Trade show photographers work with one of the largest formats in all photography. The professional trade show photographer can make a client’s logo jump out on the trade show exhibit, make the trade show display look modern and contemporary, and reproduce beautiful artwork in some of the biggest displays and settings in which photography is used.

When you are planning a trade show exhibit, it is essential to pre-qualify photographers who have experience in trade show display shooting. Your photographer must be familiar with and able to handle the demands of producing oversized, exciting, compelling, and crystal-clear trade show display images. An effective trade show exhibit professional photographer is able to capture very large photo images in a dramatic way. Ideally he/she will shoot with a top-of-the-line Nikon, Canon, or other medium-format digital camera that purposefully translates images to large formats.

Christian Tanimoto, trade show photographer, re-toucher, and graphics production assistant at ProExhibits says that because of the large size requirement, trade show photography must adhere to special requirements. He gives advice on the three most important ingredients for shooting trade show display images:

1. The size of the digital file is key—the larger, the better.

All photos used for trade show displays need to be on a file that is ideally 12 to 16 or more megapixels. It is always best to begin with a large scan from a file or a large digital file in order to achieve a sharp output.

2. Use an uncompressed raw file.

It is best to use a file that does not need to be compressed, so you can achieve large prints that do not look pixilated. The images must look sharp. By using an uncompressed file, you will avoid the posterized or rasterized appearance. Your trade show display design panel artwork will be crisp, clear, and have many levels of tone. If photography is not shot in a large digital format, the artwork needs to be converted from film, slides, or negatives. The images then need to be scanned, downloaded, and compressed into a digital file.

3. Attach color profiles to digital files.

By having a large enough color pallet with a wide range of colors, you will be able to select and print true color. Accessing a color profile, a designer can interpret the correct color. You will then be able to accurately communicate color and color-match your website and collateral materials seamlessly.

Eye-catching, stylish trade show photography can be used on a vast spectrum of trade show displays, from the small trade show kiosk exhibit to the custom, free-standing, multi-story trade show exhibit with integrated office, meeting room, and theater arenas.

Trade show photography is some of the most exciting photography displayed and should always look beautiful and exciting, advises Christian Tanimoto. This is equally true if you are purchasing stock photography for your trade show exhibit. Having a large digital file is the key, whether the artwork is used in a custom trade show exhibit, a custom modular trade show display, or a rental trade show booth.