Parties are a great place to capture special moments between friends and family - long-awaited reunions, dynamic moves on the dance floor, or a vibrant dinner party. Whether you simply want to capture better quality photos of shared time together or start taking professional event photos, we're here to help. All you need is a camera, a lens, and a bit of practice. Here are our top party photography tips.
1. Don't Be Too Formal
While you want to make sure you've captured everyone in attendance, formal photos don't always suit the occasion. Pulling guests into photos as soon as they walk through the door is unlikely to result in relaxed and natural images fit for the photo album. Give guests the chance to grab a drink, mingle, and catch up before you start taking their photos.
For the most authentic results, try shooting without guests being aware they're in your frame - most people are more naturally themselves when they don't have a camera aimed at their face. Hang back and blend into the crowd, use a slightly longer focal length, or try shooting from the hip using a camera with a tilting LCD screen to help with framing.
2. Shooting in Low Light
Parties are almost always low-light environments, and you have two approaches available - often the best results come from mixing both depending on the moment.
Using Flash
Flash photography provides more consistent results in dim lighting conditions. The direct flash approach, now common in many fashion shoots emulating a lo-fi party aesthetic, can be achieved with your camera's built-in flash. If you're aiming for something more polished, bounce flash is the way to go. This technique is relatively simple to master but does require a hot-shoe mounted speedlight flash gun. For a deeper dive into flash techniques, our beginner's guide to flash photography covers all the key types and methods.
Shooting with Available Light
Be prepared to combat low-light conditions without relying on flash. The low light can often create a unique look and feel to your images, and you're less likely to disturb partygoers when shooting more intimately. The main setting to adjust in the dark is ISO. If you're unfamiliar with how this works, our guide to understanding ISO in photography explains everything you need to know. Raising the ISO helps you capture well-exposed images without camera shake - but be mindful, the higher the ISO, the greater the image noise, so raise it gradually.
Creative light sources like fairy lights, neon signs, or candles can also add atmosphere while you position your subject near them, and bouncing an external speedlight off the ceiling gives softer, more flattering results than direct flash.
Another way to let more light in is to increase your aperture, which also produces greater background blur. If you really want to improve your low-light shooting, consider using a prime lens - these generally offer much faster maximum apertures. Read our guide on choosing the right prime lens to find the best option for your kit.
3. Experiment with Different Angles
Parties are spontaneous and vibrant. Capturing the movement of people talking, dancing, and embracing can be tricky. A great way to illustrate the real feel of the event is to avoid shooting all your photos straight on with subjects centred in the frame. Try shooting from a little lower, higher, or to the side to give the viewer the vantage point of another partygoer. When you look back at your images, you'll feel as though you're right there.
4. Throw Some Props into the Mix
Setting up a photo corner or booth with props is a great way to get some interesting party pictures. Silly costumes or fun accessories can help people loosen up, and when people are relaxed they often take better photos - a good tip to remember for taking photos at a wedding party too! When you need everyone in the shot looking their best, our tips for taking better group photos will help you nail those all-important group moments. For a fancy dress or Halloween party, your props can be themed. Instagram is full of unique ideas for photo booths, and making props can be a fun DIY task for guests to join in with.
5. Be Part of the Party
Even if you have a job to do as a photographer, if you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, the people around you will be more likely to do the same. The more you're able to blend into the party, the better your photos will be. Take some time to relax and mingle, or even have a dance while you take photographs. People will feel comfortable around you, and your laid-back atmosphere will be evident in your finished work.
Bonus: Party Photography Gear for Snapping the Good Times
Got an upcoming party and want to capture the fun? Here's a quick guide to essential camera gear:
- Mirrorless Cameras: The best option for serious photographers who want to produce the best possible work. They offer superb image quality, manual control, and compatibility with accessories like external flashes.
- Instant Cameras: For instant gratification, instant cameras are a blast. These fun, retro-styled options produce physical prints on the spot - perfect for partygoers to take home as keepsakes.
- Disposable Cameras: Embrace the vintage charm of film photography. Disposable cameras are fun and easy to use, and produce images with an undeniable retro aesthetic that's very popular right now.
Shop Mirrorless Cameras Shop Instant Cameras
For another milestone event that calls for thoughtful photography, see our guide to taking and printing first day of school photos - a must-read for parents wanting to capture this annual milestone well.
6. Best Camera Settings for Party Photography
Getting your camera settings right before the party starts saves you from missing key moments. For indoor parties, start with a wide aperture of f/1.8 to f/2.8 to let in maximum light and create that pleasing background blur. Set your shutter speed to at least 1/100s to freeze movement on the dance floor. Adjust your ISO between 800 and 3200 depending on the venue brightness - modern mirrorless cameras handle high ISO remarkably well. Shooting in RAW format gives you far more flexibility when editing exposure and white balance afterwards. If you're using a smartphone, switch to Pro or Manual mode to take control of these same settings and dramatically improve your results.
7. Best Camera and Lens for Party Photos
You don't need professional gear to take great party photos, but the right equipment makes a noticeable difference. A mirrorless camera like the Sony ZV-E10 II or Fujifilm X-M5 is compact enough to carry all night without fatigue, yet delivers excellent image quality in challenging light. For lenses, a 35mm or 50mm prime lens with a wide maximum aperture is ideal - it handles low light beautifully and produces flattering portraits. If you want versatility for group shots and close-ups, an 18-55mm zoom works well. For smartphone shooters, the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy flagship models perform surprisingly well at parties. Browse Ted's Cameras' range of cameras and lenses to find the right match for your next event.
See our roundup of the best instant cameras in Australia to find the right model for your next party.
