AWARD EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE NEC- SPRA AWARDS

I’m up at the Birmingham NEC and as usual the organisers are super efficient and the Wifi is non-existent. I’ve barely got through photographing all the branding and details before I’m worrying about how I will deliver same day pics to my client because of said terrible wifi. SPRA by the way stands for Single Ply Roofing Association , not Seasoned Professionals Recruitment Agency, or the Scottish Police Recreation Association or the Society for the Protection and Re-Homing of Animals, in case you were wondering.

I always bring a laptop for same day delivery and even spare thumbdrives if the signal is bad, but in the end the client was happy for next day delivery of everything. Like any good boy scout, always come prepared.

The staging and lighting is always excellent at the National Exhibition Centre - as a corporate event photographer, the last thing you want to be doing is distracting people with constant flashing- I’m ALWAYS on silent shutter and always use available light for conferences and events - although the actual awards part of the day or evening, is the one time where it is usually helpful to have a little bit of fill flash to get even out the lighting, which is designed for the delegates, not the photographer.

I probably overshoot, using a fairly high burst mode on my Sony a9iii, because I want to be guaranteed some handshakes, some great candid moments, some hugs, some joy, and to be sure the one key close up of a keynote speaker or important delegate isn’t the one where they are blinking or grimacing.

So, the National Exhibition Centre how was it for you? Great spaces, plenty of parking, terrific staff, good food, great atmosphere - the NEC lives up to its name. But please, could we have some better Wifi?

spra

October 22, 2026

adam rowleyOctober 22, 2026Comment

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AWARD EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE NEC- SPRA AWARDS

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