Tom & Ella’s Joint 18th and 50th Birthday Party – Event Photography in Chesterfield & Ashford-in-the-Water


Party photography and just generally event photography can be daunting, especially when you're entering a venue you've never seen before.


There are so many different ways it could go wrong or against your own plan. Pubs are often difficult as mostly are lit with incandescent, low wattage bulbs, if they don't have that they have these ridiculously high ceilings you've got no shot of bouncing a flash off of. What I actually experienced was better than that but the incandescent bulbs comment still stands.


The party was held at a gorgeous little pub in Ashford-in-the-water called "The Bulls Head". For anyone that doesn't know, Ashford-in-the-water is in Bakewell, Chesterfield and for those of you that hate driving at night, avoid it like the plague. There was 1 streetlight every 100 meters, high-beams all the way home pretty much.  The drive home aside, the pub its self was absolutely stunning. A really well preserved example of a 17th century period old-English style village pub, that which you would see on the likes of Emmerdale or Coronation Street.

 

Gold and black balloons float above a rustic wooden table by bright windows in a cozy room interior.
Two people enjoying drinks at a bustling bar counter with bottles and glasses visible in the background.

Of course I wasn't actually there to photograph or wax lyrically about the pub, I was there in aid of celebrating the birthday's of Tom & Ella. Tom's fantastic wife, Emma had gone to such incredible lengths to invite all of Tom's & Ella's close friends and family, organised myself as the photographer, a DJ inside a marquee complete with giant numbers AND a fireworks display to top it off at the end of the night. Admittedly I did very nearly ruin the surprise due to me getting over-excited when introducing myself HOWEVER I'm not sure either Tom or Ella heard so it was a very close call.


Places & events like this really lend themselves to the candid and film style of photography I adopt. I prefer to just float around and capture moments as they happen. There is no truer smile, than the one someone does, belly laughing at something their friend may have said.


You don't need to be in on the joke to be able to photo someone's laugh, you just need to be around to capture it happening.


That's what I aim for, not necessarily be everywhere at once, but be somewhere once with your head on a swivel. Being a people watcher and generally a nosy bugger helps a lot of the time.

A candid moment captures someone laughing while seated at a social gathering with friends and drinks.
A social gathering at a bar showing people enjoying drinks and conversation.

Everyone wants to talk about how well they did & pat themselves on the back but shooting events isn't all sunshine and rainbows.


The biggest problem with Fuji gear is that they lean on the "vintage" element a bit too much and the menus are just absolute chaos. There's only so many hotkeys I can set up before I've ran out of hot keys. the fact of the matter is as well, the EF-42 speedlight is absolutely rubbish in pitch black. It has no IR beam for focus assist, it can't do a quick modelling light, and due to the size of the body and my ridiculously large paws for hands, I cover over the AF Beam assist from the body of the X-T3.  The reason I am telling you this, is that part of the party was set out-doors (hence the fireworks) and I foolishly left my softbox attachment at home.


So what do we do? We lean into the hard flash photography style of the early 2000s when everyone had a polaroid camera or a film camera and flash was set to 100% power all the time.

Two guitarists performing together in black and white at an indoor venue with geometric window patterns behind them.
Young friends posing together and smiling at a nighttime event with dark lighting.
A group enjoys a fun evening outdoors together while posing and smiling in casual clothing at night.

I would love to claim credit for the 3rd picture being "artistically" out of focus to give the impression of a vintage early-2000s film camera aesthetic, and if I did claim credit, it simply wouldn't be true. It was genuinely the result of a missed focus and a spur of the moment flash power change. It stayed in my set because I find there something to be quite charming about it. Lord knows I tried to resurrect the RAW file but it was to no avail.

Lets talk about the gear I used

The gear for this shoot was as follows -


Fujifilm X-T3

Fujifilm EF-42 Speedlight

Fujifilm VG-XT3 Battery Grip

Sigma 56mm f1.4

Fujifilm 35mm f2.0 XC

Fujifilm 18-55mm f2.8-4

Misc Batteries from K & F Concept


So funny story about my gear that I will get into another time, all of it is second hand. Mechanically & digitally speaking its perfect and strenuously tested but all of it has been acquired via CeX or Ebay pretty much with some Amazon thrown in for things like my LED panels, Batteries & straps. The 35mm was probably one of my favorite lenses, in this setting. It was a tight space in and around the bar area, there were too many bodies which meant flash was either going to slam someone in the face or fire off the ceiling and end up being one of those moments where the music comes to a scratching halt, and everyone turns around and looks at you.

People celebrating at a party with colorful balloons in a crowded indoor venue.
People socializing at a casual bar or pub gathering with beer glasses and conversations in warm lighting.
People gather at tables in a cozy restaurant setting for drinks and conversation.
A crowded bar or restaurant interior with people socializing and enjoying drinks together.

Enter the Fujifilm XC35mm f2


This little powerhouse of a lens performed exceptionally well - and it literally weighs about the same as a medium avocado that’s still questioning its ripeness. The images were sharp, focus was fast and didn't need coaxing even on a body that is 7 years old (this month as well)... crazy. The f2 fixed aperture meant I was able to turn off the flash and use what ambient light I had around me, plus some post shoot editing and I thin the results from it are usable, sharp and capture the general feel of the time in that moment.

Pink and white fireworks illuminate the dark night sky during a celebratory display.
Multiple colorful fireworks burst in the night sky creating a stunning display of pink and white sparkles against darkness.
Colorful fireworks light up the night sky in a stunning display of sparkling pyrotechnics.

Luckily I'd been told when the fireworks were, so I set-up my tripod ready.


Thing is with planned events like that, the client asks "Can you capture the fireworks" but what they are also asking is "Can you also capture reactions and feelings".  Fireworks thankfully are fairly consistent and predictable, Setup camera, get some horizontals, get some verticals, set yourself a nice infinity focus & long shutter and let it rip.


Once you've gotten like 20 or 30 shots enough for you to cull through later, then set it back to flash settings, spin around and capture the crowd. You know for a fact you've got a 10 minute display tops, so you've got 5 mins of shooting fireworks and then 5 minutes of capturing the crowd. Don't be afraid to lose a few of the fireworks close to the end to capture people's genuine responses to some of the bigger. Just be ready to spin back and grab the "finale" firework display which in my instance was the 6 rocket display you can see in the gold photo.

Nighttime outdoor gathering with people holding drinks and standing around picnic tables at a social event.
A group of people gather around picnic tables during a nighttime outdoor party event.

All in all, would I recommend you  run out and book your first party photography gig tomorrow?


God no. That just wouldn't be fair to you nor your clients. Shooting parties & events is 60/40 personality and gear. Corporate events are slightly different as there is a level of expectation to the fact you're going to be there taking photos, but private parties? There tends to be no expectation of a photographer strapped to the nines with camera gear and that's instantly where the friction starts and why it's so important for the other 60%.


Parties are all about personality. I was as sober as a judge, but they weren't. After a few beers people become receptive and their defenses are down. They realize you're not there to make them look stupid, they are amongst family & friends and the last thing you want to do is to make them feel embarrassed. You're hired to enhance the event not to become the main event. Never ever detract from the reason you're there - in my case Tom & Ella. It becomes part of the script to get people to take photos with you as well - "want to pose for one so the birthday boy and girl can remember you later?" or use humor - "Pose for a photo? I don't charge and I don't do keyrings"

This is such a mid-90s to late-2000s reference of when folk used to attend events or even just in the streets and take photos of you and force you to buy a keyring - 90% of the time someone bought a keyring.


10 Years experience I have at the moment doing this sort of thing, you develop a script and a way to read people who clearly just don't want to be bothered, and you know what? it's completely okay they don't want a photo.


Final Thoughts


Tom & Ella’s joint birthday was everything you’d want from a family celebration — laughter, love, and plenty of surprises. I’m grateful to have been trusted to capture it all, and even more grateful for how welcoming everyone was.

Looking for an Event Photographer in Chesterfield?


If you’re planning a party, wedding, or special celebration in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, or the surrounding villages, I’d love to capture it for you. My approach is always a mix of natural candid photography with just enough posed shots to cover the essentials.

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Scroll down to see a selection of the gallery.

Group of friends socializing together against a dark background.
Group of friends laughing together at outdoor event under white tent during social gathering celebration.
Rustic wooden table setup with large black and gold balloons in an indoor venue with natural lighting through windows.
Two men smile and pose together at a nighttime gathering under a tent, one wearing plaid and one in a striped sweater.
Fireworks bursting in the night sky with bright white sparkles against dark background.
A crowded bar scene with people gathered around drinks in a casual indoor setting.
Partygoers celebrating in a decorated indoor space with greenery and fairy lights.
Group of friends posing together outdoors at night on wooden picnic tables.
Group of party guests posing against a stone wall backdrop outdoors.
A candid shot of people socializing and mingling at an indoor gathering.
Groups of people enjoying drinks and conversation at an indoor social gathering.
A social gathering showing people mingling and drinking in a casual indoor setting.
Black and gold balloon arch with illuminated letters creates an elegant party decoration backdrop with luxurious ambiance.
Two musicians playing electric guitars at a party with a black and white photography effect.
Partygoers celebrate at a social gathering with balloons and drinks in a bright indoor setting.
Night scene of people gathered outdoors at a social event with ambient lighting.
Social gathering with decorative vine elements and people enjoying drinks and conversation.
Couples enjoying drinks and celebrating against a rustic stone wall backdrop.
Friends celebrating at a party under a white tent with drinks and smiles.
A group of people gathered at a party with decorative lights and balloons visible in the background.
Pink and white fireworks explode against a dark night sky creating a spectacular light display.
Colorful fireworks display illuminating the night sky with bright sparks.
Partygoers in casual attire socializing and enjoying drinks at an indoor gathering space.
Evening social event with people mingling near a dark-colored wall display.
Guests socialize and mingle at a lively party venue with colorful balloons and ambient lighting.
Large group of people gathered at a social event under a tent structure in evening lighting.
A crowded party scene with balloons and framed photos visible on the walls.
Three friends enjoying drinks together under a white tent at a casual outdoor event.
Outdoor nighttime party with picnic tables and guests socializing in casual attire.
Friends enjoying drinks together at a rustic stone-walled venue in the evening.
A group celebrates with wine glasses in a casual indoor setting.
Group of friends celebrating at a casual indoor gathering wearing casual attire.
People enjoying drinks and conversation at a crowded bar with warm lighting and festive atmosphere.
People in denim and casual clothing gather together for a social event.
People gathered in groups at an indoor social event with white walls and bright lighting.
A couple enjoying a nighttime event under a tent structure.
White wedding tent reception setup with twinkling lights, balloon decor and rustic wood details on a gravel surface.
Guests mingling and socializing at a dimly lit evening party venue.
Two friends posing together at a nighttime event under a tent.
A lively social gathering of guests enjoying drinks and conversation at an indoor event.
Large crowd gathered around picnic tables during an evening outdoor celebration.
Bright fireworks exploding against a dark night sky with smoke trails visible.
People celebrating and socializing at a lively evening wedding reception under a tent.
A casual gathering of people socializing and laughing together around drinks at a bar or restaurant.
Group of party guests gathered close together at a nighttime celebration event.
A nighttime celebration with people dressed casually posing together.
Guests enjoying themselves at an outdoor wedding reception under white tents and string lights.
Pink fireworks bursting against a dark night sky creating sparkling patterns.
A crowded party scene under a white tent with people dancing and socializing.
Crowded party scene under a white tent with pink lighting and people mingling.