For a more in-depth look at the image portfolio delivered, see it here.

Who is the client?  

The Trust Edge Summit, hosted by David Horsager, is an annual event focused on building and leveraging trust as a key competitive advantage in business.

The summit brings together leaders, speakers, and professionals to explore actionable strategies for fostering trust within organizations, improving leadership, and driving sustainable success. I met David through a mutual colleague, and after photographing his book, Trusted Leader, and sending him the photos as a gift, we established a working relationship that led to this event.

Why did they need photos?  

David understands the power of visual storytelling, and he wanted to increase the quality of the photos used to promote his annual conference. In particular, he wanted high-quality candid images of the Welcome Reception, which serves as the first gathering point for all attendees, speakers, sponsors, and vendors. These photos were not only intended for David’s marketing efforts but also as a “thank you” gift to the speakers and sponsors to use in their own promotional efforts.

How did we prepare for the session?

I jumped on a call with David and his right-hand to go over the specific run of show for the welcome reception, as well as the rest of the conference.

They emphasized the importance of capturing the mood and energy of the event, with a particular focus on candid moments of connection between the attendees. David would be jumping on stage briefly to give a welcome speech, and there was also a live band playing throughout the evening, which needed to be incorporated into the visual storytelling.

What camera gear did you use?

I used the Nikon D5 for this event, rotating between the 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses for most of the shots.

The Profoto A10 flash was used for the entire Welcome Reception to ensure that the low-light environment didn’t hinder the quality of the images.

What challenges were faced?
How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was working in a dimly lit reception space that had very little in the way of interesting decor.

The walls were plain paneling, and, aside from a few branded table decorations (see photo above), there weren’t many visual elements to enhance the photos. To overcome this, I focused on capturing as much human interaction as possible—people laughing, shaking hands, and enjoying the live music. I also had to navigate the tricky balance of taking candid shots of people while they were eating, requiring patience and quick reflexes to avoid awkward photos.

how was visual variety achieved?

The portfolio is filled with a wide variety of shots, from wide, medium, and close-up photos of the live band to candid moments of David and the attendees connecting with each other. The reception signage and table settings provided additional branded elements to weave into the visual storytelling. 

By working different angles and vantage points, I created a balanced set of images that show the relaxed, fun atmosphere of the welcome event, while also highlighting key moments like David’s speech and the musicians.

Describe the post-production process.

After the Welcome Reception ended, I backed up the photos and immediately started the post-production process at the hotel bar. Within an hour, I was able to cull, crop, color, export and sort the keepers. 

In total, the portfolio contains 126 photos, completed with 3 post-production passes.

At the end of the day…

David and his team were very happy with the results, and several of the keynote speakers and sponsors expressed their excitement about using the photos in their own marketing materials. 

One of the keynote speakers even hired me to capture photos of a mastermind event he was hosting in NYC, which included a portrait session. Overall, it was a successful start to building stronger relationships within David’s community.