Event Photography Inspiration: Atomicon 2019

What Happened Thru My Lens at ATOMICON 2019

Today on the blog I want to serve up some Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019!  This was a really fun event for me to shoot earlier on this year.  This is how it all went down through my lens.  I’m also sharing some key info and an “amuse-bouche” so you can be ready for ATOMICON 2020.

Here is the full Mwah TV episode:

Event Inspiration – ATOMICON 2019. My Clients

Victoria Fleming, Buzztastic 

Victoria is an expert in Sales and all things to do with Sales.  She works for Large scale businesses to deliver sales strategy and training, and she offers small businesses her skills through one-to-one work and a LOT of free content. 

How We Met 

Victoria and I were introduced years back when we had the same business coach.  We hit it off straight away and shot some Full Sch-Whammy Headshots together soon after.  When Victoria was announced on the line-up for ATOMICON 2019, we agreed to shoot some speaker shots.  With the plan to add them to her growing collection of fantastic photography.

Victoria’s Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

Victoria spoke about her specialist subject – SALES!  She is a lightning speaker and often darts around, dances, and always makes sure she has fabulous shoes on.  This makes her a real pleasure to shoot when on the stage.  There is NEVER a dull moment.

Stay tuned, Victoria and I are currently planning her next headshots session. You can find out more about Victoria’s approach to speaking and sales here.

Christine Gritmon, Gritmon.Inc

Christine is a Social Media Strategist based in Nyack New York.  She loves to offer her strategy skills to small businesses who have a local reach with what they offer. 

READ IT

How We Met

Christine and I were introduced by Andrew & Pete briefly in 2017 when we were at Social Media Marketing World (Affiliate Link) for the first time.  We got back in touch in the run-up to 2018 Social Media Marketing World and had a really fun session together.  We also hit it off in our mutual interest in great music, vintage style, and upcycling. 

Christine’s Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

Whilst also being on the line-up talking about productivity as a small business owner and content creator, Christine quickly told me that she wanted to add a British set of headshots to her collection.  So we opted for a quick run around town together to document her visit to Newcastle from Nyack New York. 

Christine specialises in helping small businesses with their social media strategy.  She loves working the most with Bricks and Mortar businesses to help them make their store a well known and loved destination.  You can find out more on this here.

Christine and I collaborate regularly to our shared Insta Stories called The #DIYBabes. As we are both renovating our homes at the same time, we spur each other along in this way on most weekends.   

Quick shout out to fellow co-creator on #DIYBabes – Natalie Hailey

Julia Bramble, Bramblebuzz 

Julia is a social media strategist based in Devon.  She loves working with small businesses to get them quick wins and helps them avoid the common overwhelm that being “on social” often brings. 

How We Met 

Julia and I met at Social Media Marketing World in 2017.  We both crashed a welcome party hosted by Pat Flynn.  We then tore up the dancefloor at CMA later on that same year. 

Julia’s Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

Julia was on the line up for Atomicon 2019 and she spoke about using Facebook Ads in the right way as a small business.  Julia felt she needed a headshots refresh, instead of more images of her speaking, so we did a quick loop around Newcastle together to rectify this. 

Julia promises her new clients that she can help them to double their business with a surge in interests and leads that can amplify existing marketing.

Amy & Caitlin, Simply Social 

The Simply Social Ladies host a range of social media workshops, social strategy, and influencer events in their hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

How We Met

Amy & Caitlin were sitting next to me at dinner after Social Media Marketing World wrapped in 2018.  We got to know each other really well, despite my lack of voice. We have been in touch on social ever since.  As soon as the ladies found out that I was shooting headshots around ATOMICON 2019, they got in touch to begin planning. 

Amy & Caitlin’s Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

Amy & Caitlin wanted to make the most out of their trip to the UK from Santa Fe.  In order to max out their insta feeds as well as ensure they got some great headshots results I planned a trip that included a lot of historical architecture. 

Amy & Caitlin are experts when it comes to influencer marketing.  They host incredibly well-orchestrated insta-photo contests (link to https://www.simplysocialmedianm.com/#influencer-events-section) where they work with big brands to create serious buzz for them. 

You can find out more about the Simply Social approach to Social Media Training and Influencer Marketing here: https://www.simplysocialmedianm.com/

Mel Bridger, The Mummy Trainer

Mel is one of those business owners who have multiple businesses.  She is on an adventure right now with making her own personal brand to help spread her varied business messages without coming across as disjointed.  She is most well known for being The Mummy Trainer, she helps mums get fit online. 

How We Met

Mel and I met on social first, we chatted on various platforms about a lot of different things.  Then when we bumped into each other at The Youpreneur Summit in 2017, it was one of those great moments when you meet someone for the first time IRL (In real life).  I actually think we did a silly slow-motion run towards each other in the middle of the room. 

Mel’s Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

Mel really needed headshots that show her as the friendly go-to gal in the UK fitness world.  It was important we captured her sass and love of laughter.

Mel loves building community.  She recently hosted her own event this year called FINE (Link: https://fineevent.co.uk/).  Aimed at Fitness and Wellness Professionals who want to improve their businesses. 

Lucy McVey, LMV Social

A former Digital Mum, Lucy is a social media manager, with a particular preference for Instagram.  Lucy works with a wide range of clients to ensure they get the best results from their Instagram accounts. 

How We Met

Lucy and I met in the pub during Marketed Live in Nottingham last year.  We chatted about all sorts of things besides work from The Derry Girls to 90’s Indie Music.  We’ve been in touch on social ever since. 

Lucy is looking to attract more ideal clients to her social media management services and got in touch in the run-up to ATOMICON to get some headshots to help her do just that.

Lucy’s Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

It was Lucy’s birthday whilst we were at ATOMICON, so I made sure we marked the occasion with some cupcakes to start off her shoot.

A former Digital Mum, Lucy is a social media manager, with a particular preference for Instagram.  Lucy works with a wide range of clients to ensure they get the best results from their Instagram accounts. 

The ATOMICON 19 Event Results

You may be wondering how you can get involved in ATOMICON 2020.  Here is a handy link for all of the information you need.

How We Met 

I originally met the guys back in 2014 at a “cringey” breakfast networking event.  Since then we’ve been good friends, and we have done lots of shoots together. 

I remember telling them that “before they knew it, they’d be hosting their own Atomic style event (in 2016 I think) and they both laughed at me and told me I was crazy.  So when they were putting ATOMICON19 together and we were planning what event photography they wanted, I brought this up.  At all of the smaller ATOMIC breakfast networking events, Andrew and Pete made sure everyone took a group selfie.  I found one here: 

So it was really important to them that we shoot a group selfie again at ATOMICON.  Like This: 

Event Photography Inspiration – Atomicon 2019 Results

I put together a mini-gallery for you to browse a small selection of the ATOMICON19 event photography results.  These whizz past on the Mwah TV Episode (above), so kick back and peruse at your own pace here.

Extra Thanks To

I would officially like to thank the following businesses for their support and contribution toward the results of this shoot. 

ND Make-Up Artists, Newcastle

Marie from ND was there to give glam upgrades to a lot of the clients featured in this post.  Everyone was delighted with her expertise! 

Beacon House, Newcastle

When working in tandem with any events team, it’s really important to have a good working rapport.  The team from Beaconhouse were FAN-TASTIC at this.  They made things such a breeze for me and the rest of my photography team. 

ATOMICON 2020

If  you are thinking about coming along to see what the big fuss is all about at next years ATOMICON.  DO IT! #ATOMICON20 TICKETS

My ATOMICON Take-Aways 

A lot of my lessons learnt at ATOMICON19 were not so much about the content of the things that the speakers were teaching us, I did that after the event. These takeaways are specifically about what it’s like to be a crazed photographer or somebody who offers satellite services around an event, so here we go.

Number one, a great assistant is a lifesaver.

I mean, sure you could go an event and have an assistant who’s there to capture you and capture your experience at the event or you could maybe have an assistant who carries your bags for you if you are that way inclined. So maybe take away one is not relevant to everyone.

Number two, a virtual assistant or virtual assistant team can help you

That is to say, they can help you out massively with reconnaissance, networking and soaking up all of that wondrous speaker content for you and re-digesting it for you in a way that is relevant to your business. Takeaway two, however, is quite a cool one, there is nothing wrong with grouping up with pals that you know who are also delegates of the event and everyone spreading out and going to different tracks and then reconvening in the evening and sharing what their takeaways were. It makes it a lot more of an effective event experience for you and definitely something to think about in ATOMICON20 when you know you’re gonna be running around, trying to get to all of the speakers to learn all of the content all at the same time.

Number three, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have your own supply of WiFi in an old-fashioned building.

WiFi takeaway, unless you’re content creating, yeah WiFi can be a little bit of a bug when you’re putting stuff out on your social. So if you’re that way inclined and you want to be seen as a social influencer, you should be like me and start researching clever ways to get strong WiFi that is independent to you and unavailable to everyone else.

ATOMICON PHOTOGRAPHY NEXT YEAR?

I won’t be shooting the event side of things at ATOMICON next year, but I will be there to create more headshots for more delegates (and maybe an added event surprise).  If you would like to find out how I’ll be working and to access Earlybird Pricing, we need to have a chat. Book in for a no-obligation 30min Cyber Cocktail here.

FEATURED

This blog was featured by Pixpa’s round-up of great Event Photography right here.