Sugar and Champagne gig

Last week I shot the Washington Humane Society's Sugar and Champagne event for DC Magazine. It was a pretty standard process; shoot the VIPs, attendees, and capture some scene shots. But the event itself was really cool.

Restaurant booths made up the U shape ring, offering delectables such as bite sized brownies, mousses, exotic cheese samples (including a goat cheese called purple haze. hm.), and in some cases, doggie treats. I nearly fell over when I saw a bulldog try to scavenge some bits off a high end restaurant booth. I think he was going for the chocolate cake with raspberry coulis; I know I would have. In the middle of the U, guest were offered beverages . The bubbly and other drinks ranged from wine to vodka to illy espresso to boutique sodas.

This is a kind of random observation, but there were these these plastic plates that were really quite ingenious - transparent plastic with a champagne-holder on the corner. Take a look at the photo. As I made countless circles around the venue, I noticed that these plates were really handy since most people held their plate in one hand while the other was pulled in all sorts of directions from their leashed dogs.

And the dogs! I love dogs, particularly bulldogs and frenchies, of which there were a few =) Lots of mini daschhunds, gold retrievers, and toy things - dressed up pugs/yorkies/maltese... not really my style but whatever.

I got the chance to see three interesting dogs: a rottweiler with a tail, which usually cropped at a young age, a long haired german shephard, and an albino boxer with icy blue eyes. The boxer didn't quite know what to do with me; just stared at me while my flash went off. Unfortunately, because her eyes were so blue, red eye was a problem. I can't even imagine what the dogs felt, it must have been really an overwhelming situation for them, especially for the two dogs that were up for adoption by WHS.

Lots of photogs there too. WHS set up a portrait booth to one side where guests received their prints on-site as a keepsake. An AFP photog was there but he was stationery with a mobile lighting kit with him (also noticed that we both use photo equipment bags by Think Tank), and a seriously professional event photographer with a fancy flash contraption strapped to his camera body (As a green photog I try to use flash only minimally, even at weddings).

I've noticed that - in general - DC society magazines aren't really into the action / participation shot. To me, those photos really describe the event; the fun people are having, why they are having fun, and just overall people interaction. It's almost impossible to get a sense of this through rigid and formal posed portraits.

PS_ please excuse the photo formatting. not that adept at posting photos on a blog yet =(