Trident Healthcare Christmas Party at The Gaillard Auditorium

After ten years of hosting their annual Holiday Party at a well-known hotel in Charleston, Trident Healthcare finally outgrew the space. With over 350 guests attending this year’s event, the move to The Gaillard Auditorium was a good one!

As with previous years, I set up a portrait station near the check-in table, where couples could get their photographs taken in front of the Christmas tree. These were then printed as 5×7 portraits and mounted in an elegant black folio for them to take home has their party favor from the event. When I wasn’t photographing couples portraits, I captured candids of the evening, including the awards presentations for those who showed outstanding achievements within the hospital system.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners! And Happy Holidays to all the attendees…

Trident Healthcare Holiday Party

It’s been our pleasure to photograph the Trident Healthcare Christmas Party for the last several years. They are such a great group. And the couples really seem to appreciate having a nice portrait of themselves, all dressed up in their festive attire!

Aside from setup shots of the banquet hall, and candids of the party, for most of the guests the highlight is our print-on-site Portrait Station! I’ve included a few behind-the-scenes shots of my setup. But basically, I create a mini-portrait studio, using wireless Nikon SB-800 flashes, Manfrotto light-stands, and Westcott umbrellas. I photograph each couple with a Nikon D5 and a Nikkor 24-70, while it’s tethered to my Lenovo Yoga laptop via Adobe Lightroom. After shooting a few test shots before guests arrive, I create a custom preset in Lightroom (including parameters such as white balance, exposure, and contrast) so that every shot comes out perfect and consistent. After capturing two or three quick shots of each couple, I bring them over to the laptop, where they get to immediately see the images and pick out their favorite. I then print out a beautiful 5×7 portrait of that image using the high-speed DNP DS-40 Dye Sublimation Printer, slip it into an elegant black folio, and hand it to them. Couples LOVE the instant gratification of being able to walk away with their portrait in hand!!!

We always enjoy working with the amazing team at Trident. I can’t wait to do it again next year!!!