Emmys (38th International Emmy Awards)
Written by: Shooting Celebrities on the Red Carpet
With the Oscars (83rd Annual Academy Awards) taking place tonight I figured it would be a good time to discuss some tips and tricks of getting shoots of your favorite celebrities. The photos you are going to see are from the last award show I worked, the 38th International Emmy Awards.
Many would be surprised to know that the photographers are really the ones running the show on the red carpet. Just as in any photo-shoot the photographers tell the subject what they need from them. This can be them asking for a pose, putting away bags or purses, or even telling their guests to get out of the shot.
As a photographer, the main thing you need from a celebrity is for them to look at your camera. When you are competing with 20 other photographers this can be tough.
Some of the stars that were out were Peter Facinelli from the Twilight movies, UK Actress Ruth Wilson, Simon Cowell from American Idol, Elisabeth Moss from West Wing and Mad Man, Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, SNL Creator Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon, Alec Baldwin, Will Estes from Blue Bloods, and more.
Be Prepared
Know who’s going to be at the events and know their names. You need to be ready for them. If you have to ask someone who that person is, you’ve already missed the shot.
Prepare you equipment
Do you have extra batteries? Are they charged? Do you have enough memory cards? You never know what’s going to happen, so be ready for anything. Before the red carpet starts, take practice photos. Figure out what lens to use and when. Test your flash and lighting. What aperture or F/stop, shutter speed, and ISO should you use?
Get a step or step-ladder to stand on
Unless you’re in the first row of photographers (which is reserved for establish media names, magazines, newspapers, TV shows, etc) you need to make sure you are not blocked by the photographers in front of you. A random elbow or head in your shot doesn’t look professional. Get a step that is light and compact so you can carry it, but also sturdy, can hold some weight and won’t slide out from underneath you.
Take a shot of the information cards
Before celebrities arrive, organizers hold up card with information, telling you who they are, what they are nominated for and what category. Later on when you are going through hundreds of photos, it’s nice to have this information immediately available. Also helps with correct spellings.
Keep track of additional information not shown
Having a digital voice recorder is very useful. Maybe you took a photo with a celebrity and their guest. In the image below I got a shot of Mathew Modine and his daughter Ruby Modine. He was one of the presenters at the 38th International Emmy Awards and she was his guest. To make sure I remember her information I speak into the recorder with the image number and her name and the situation. You may also want to ask for the correct spelling of their names as well. Nobody likes to see their name misspelled.
Actor and Presenter Matthew Modine and daughter Ruby Modine
Look at me! Look at me!
It gets pretty crazy and pretty loud on the red carpet, so in order to get a celebrity to look in your directions, you need to scream their name and tell them where you are. And I mean scream. Jason Priestley (below) wouldn’t have even noticed me where I was standing at the time if I didn’t yell out, “JASON, BOTTOM LEFT.”
Actor and Presenter Jason Priestley
Know where they’re coming from, and where they’re going
You have to be proactive sometimes. Standing backstage I was in a good spot to get shots of the celebrities, but I noticed, just before Simon Cowell was expected to come out, that the girls who handed out the swag moved from one side to the other. I followed them and was able to get a shot of Mezhgan Hussainy (Simon Cowell’s Fiancée) backstage.
Mezhgan Hussainy (Simon Cowell's Fiancée)
Conclusion
There is a lot going on and you have to work fast if you want to get shots. Just remember to be prepared and don’t be afraid to get involved. Taking good notes will make your job much easier when all is said and done and you have get your photos out the door. And remember, you are running the show and the celebrities want you to take their photo, so help them out and tell them what you need.
Jan 
