Chino Vantage MediaCVM CREW / FIELD GUIDETake the quiz ↗

FOR CVM PHOTOGRAPHERS & VIDEOGRAPHERS

Good coverage.
Thoughtful choices.
The CVM way.

A practical guide to creating event content our clients can use—and making the whole experience easier for the team.

Start the guide ↓8 sections · 10-question quiz
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Attendees networking beneath event branding at a busy conference
THE JOB BEHIND THE CAMERAShoot with the client’s end use in mind.
Good coverage means useful photos—not simply more photos.

Create images our clients can use and our editors can work with easily.

01

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Arrive with a plan.

Read the CVM brief before every shoot, even for a familiar client or event. Requirements change. Follow the current brief so you capture the right moments and deliver what this client needs, this time.

Know what matters.

Confirm the schedule, essential shots, key people and specific requests. Identify moments you cannot repeat, and clarify anything missing with your CVM lead before the shoot.

Know the whole venue.

Locate every area that needs coverage, including separate networking rooms and exhibitor spaces. Check with the organiser or CVM lead about venue restrictions and anyone who has requested not to be photographed.

Plan exhibitor coverage.

Get the exhibitor list and stand locations beforehand. Create a checklist and agree who covers each stand. If assignments are unclear, ask your CVM lead. If time is tight on the day, agree the split with the other photographers so no company is missed.

Before you start
  • Check cameras, lenses, batteries, cards and backup equipment.
  • Confirm arrival time, dress expectations and the handover deadline.
  • Shoot photographs in RAW.
  • Synchronise the date and time across all cameras.
  • Use a different filename prefix for each camera body to avoid duplicate filenames. Accurate timestamps keep the photographs in chronological order.
02

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Make every photo useful.

Think about where the photographs will appear: website banners, LinkedIn posts, email newsletters, event recaps and post-event reports. Give the marketing team clean compositions, strong expressions and a useful variety of images.

Secure the clean speaker shot first.

Start with an unobstructed, front-facing view, with most of the speaker’s face visible. Wait for them to look up from their notes. Look for an engaging expression, a smile and natural hand gestures.

Capture a full-length view where possible, a medium shot and a tighter portrait. Secure the front-facing photographs, then add a strong side angle. Once you have these, explore wider compositions and higher or lower viewpoints.

Check before you move.

Review your photographs before changing position. Check focus, exposure, framing and expression. Zoom in to confirm sharpness, and make sure there is room for gestures and cropping.

Get it right in camera. Do not shoot with the expectation that AI will repair missed focus or rebuild a cramped composition. Repairs add time and cost, and may not produce a usable result. The original photograph needs to work—especially when the moment cannot be repeated.

Make each variation count.

Keep shooting until the required coverage is secure. Aim for useful variety rather than unnecessary duplicates: wide views of the room, medium shots of interactions and tighter photographs of expressions and details.

Strong reactions, genuine smiles and clear storytelling matter more than the total number of frames.

The CVM test

“How could the client’s marketing team use this?”

Ask before you shoot, then review the result. Would it work on their website or LinkedIn? Is the expression strong, the subject clear and the framing useful?

Good coverage is measured by the photographs the client can use.

03

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Create the CVM portrait look.

Flattering photographs of people smiling towards the camera are a core part of CVM’s event coverage. Prioritise natural proportions, considered framing and soft backgrounds that help people stand out.

Prefer 50mm and above.

Use 50mm or longer for individuals and posed groups when space allows. Step back to compose: the greater shooting distance helps avoid exaggerated perspective, while the longer lens gives the background a more compressed appearance.

Use 35mm when space is limited. Reserve 24mm primarily for establishing shots and wide room coverage.

Treat your zoom like a set of primes.

Choose a small set of focal lengths and use them deliberately. This helps our tiled galleries feel visually consistent.

On a 24–70mm lens, work around 35mm, 50mm and 70mm. You might favour 35mm and 70mm in tighter spaces, or 50mm and 70mm when there is more room. Set your focal length, then move to compose instead of adjusting the zoom for every frame.

Take time to direct the group.

Camera-facing portraits deserve care. Guide people into position, check that every face is visible and encourage natural smiles. Compose at a flattering height, with comfortable space around the group.

Do not rush. A few seconds of clear direction can turn an ordinary group photograph into one the client wants to share.

The group presses against the edges. There is little room left for a different crop.
Reconsider

The group presses against the edges. There is little room left for a different crop.

This 35mm example leaves more breathing room. Prefer 50mm+ where the space allows.
Better framing

This 35mm example leaves more breathing room. Prefer 50mm+ where the space allows.

Leave room to work.

Allow space for gestures and later cropping. Avoid accidentally cutting off fingers, wrists or elbows.

Tips: soft backgrounds, sharp people

A shallow depth of field is part of the CVM look. Sharp faces come first.

  • Keep the group on a similar plane. Avoid placing one person noticeably closer to the camera than the others.
  • Use wide apertures deliberately. Around f/2–f/2.8 can work for suitably aligned groups at an appropriate shooting distance. Check every face.
  • Stop down when needed. For staggered groups or closer shooting distances, try f/3.2–f/4 as a starting point. Larger or deeper groups may need a higher f-number.
  • Move people away from the background. This helps preserve background separation when you need more depth of field.
  • Check before releasing the group. Zoom in and inspect faces across the frame. Solo portraits and pairs may allow wider apertures, provided every intended face remains sharp.
04

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Make the speaker the subject.

Secure a clear view, a strong expression and the right focus—then check that you really have it.

The speaker sits low beneath excess headroom.
Reconsider

The speaker sits low beneath excess headroom.

Eyes near the upper third, comfortable headroom and useful branding.
Preferred

Eyes near the upper third, comfortable headroom and useful branding.

Watch the moment.

Look for natural hand gestures, visible speaking or a smile. Wait for the speaker to look towards the audience rather than down at notes or back at the screen.

Leave looking room.

Give the person space in the direction of their gaze and gesture. A left-facing speaker usually needs more room on the left.

Check and star.

Use brief checks between key moments: eyes in focus, useful expression, exposure, margins and no obstruction. Star strong photographs in camera to help the editor.

A lower speaker position can work when the client’s logo is deliberately part of the composition.
Useful exception

A lower speaker position can work when the client’s logo is deliberately part of the composition.

Too little looking room and a dominant foreground person compete with the active speaker.
Reconsider

Too little looking room and a dominant foreground person compete with the active speaker.

Capture horizontal and vertical photographs. For video, agree the required delivery formats before filming.

05

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Cover every speaker.

A full-panel shot is the start. Build a complete set of usable individual coverage.

  1. Full panelLeave room at both ends. Keep shooting and checking until every person has an acceptable expression in the same frame.
  2. Every individualGet clean medium and tight coverage of each speaker, with good gestures and expressions. Include horizontal and vertical photographs.
  3. ReactionsFocus on the active speaker, or a listener with a meaningful smile or reaction. Don’t accidentally feature an inactive person with a blank expression.
The inactive listener is in focus while the person speaking is softer. The intended subject is unclear.
Reconsider

The inactive listener is in focus while the person speaking is softer. The intended subject is unclear.

A genuine smile makes a non-speaking panellist a worthwhile featured subject.
Useful reaction

A genuine smile makes a non-speaking panellist a worthwhile featured subject.

Not everyone has to smile in a panel wide.

Neutral listening expressions are acceptable in group coverage. Avoid closed eyes, awkward expressions and faces obscured by hands.

06

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Show energy, connection and brand.

Capture real engagement and useful context. Think beyond a room full of people.

An empty foyer communicates little of the event’s energy. Prioritise populated spaces; capture empty stands for exhibitor coverage or empty rooms when requested.
Reconsider

An empty foyer communicates little of the event’s energy. Prioritise populated spaces; capture empty stands for exhibitor coverage or empty rooms when requested.

Attendees interacting, a populated space and visible event branding tell a fuller story.
Preferred

Attendees interacting, a populated space and visible event branding tell a fuller story.

Wait for a real moment.

Look for conversation, laughter, attentive listening and interaction. Avoid faces hidden by hands or incidental candids with no clear purpose.

Keep the view clean.

Secure clear subjects before creative foreground. A little depth can work; dominant backs of heads and excessive blur obscure the content.

Use context deliberately.

Include branding, the venue and relevant activity. Choose angles that add visual depth against plain backgrounds without blocking the subject.

The foreground takes over. Clean speaker coverage should come first.
Reconsider

The foreground takes over. Clean speaker coverage should come first.

The speaker and gesture are clearer. Explore angles for more depth while retaining that clean view.
Better visibility

The speaker and gesture are clearer. Explore angles for more depth while retaining that clean view.

Food belongs when it supports the brief: a dinner, a Flourish event or a featured product. Routine catering is not a substitute for people, speakers and branding.

07

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Show the stand, the people and the energy.

Use your checklist to give every assigned exhibitor complete coverage.

Capture the whole stand.

Take a clear wide photograph showing the entire stand and its branding. Where possible, capture it both before visitors arrive and while it is active.

Show genuine interaction.

Photograph the team talking with visitors, demonstrating products and sharing positive reactions. Include wide, medium and tight views, plus useful details of products, displays and printed materials.

Make the team portrait essential.

Gather the stand team, make every face visible and encourage everyone to look towards the camera and smile.

The essential shot is a wide photograph showing the complete team and the whole stand. Follow it with a closer team portrait.

Check before moving on.

Check sharpness, expressions, readable branding and complete framing. Revisit the stand if key team members are missing.

08

CVM FIELD GUIDE

Film for the edit.

The same clean composition and intentional coverage apply to video. Add a plan for movement, sound and continuity.

Suggested video workflow

Use this additional workflow as a starting point. Confirm technical settings and recording responsibilities with the CVM lead for each job; these are proposed practices, not fixed camera-setting requirements.

Build usable sequences.

Capture an establishing view, a medium view and a useful detail or reaction. Hold shots steadily long enough for an edit, with a little room before and after the action.

Protect key moments.

Know whether you are making a highlights film or recording full speeches. Agree who maintains continuous coverage and who captures cutaways; don’t stop a required recording for a creative shot.

Check sound and picture.

Test the agreed microphones and feeds, monitor audio with headphones, and check exposure, focus and flicker. Match frame rate, colour profile and white balance with the team.

Suggested handover routine
  • Confirm all expected cards and files are accounted for.
  • Copy footage using the agreed folder structure and verify the transfer. Retain originals until CVM confirms it is safe to clear them.
  • Flag missing moments, sound issues, standout clips and any agreed restrictions.
  • Use the job’s delivery deadline. Do not assume a universal turnaround or delete files to meet an invented quota.

09 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

What would you do?

Ten event scenarios. Choose one answer, then check the explanation. No timer; review and retry whenever you need.

This is a self-check, not certification. Your score is not sent to CVM.

BEFORE YOU PACK DOWN

One final coverage check.

  • Clean coverage of every required speaker and session.
  • Full panel, individual speakers and useful reactions.
  • Horizontal and vertical photographs with breathing room.
  • Real interactions, populated spaces and relevant branding.
  • Every assigned exhibitor: stand, products, people and interaction.
  • Strong frames starred; gaps and issues flagged to the lead.
  • Files and handover requirements checked against the brief.