One of the best parts of photographing an event at the National Gallery is arriving early, getting checked through security, and come 6pm having most of the gallery entirely to myself, wandering the halls in the presence of some of the most breathtaking works of art while the event setup crews, er… set up the event.

This was a Christmas drinks reception for one of my corporate clients, catered by Rocket Food and managed by the National Gallery Events team. My brief for this client is simply to make everything look as spectacular as it is, and capture as many candid moments as possible. Not saying my job is made easier at spectacular venues like this but… well, I find it hard to take a bad photo here.

One extra point: I’ve had the privilege of working with this client for many years now, shooting their parties, conferences, and corporate headshots, and it makes a HUGE difference to the feeling of the photos when the client and their guests pretty much all know and recognise me. I know how the CEO likes to be captured, everyone is more trusting and welcoming, and I think the photos feel better as a result.