International Women’s Day
I was engaged to cover an International Women's Day luncheon hosted by the United Nations Association of Australia, a seated event for close to 100 guests across a corporate and community audience, including a table of visiting high school students. The brief called for full coverage across a live, moving event: table and room settings before doors opened, candid guest interaction throughout service, and stage moments as speakers addressed the room from the lectern. Working solo, I moved between wide room shots, tight food and table detail, and discreet candid portraits of guests in conversation — shifting between documentary-style coverage and more considered, composed shots, without disrupting the flow of the event or the experience of the guests.
Food and table styling were shot in situ rather than staged separately, capturing each course as it was served to guests at their tables — plated dishes, garnish detail, and glassware all captured under natural window light rather than artificial studio setups. Guest and speaker coverage required reading the room in real time: staying alert for genuine reactions, applause, and connection between attendees rather than posed moments, while still delivering a final set clean and consistent enough for the client's own marketing and reporting use. The result was a 2 hour shoot producing a complete visual record of the event — from arrival through to close — delivered as a cohesive gallery covering atmosphere, food, and people.