Capturing the Essence of Diplomacy: Photographing Foreign Policy’s UN General Assembly Event at Studio Gather

As a corporate event and conference photographer based in New York City, I’ve had the privilege of covering some of the most prestigious events this city hosts. One of the standout events this year was photographing for Foreign Policy during the United Nations General Assembly. The event, hosted at Studio Gather by Tishman Speyer, soared high above Rockefeller Center, offering a breathtaking backdrop for discussions that shape global diplomacy.

Balancing Wide Shots and Close-Ups

To tell the full story of the event, I balanced wide-angle shots with detailed close-ups. Wide shots were essential to showcase the impressive event attendance and capture the ambiance of the venue. These images highlighted the scale, importance, and genuine engagement of the event, framing the participants against the moment.

Close-up shots, on the other hand, focused on the panelists, capturing their expressions and gestures as they engaged in meaningful dialogue. Whether it was a group of distinguished speakers sharing insights or a single individual commanding the stage, these images conveyed the importance of the discussions be presented.

Capturing Authentic Moments

Photographing events of this caliber requires a keen eye for authentic moments. I aimed to capture not just posed shots but also candid interactions—a speaker’s thoughtful pause, a panelist’s animated response, or an attendee’s engagement from the audience.

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 an editorial shoot - KPMG

When I was in high school I only knew two types of professional photographers, Wedding Photographers and Photo Journalist (news photographers or sports photographers), but what does an 18 year old kid know. The world of professional photograph is so, so much more.

Editorial photographers operate within a unique niche of photography which combines so many different skillsets and styles. The moments we capture are planned, stylized, and yet somewhat candid. On today’s session, we had loose brand guidelines and a very long shot list of items we needed to capture. To summarize, our main goal was to capture the newly renovated NYC office space with people, without people, and the people of the KPMG Ignition team collaborating with one another.

Dean's Williamsburg Brooklyn Rooftop Proposal

Dean chose a tasteful and perfectly timed way to propose atop the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg Brooklyn. He rented one of the hotels best rooms with a magnificent view of the Manhattan skyline.

Jonathan Heisler Photography is comprised of New York City photographers specializing in photographing private NYC proposals, as well as engagement sessions and weddings.

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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.