Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Buddha and the Art of Event Photography


One of the nice things about being a professional event photographer is the wide variety of venues I get to work.  I've photographed cabaret dinner shows in 19th century industrial plants in Berlin and Chinese dancers in Prague's Old Town Square.  Each event I photograph has a new stage set for an evening's interaction of like-minded professionals.

Recently I photographed an event for Qatar Airways in Prague at the Siddharta Cafe in the Buddha Bar Hotel, Prague.  The cargo services division was expanding its scope to include Prague, so an elegant soiree was in order.  A fine international crowd was present, and the festivities began with cocktails and canapés in the sumptuous Siddharta Cafe.  A DJ spun silky grooves with an electronic soft jazz touch.  It made me wonder if the Buddha Lounge Bar music I've heard was composed here.

Buddhas are everything and everywhere  here.  Back-lights and colored statues accentuated the mood of the evening, but what intrigues me most about my event gigs are the odd details.  In a New Age/East-West modern cafe like this, one would expect maybe a massage or an exotic tea/elixir as a welcome.  Instead, a caricature artist plunked his easel down and started drawing guests.  Bushy beards grew to monstrous proportions and shy ladies with giant eyes peered out of his blank canvas.

The artist continued sketching and passing out portraits to happy guests throughout the evening, and I enjoyed my position as one of the blue collar artists plying his trade at the party.


Craig Robinson is a professional photographer with nearly 20 years of experience photographing people and events on two continents.  Contact the photographer today for a quote for your next event in Prague, Berlin or beyond...