reliefs, a crystal chandelier, a floral arch and blue uplighting on the pillars. Guests arrived over two hours, and most of them wanted a picture together before they left. The seven frames shown here are a short selection from the set delivered.
The Brief
Photograph every guest who wanted a picture, in pairs or small groups, with the room recognisable behind them; a few wide frames of the reception itself; a fast turnaround for the host's internal communications.
The Challenge
- Two light sources that disagree: warm chandeliers overhead and saturated blue uplighting on the walls. Left alone, faces go orange on one side and cyan on the other.
- And a room that never stops. Portraits had to be made in the walkways, in the seconds between a greeting and the next conversation, without a backdrop, without asking anyone to wait.
The Approach
- A small on-camera flash bounced off the ceiling to hold skin tones neutral, balanced low enough that the blue stays in the background and the room keeps its atmosphere.
- Portraits made in the flow: a word, a step to the side so the plasterwork or the chandelier sits behind the group, two frames, and they go back to the party. The wide frames from the doorway show the whole room and how full it was.
The Execution
One photographer for the length of the reception, a full guest-portrait set plus room views, edited and delivered within the week. Seven frames are shown here.
The Outcome
A set the host used for internal communications and thank-you notes, and portraits the guests could keep.
A reception, a dinner or an awards evening to cover?
We photograph corporate receptions in London's hotels and members' clubs: guest portraits, the room and the speeches, delivered within the week for internal comms and social.
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