Photographing the Annual Hispanic Star Gala: A Night to Remember at Cipriani Wall Street

The Hispanic Star Gala, presented by We Are All Human (WAAH), is an event that celebrates the contributions of the Hispanic community, bringing together leaders, advocates, and influencers for an unforgettable night. Held at the iconic Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the gala is not only a significant cultural event but also an excellent opportunity for photographers to capture the energy, elegance, and impact of the evening.

This year marked our second time photographing the prestigious event, and while last year’s experience saw us covering the gala with a team of three photographers, this time only one photographer was requested. The challenge? To document the dynamic atmosphere of the night, showcasing the excitement, the glamour, and the intimate moments that make the Hispanic Star Gala so special. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how we captured the essence of the evening with precision and creativity.

Capturing the Energy: Close-Ups and Wide-Angle Shots

One of the main objectives of photographing an event like the Hispanic Star Gala is to capture both the intimacy of individual moments and the energy of the entire event. The gala is full of speeches, presentations, and entertainment that require photographers to be agile, moving quickly between close-up shots of speakers or honorees and wide-angle shots that showcase the crowd's enthusiasm.

• Close-up shots allow us to focus on the emotion and expression of the guests, capturing everything from the excitement on a speaker's face to the elegance of the attendees in their formal attire. These intimate shots bring a personal connection to the larger narrative of the night.

• Wide-angle shots, on the other hand, highlight the grandeur of the event. From the elegant dinner tables and the beautifully decorated venue to the scale of the crowd and the intricate details of the performances, wide-angle photos provide a sense of place and scale that is essential to portraying the full scope of the event.

The Highlights: Key Moments to Capture

From the inspiring speeches to the heartfelt moments of recognition, the Hispanic Star Gala was full of highlight-worthy moments. As a photographer, it’s crucial to anticipate and prepare for these key moments:

1. Speeches and Award Presentations: These moments were some of the most intimate and inspiring of the night. Capturing the emotion of the speakers and honorees is essential, as these individuals are often leaders and role models within the Hispanic community.

2. Guest Interactions and Networking: The gala isn’t just about speeches and awards; it’s also about connection and collaboration. Documenting candid moments where guests engage with one another is important for showing the spirit of the event.

3. Performances and Entertainment: With entertainment as a key part of the evening’s festivities, photographing the performers—whether they were musicians, dancers, or speakers—adds an extra layer of dynamism to the photos.

4. Group Shots and Crowds: The gala brings together a diverse range of individuals, so capturing group shots of attendees in various settings (e.g., seated at tables, networking, or enjoying performances) adds context and tells a fuller story.

Conference Photography: My take on how to be the best NYC Event Photographer

As a professional event photographer in New York City, capturing the essence of a full-day conference can be both exhilarating and challenging. Whether it’s a high-energy keynote address or an intimate breakout session, the key to successful conference photography lies in pre-event preparation, experience, technical know how, and adaptability.

For this conference, I had the privilege of photographing last year’s event featuring multiple speaker panels and breakout sessions, with a variety of formats ranging from small two-person discussions to larger panels with up to eight participants. This year, the event was more or less the same, but this format is often copy-pasted across clients. In this post, I’ll share my insights on how I photograph a full-day conference ensuring images that accurately represent the event and its key moments are captured.

Wide Shots vs. Candid Moments: Balancing the Big Picture and Details

While the large speaker panels require wide-angle shots to capture the entire stage, don’t forget the power of candid moments throughout the conference. These moments—whether it’s a speaker adjusting their microphone, a small group of attendees networking, or someone raising their hand to ask a question—bring an authentic touch to the gallery. I made sure to also keep my eyes peeled for moments of connection, like a smile shared between speakers or a deep conversation between attendees.

image delivery with efficiency and effectiveness

Quick turnarounds are often necessary in event photography, so I made sure to deliver a first batch of edited highlight photos same day to give the event organizers something to share on social media and for press use. The rest of the images were delivered within 7 days.

UN General Assembly - Turkey House

Photographing at the United Nations during the General Assembly (UNGA) is always a special occasion. As an NYC based event photographer, who has been around presidents, CEOs, and celebrities alike, nothing compares to how special and unique UNGA is. And everyone in attendance understands and appreciates how unique of an event this singular week is, as the world’s leaders and top thinkers (NGO, journalists, think tanks) come together to discuss the challenges of the day.

When photographing at UNGA, just like at any other event, I capture the details, the quick but important candid moments, and the posed moments as well. Photographing for Turkey House and the president of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is always a lot of fun.

Photographing Upwardly Global's Annual Gala and Fundraiser

Our team of professional NYC Event Photographers have extensive experience covering Award Ceremonies and Galas, Conferences, Fundraisers, and so, so much more. We bring a unique mix of technical expertise and a friendly, yet professional down-to-earth working style to every assignment. Our deliverables incorporate posed photos, candid moments, and wide environment photos showcasing your venue and engaged audience.

When photographing tonight’s fundraiser with an auction, we made sure to capture the energy of the guests and the amazing venue, Tribeca 360, with its unrivaled views of Lower Manhattan and Midtown.

Photographing a Discussion and Conference at the NYTimes Center

Our strategy around event photography: Have an unobtrusive presence and document the story of the event. It’s that simple. You focus on running your event and we’ll make sure it’s photographed from all the different perspectives with quality images that are beyond useable; galas, dinners, awards, conference, panel discussions, activations, and much, much, more.

What separates us apart from other New York City photographers is our background in event marketing and public relations, prior to becoming a full-time professional NYC photographer. We bring a unique mix of technical expertise and a friendly, yet professional down-to-earth working style to every assignment. Our deliverables incorporate wide environment photos showcasing your venue and engaged audience, posed group shots, close up detail photos (vendor items / displays / handouts), candids, and numerous creative point of view photos offering new perspectives.

Brilliant Leadership - Photographing a book signing

As a corporate event photographer my goals are always to capture the 5Ws of an event; Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Today’s assignment was out of NYC on Long Island at the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club. I made sure to showcase not only the author, her family, and her guests, but the venue and it’s beautiful views / atmosphere. I spent ample time 1 on 1 with the author capturing posed photos of her holding her book, signing her book, and interacting with guests as they discussed the books different themes. Before guests arrived, I captured family photos both inside and out. My goal was to capture images the publisher and author could use in media, social media, and in other publications to promote the book.