Nick Bendel / The 500 Lunches Effect
Book launch event photography for Nick Bendel's The 500 Lunches Effect at Cargo Bar in Darling Harbour, with more than 100 guests and 190 finished photographs delivered the next morning.
- Client
- Nick Bendel
- Project
- The 500 Lunches Effect book launch
- Service
- Book launch event photography
- Location
- Cargo Bar, Darling Harbour
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Project context
I was genuinely excited when Nick asked me to photograph the launch of The 500 Lunches Effect. I know Nick through my BNI group and had followed his journey of having lunch with 500 strangers, so it was pretty cool to see that journey become a book. Nick describes social courage as acting even when you might be judged, rejected or feel uncomfortable. It can be as simple as starting a conversation or asking a question before you feel ready. That idea came out of the 500 lunches, and it is what the book is really about. The launch was at Cargo Bar in Darling Harbour, with more than 100 people coming along to celebrate with him. I arrived early so we could take portraits of Nick with the book around the venue and out by the harbour before it got busy. Once everyone arrived, I covered people catching up, the little moments around the room, Nick's speech, the crowd reactions and the big group photo at the end. There was a magician too, Jackson Aces, so check out his shot at the end of the gallery. It was a really warm night, and you could tell how proud everyone was of what Nick had achieved.
What I delivered
Outcome
The finished gallery gave Nick lots of photographs to work with by the following morning, ready to use while the launch was still fresh. There are polished portraits with the book, the packed room, the speech, the people who came to support him and the smaller conversations happening around the edges. Nick told me the preparation made a real difference. Because we had already talked through the people, the purpose and the marketing value he needed, I could keep working quickly on the night without missing what mattered. I really enjoyed this one. It was a room full of people from different parts of Nick's life, all there to back him, and the photographs feel as warm and energetic as the launch itself.
Nick's review
I booked Eden to photograph an event I hosted, and I couldn't be happier with the result. The photos he took were exceptional. Even though the event finished late at night, he had 190 high-quality photos in my inbox by the following morning, which was a remarkable turnaround. What really stood out was Eden's attention to detail and level of care. We had two phone calls before the event so he could understand what it was about, who would be attending, and what I needed from the photos to get the maximum marketing benefit. That preparation showed on the night. During the event he was tireless. He rearranged furniture and positioned people to make sure he always got the best shots, and he had a real knack for putting people at ease, which meant he captured natural, engaging photos of everyone. He also worked closely with the venue staff to get their full cooperation, so everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. I'll be using Eden for all my future events and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a professional, thoughtful and hardworking photographer.
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