Last Saturday I was at Anthony Ferrari's Birthday Party. That's right. I do take pictures other than of models, people getting drunk, or nightclubs. Sometimes.
See the full set at my flickr collection.
This was a very friendly crowd. I do a lot of party photography, but the dynamic changes in a house party. Keep this in mind as a party photographer. In a party, it's a bunch of people getting together to have a good time. After you (the photographer) gets there, they go from just a bunch of people hanging out... to celebrities. Really, if you've been at a party with a photographer, you know what I mean. Attitudes change, and people seem to have more fun.
Most people enjoy having their picture taken. Here, I ask people if they want their picture taken. In a club, I don't need to go around asking, people will come up to me and ask for me to take pictures. If they have a drink in their hand, I ask if they want it in the frame. I like to remind people if they actually want to be seen with alcohol or not. It does make a difference to people, and I do this at a night club too. Sometimes.
Anyways, at a party, go around and chat with some people. Getting to know them a little bit will let you take better photos of them: they feel more comfortable around you and relax when you snap that shutter button.
