Scouting picture-perfect spots for group photos at the conference

The 2019 BYU Management Society Asia Pacific Conference in Mongolia draws delegates from across the region for a few days of learning, networking, and the Believe & Achieve business plan competition. A group photo taken during the event becomes more than a souvenir — it becomes a marker of late-evening strategy sessions, shared meals, and the first handshake with a future collaborator. For attendees flying in from Australia, who have already crossed a dozen time zones, capturing those memories properly is a small but worthwhile investment.

Australians tend to arrive at conferences with a sharp instinct for a good backdrop, having grown up snapping shots at Bondi Beach sunsets or in the bluestone laneways of Melbourne. With a bit of forward planning, any delegate can return home with frames that feel every bit as polished as the ones they would take on a coastal weekend back home.

Timing your shots around natural light

Light shapes a photo more than any other ingredient, and the Mongolian autumn light is distinctly different from the harsher summer sun Australians are used to. Early morning tends to deliver soft, even tones across the venue's exterior, while the hour before sunset bathes any backdrop in warm colour. The conference programme usually frees attendees during the mid-afternoon break, which lines up nicely with the best natural light of the day. Aim to gather the team twenty minutes before the official break ends so the actual shoot only takes ten.

It also helps to think about the direction of the sun relative to your chosen spot. Backlit subjects are flattering but make faces harder to read, while side-lit shots add depth without losing detail. If the venue has a covered walkway facing west, that is often the safest bet during golden hour, especially when delegates are tired from a long breakout session.

Choosing backdrops that tell a story

A plain wall is forgettable, but a backdrop with a story elevates the photo into something shareable for years. The conference signage, the main stage when it is empty, or a view of the surrounding hills all serve as natural anchors. For a competition-themed shot, consider posing near a banner tied to the past winners spotlight, which reminds everyone in the frame that the event has launched real businesses across Asia Pacific.

Delegates from Australian chapters often bring their own banner or printed logo, and adding that to the photo gives the group a clear identity. Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney chapters frequently travel together, so lining up the banners side by side makes the regional spread visible in one image. If the group includes competitors, judges, and mentors, arranging them by role across the frame tells the story of the conference at a single glance.

Indoor corners that work better than you think

Weather in Ulaanbaatar can shift quickly, and indoor spots are not a downgrade if chosen with care. Look for atriums with floor-to-ceiling glass, spiral staircases that draw the eye upward, or hallways lined with warm wood panelling. A wide lobby corner where several corridors meet often hides a clean stretch of wall that reads as a studio backdrop once everyone is lined up.

Indoor lighting can be flattering too, especially the soft overhead fixtures common in modern conference centres. Avoid spots directly beneath harsh downlights, which cast unflattering shadows under the eyes. Instead, position the group at a slight angle to the brightest overhead source so faces are evenly lit. A small step back from a window often produces a balanced mix of natural and artificial light that flatters most skin tones.

Wrangling the group without losing the vibe

Coordinating twenty or thirty busy professionals for a single shot can feel like herding cats, but a relaxed approach almost always wins. Australians tend to default to a casual register with phrases like "no worries, mate" or "she'll be right," and matching the same easy tone keeps the energy light. Send a single clear message with the time, place, and any dress code the day before, then send a five-minute reminder on the morning of the shoot.

During the actual gathering, assign one or two people to gently nudge stragglers into place rather than relying on a single organiser to do everything. A simple arrangement from tallest to shortest, or grouping colleagues by chapter, makes the final photo feel organised without looking rigid. Once everyone is in position, take three or four quick shots rather than one long pose — short bursts capture natural smiles better than a single tense hold.

Capturing spontaneous moments between sessions

Not every memorable photo needs a tripod or a planned backdrop. Some of the strongest group shots happen in the margins, during the half-hour between a breakout session and the next meal. Candid clusters around the tea table, delegates gathered around a laptop reviewing a business plan, or laughter echoing down a corridor often produce the most genuine images of the conference.

During these looser moments, conversations wander into all sorts of territory — someone might share a recent GERD article they read on the flight, or pull out a phone to show a photo of their kids. These unguarded exchanges often produce the best photographs, because everyone has forgotten about the camera. The best candid work happens when one person simply keeps a phone in hand and shoots through a quiet moment without drawing attention to it.

Sharing the photos and keeping the connections alive

Once the photo session is done, the work of sharing begins. Drop the best shots into the conference chat the same evening so delegates can tag themselves before jet lag fully sets in, then upload a curated set to the chapter social channels the following week. A short caption naming each city represented in the frame — Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and so on — helps the post travel across regional networks.

A shared album link sent the day after returning home gives the slowest responders a chance to download and share at their own pace. Photos taken with intention tend to keep working long after the conference closes, often resurfacing in end-of-year recaps, recruitment posts, and reunion invites for years to come.