Screens are the brightest and most eye-catching element on almost every stand. In photos and video they quickly become a problem: stripes, flicker, strange patterns or a plain white rectangle. Here is how to avoid that, on your side and with your photographer.
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A monitor or LED wall does not show a steady picture, even though it looks steady to the eye. The image is redrawn many times per second, and many LED walls control brightness by switching their diodes on and off very quickly. The eye averages this into a stable impression. A camera with a short exposure only catches a slice of that cycle.
That produces three typical faults:
None of these problems is new, and all of them can be handled with experience.
Shutter speed is matched to the screen's refresh rate and to the mains frequency, which is 50 Hz in Europe. That is worth knowing if your team usually shoots at home on 60 Hz, as in the US and parts of Asia, because settings that worked there may not work in a German hall. Many current cameras also have flicker detection that times the exposure accordingly. For video, the frame rate is chosen to match the lighting. A quick test on the stand shows at once which setting works.
A small change of distance, angle or focal length usually makes the pattern disappear. Slight softness on the LED wall, for example by focusing on a person in front of it, also helps. An experienced photographer checks the magnified image on the camera screen before moving on.
Exposure is set for faces and products. To keep detail on the screen, it helps to turn its brightness down for the shots or to add light to the stand. Our guide to photographing dark exhibition halls covers hall light in more depth.
Your most important contribution is not technical. It is the content on the screen, because whatever runs there appears in every photo.
Sometimes an otherwise strong photo shows the wrong thing on a monitor, such as a transition between two slides. The screen content can then be replaced in post-production with the right visual, provided you supply the file and hold the rights to it. That is cleaner than a half-finished picture, but it takes time and should remain the exception.
It is better to shoot key images several times on site, each time with the intended content on screen. At Pixer we agree this in the briefing: which screens should be in the frame, what runs on them at that moment and who on the stand can switch it. You receive the selection within 24 hours after the show ends, with two revision rounds.
The table below sums up what to check on every screen before the first photo. It fits on one page and can be printed for your stand staff.
| Check | Why | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Photo slide ready and quick to call up | Readable content in every photo | Marketing |
| No update prompts, pointer or standby | A professional impression | Stand technician |
| LED wall brightness can be lowered | Detail on the screen | Stand builder |
| Monitors do not reflect spots | Less retouching | Stand builder |
| Music in stand videos is licensed or muted | No rights issues in the video | Marketing |
Allow about a quarter of an hour for this round before the doors open. When the photographer arrives, they can start straight away with stand overviews instead of waiting for the technology.
Flicker is more noticeable in video than in photos because it moves. That is why we test frame rate and shutter at every LED wall shortly before filming. Fast pans across large LED surfaces can also cause a rolling shutter effect, where content appears to lean. Calmer camera moves prevent it.
At shows with a lot of screens, such as IFA in Berlin, preparation matters even more. A single stand (booth) there can carry a large number of monitors, each with its own brightness and timing. One named contact for the screen technology on the stand makes filming much easier.
A calm slide with logo and key message reads well in every photo.
Shutter speed and frame rate are matched to the screen and the 50 Hz mains.
A different distance, angle or focus makes patterns on LED walls disappear.
Someone who can dim the LED wall on request saves retouching.
Check update prompts, pointers and standby screens before opening.
Repeat key images with the intended content on screen.
The exposure was shorter than the screen's refresh cycle or did not match the lighting frequency. Adjusting the shutter speed usually fixes it.
Moiré is a wavy or rainbow pattern caused by the screen's pixel grid interfering with the camera sensor. A different distance, angle or slight softness on the screen usually removes it.
Often yes, at least for some shots. The screen keeps its detail and the people and products in front of it are still exposed correctly.
Yes, if you provide the right file and hold the rights to it. It is still better to capture key images on site with the correct content showing.
Calm visuals with logo, product and one short message. Scrolling text, fast cuts and small print are hard to read in a still image.
Is your stand built around large LED surfaces or many monitors? Tell us which screens should be in the frame, and we will plan equipment and timing around them.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
