Even the oranges had Uber on them.
That detail gives you a sense of the Uber x AfroTech Conference Executive Brunch I photographed in Austin, Texas, during AfroTech 2022. The brand appeared in the welcome display, the gifts and the drinks. There was plenty to photograph before you even got to the people.
Uber found my work online. That introduction brought me to this assignment, with creative design by Alesia Riley. I wanted the photographs to give the designed details their space while keeping the guest experience at the center of the story.
A room with its own identity
The welcome sign named the executive brunch. Flowers and greenery framed the display. The gift table carried the branding into objects guests could pick up, while the drinks brought it right to the table. Even a Texas-shaped piece beside the fireplace connected the Uber name to the setting.
Those details gave me several ways into the event. A wider photograph could show how the welcome installation sat in the room. A closer frame could give the lettering, flowers or branded drink its own attention. The oranges made an especially direct photograph: familiar objects, bright color and a name you could read immediately.
Alesia Riley’s creative design deserves to be visible in the story. When a team has thought through the welcome, the gifts and the hospitality, I want to notice that work and photograph it with care. The small elements can tell you a great deal about the larger experience.
Welcome display, gifts and branded drinks. Creative design by Alesia Riley.
Follow the people, too
The gallery moves from those details to guests smiling over a gift, two people embracing and a group gathering at the photo booth. These are different kinds of photographs, and I like having room for all of them.
I moved between careful detail photographs and the conversations happening around them, staying ready for the expressions and reactions that made the brunch feel personal.
When a guest steps in for a portrait, I want the direction to feel easy to follow. A clear idea, a little reassurance, and room to try something help people feel comfortable while I take care of the angle, light, and composition.
A close-up of a gift shows what was there. The photograph of guests looking into the box brings their expressions into the story. Seeing those frames together gives the event more dimension than either would on its own.
Build a story with more than one kind of photograph
A corporate event has several audiences. Guests remember being there. Someone seeing a recap later needs photographs that introduce the setting, the people and the details that made the gathering specific.
For a marketing or communications team, that is a useful conversation to have before the event. An event recap might need a mix of wide views and close details. A social post may work around one strong image. An internal update may need a clear group photograph. Those are possible uses to plan for, rather than assuming every photograph will fit every placement.
Share the intended channels, important people and brand elements when you brief your photographer. If your designer needs space for a headline or a particular crop, mention that early. The more clearly we understand the purpose, the more deliberately we can plan the coverage.
Corporate work, from Austin to Washington
I’m based in Washington, DC, and available for corporate events and destination assignments. My broader corporate and commercial work has included Google and Lincoln Property as well as Uber.
For Lincoln Property, I photographed a gathering at 101 Constitution in Washington, DC. A rooftop with the Capitol nearby asks for a different set of photographs from this Austin brunch. In both settings, I’m paying attention to the people, the surroundings and the details that belong to that particular event.
If portraits are part of your brief, explore my corporate headshots and team portraits. We can discuss whether your event schedule and setting can accommodate the portraits you have in mind.
Bring photography into the planning conversation
Before your next executive gathering, conference or brand activation, share the outline of what you are building. A useful starting brief includes:
- The date, location and event format. Include the schedule and any moments with a fixed time.
- The people and details that matter. Flag priority guests, group photographs, design elements and brand requirements.
- Where the images will appear. Discuss the channels, layouts and uses your team has in mind.
- Access and coordination. Identify the point of contact and any restrictions the photographer needs to know about.
- Budget and deadlines. Bring these into the first conversation so the proposed coverage can address them.
If the design is an important part of the event, include its creators in that brief. It helps me understand what deserves particular attention and how the work should be credited.
Tell me what you’re planning. I want to know what is bringing people together and what you want the photographs to show.
Creative design: Alesia Riley
Photography: Devin Mickens
