Photography in marquee and temporary event structures

Weddings, corporate dinners, community fairs and festivals often use marquees and other temporary structures. They can be handsome and flexible. They are also built for the event, which means conditions that are different from a permanent room and often harder to predict.

This guide belongs with our overview of venue conditions that affect event photography. It looks at what changes under canvas, not at tent design.

What is different about a temporary structure?

A permanent venue has fixed walls, a known ceiling and a house power system. A marquee has none of these in the same way. The conditions depend on how it was put up, what was added and what the weather is doing outside.

Five things matter most to photographs.

• Light. Daylight through the walls and roof is soft but uneven. Evening light comes from whatever the supplier installs.
• Power. Supply may come from a generator or shared connection, with limits.
• Weather. Rain, wind and heat affect the guests, the sound and the equipment.
• Floor and space. Ground can be uneven or soft, and aisles may be narrow.
• Rules. Safe positions and permitted equipment are decided by the supplier and venue.

Light under canvas

Daylight changes through the day. Early morning light may be pleasant, midday can be flat and bright with strong contrast at the entrances, and evening can drop quickly. Coloured canvas can tint faces. Ask the supplier about the colour of the lining and the lighting plan.

For evening events, the installed lighting decides what is possible. Warm lamps, coloured effects and spot lighting all look different in photographs from how they appear to the eye. Our guide to working around decorative lighting that looks different in photographs goes into this, and low-light ballrooms and dim indoor venues covers the general low-light issues.

Power

Many temporary spaces have limited power. Lighting, sound, catering and air cooling may all use the same supply. Ask what is available for suppliers, whether any socket is reserved for photography and what the venue will not allow. If the plan includes extra lighting, printing or a rapid-editing station, see photography where the venue restricts electrical access.

Weather and heat

A marquee gives shelter, not immunity. Heavy rain can be loud on the roof, wind can lift sides and humid heat can make the space uncomfortable. Guests may move to the entrances for air, and the crowd may spread unevenly.

Agree who decides if the weather changes the plan. Our guide to agreeing weather decision owners before an outdoor event explains how, and our outdoor alternative plan helps you record the decisions. If conditions disrupt coverage on the day, weather or site conditions disrupt agreed coverage explains how to respond.

Safe positions

The structure and its fittings limit where a photographer can stand. Poles, guy ropes, cables and generators take space, and there may be areas where nobody should stand. Ask the supplier and venue for the safe positions and the areas to avoid. A photographer does not assess whether the structure is safe, and that responsibility stays with the supplier, venue and organiser.

For raised positions, such as a platform or a step, ask whether they are permitted and who approves them. Do not assume that an item built for guests is safe for equipment.

A hypothetical example

Imagine a charity dinner in a large white marquee on a field. The programme runs from late afternoon to night. The supplier provides string lights, a generator and a raised stage. The organiser wants images of the arrival, the stage and the tables.

We would ask when the lighting is switched on, how bright it is and whether stands are allowed. We would plan the arrival in daylight, the speeches under stage lights and the tables under the string lights, with extra time to check the colour of each. If rain is forecast, the organiser and supplier agree where guests will arrive and where equipment can stay dry.

Timing of readiness

Temporary structures are often finished late. Tables, flowers and lighting may be set in the last hour. If you want images of the empty room, ask when it will be ready, and allow time before guests come in. See venue access before guests arrive.

Put the answers in writing

Write what the supplier and venue confirm: light, power, positions and weather arrangements. Share it with the organiser and with us. If anything changes on the day, someone should know who to call.