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Editor’s Note

Our Events Photography competition is open, and entries are streaming in, so keep your cameras ready. This week, we're focusing on The Art of the Candid. Posed portraits are a staple, but the true magic of an event lives in spontaneous laughter and authentic reactions, so we’ll show you exactly how to blend into the background and capture that vibrant energy unscripted.

If you are looking for the perfect place to practice, Lightscape is illuminating the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne right now through to 2 August. Grab your gear, warm up with some mulled wine, and head out to capture the genuine awe of the crowd along this breathtaking winter trail!

Monthly photo competition

Week 3: The Art of the Candid (Capturing Authentic Moments)

While posed group photos are necessary, the true story of an event is told through candid interactions, laughter, and spontaneous moments.

⚠️ Weekly prompts are just a guide — interpret them your way, as long as your shot captures the spirit of the month's theme.⁠

How to enter:

To participate, simply complete the submission form on our portal on our website. Make sure your entries align with this month's theme. For additional guidance, check the photographic tips below.

Prizes:

1st Prize: Manfrotto MB MA3-BP-GM Advanced Gear Medium III 17L Backpack Valued at $249.95 RRP

2nd Prize: Manfrotto Element MII Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head
Valued at $199.95 RRP

Deadline:

All entries must be submitted by 5th July, 2026.

Make sure to read the FAQ on the competition page at the link below to understand all the details and rules of the competition.

We look forward to receiving your photos and celebrating your creativity

An interesting fact about the
Manfrotto Element MII Aluminum Tripod

The black Element MII Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head from Manfrotto is a four-section support weighing 1.6 kg with a twist leg-lock system. Turning the twist leg locks disengages and extends the legs along the rapid centre column to extend the tripod to its maximum height of 158 cm. The tripod can also be set up close to the ground by splaying the legs out in its two-leg position. For transport or storage, the legs fold in reverse to a compact 42 cm and are easily transported in the included carrying bag.

Fujifilm’s annual GFX Challenge Grant Award Program - An Exciting Opportunity for Photographers and Videographers

Fujifilm has officially opened entries for the sixth annual GFX Challenge Grant Award Program, offering photographers and videographers across Australia and New Zealand a unique opportunity to fund their next major project. This year’s initiative features nearly AUD$145,000 in total funding, with winners receiving grant money, expert mentorship, and access to the latest Fujifilm GFX camera systems and lenses.

Whether you are an amateur or a professional, this is an excellent chance to bring an ambitious, creative concept to life and have your completed work showcased on the global Fujifilm platform.

Applications are open until 17 August 2026 via the Fujifilm House of Photography website.

While posed group photos and formal portraits are a necessary staple of any event photographer's checklist, the true story of the day is always told through authentic, unscripted moments. A burst of unexpected laughter, a quiet interaction in the room, or the sheer awe of an audience are the shots that clients often cherish the most. Capturing these spontaneous moments requires a mix of stealth, sharp observation, and impeccable timing. This week, we are mastering the art of the candid, exploring how to capture the genuine, vibrant energy of an event without interrupting the natural flow of the room.

Master the Art of Invisibility:

To capture guests acting naturally, you need to seamlessly blend into the background. Avoid hovering directly in front of people or suddenly raising a massive lens into their personal space. Instead, utilise a longer telephoto lens (like a 70-200mm) to shoot from the perimeter of the room, which allows you to capture intimate interactions from a comfortable distance. Move slowly, match the event's dress code, and keep your camera slightly lowered until the exact moment you are ready to fire the shutter.

Anticipate the Reaction, Not Just the Action:

When a keynote speaker delivers a brilliant punchline or an award winner is announced, it is incredibly tempting to keep your camera fixed on the stage. However, the most powerful emotion usually happens in the crowd. Train yourself to anticipate these peaks in energy and turn your lens toward the audience right before the punchline lands. Capturing an eruption of laughter or a proud, tearful smile tells a far more compelling story than just another standard photo of a speaker at a podium.

Use the "Shoot Through" Technique for Depth:
You can instantly elevate a standard candid shot by adding physical layers to your composition. Instead of standing in a clear, open space, try positioning yourself behind a floral centrepiece, a structural pillar, or even over the shoulder of another guest. Shooting through these foreground elements, allowing them to blur out beautifully, creates a rich sense of depth and gives your photograph a captivating, documentary feel, as if the viewer is getting a secret glimpse into a private moment.

To quietly blend into the crowd and master the art of candid event photography, your gear kit should prioritise speed, subtlety, and versatility. A fast telephoto zoom lens (like a 70-200mm equivalent) is the ultimate candid workhorse, allowing you to capture genuine emotions and tight expressions from across the room without intruding on your subject's personal space. For effortless movement through packed venues, a sleek sling-style camera strap keeps your camera secured against your hip and ready to raise at a second's notice. Supplementing your kit with a multi-compartment lens pouch belt system allows you to swap equipment seamlessly on the go without having to return to a bulky gear bag. Finally, utilising a translucent speedlight flash diffuser helps soften harsh ambient shadows when a touch of fill-light is required, while keeping a stash of microfibre lens cleaning wipes tucked into your pocket ensures your glass stays pristine amidst the dust and movement of a busy event.

NEED HELP? TALK TO AN EXPERT 1300 365 220

“All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice.”

- Elliott Erwitt

Your photo question of the week:

You have positioned yourself perfectly to capture a candid, unscripted reaction from the crowd as a keynote speaker delivers a surprising punchline. Because genuine expressions change in a fraction of a second and your subjects might be moving back and forth as they laugh, which combination of camera settings will give you the best chance of nailing that fleeting moment in sharp focus?

A) Single-Shot Autofocus (AF-S) and a 2-second self-timer

B) Continuous Autofocus (AF-C / AI Servo) and High-Speed Burst mode

C) Manual Focus and Single-Shot drive mode

D) Centre-weighted metering and Exposure Bracketing

Last weeks question:

You are photographing a performance at Dark Mofo, where the lighting is incredibly moody and shifts rapidly between deep, saturated reds and intense, dark shadows. To ensure you maintain the atmospheric "glow" of the scene without blowing out the highlights or losing detail in the shadows, which of the following is your most effective tool?

A) Using an on-camera flash on full power.

B) Shooting in RAW format to allow for greater flexibility in post-processing exposure.

^Correct Answer B

C) Setting your camera to Landscape mode.

D) Using the lowest possible ISO setting to prevent any grain.

Let's face it. Not all of us are professionals, and even still, pros still need to learn a thing or two about photography or cinematography. That's why we've put together this section. We want to highlight some of the common and not-so-common questions people face when attempting a particular genre.

“I want to capture authentic candid moments at dimly lit evening events. If I use a flash, it completely ruins the moment and alerts the guests. But if I turn it off, my subjects end up blurry, or the photos are covered in heavy grain. How can I get sharp, natural candids in low light without becoming a distraction?”

Firing a flash is the fastest way to break your cover and ruin a candid moment! To stay stealthy while capturing sharp images in low light, start by relying on "fast glass". A prime lens with a wide aperture (like f/1.4 or f/1.8) or a fast f/2.8 zoom allows your sensor to gather significantly more ambient light.

Next, lock your shutter speed between 1/160s and 1/250s; this is fast enough to freeze moderate movement like talking or laughing without pushing your exposure to extremes.

Finally, embrace a high ISO! Don't fear the digital noise; modern sensors easily handle ISOs like 3200 or 6400. A sharp, slightly grainy photo of a genuine emotion will always beat a noise-free image ruined by motion blur. For ultimate stealth, switch to 'Silent Shutter' mode to snap away completely undetected.

Reader’s gallery

Navigate to our reader’s gallery to see a selection of entries to help inspire your vision. You can also see the past winners there. Thank you to everyone who sent in their images. We love seeing them!

Sometimes, all we need is some visual motivation, like these images, to spark our creative thoughts. What will you create with your camera this week? Enter your images via our online portal, and we look forward to showcasing them.