The Events: 20 Years of Showing Up
Invitation’s event pages are a visual record of how our communities gather, celebrate and support one another.
Written by Rachel West
From day one, I wanted events to be an important part of the magazine — fundraisers, art openings, community celebrations, sporting events and other gatherings that brought people together. I wasn’t interested in photographing private parties, family reunions or events that weren’t truly connected to the broader community. We have worked hard to stay true to that standard over the past 20 years.
In the first year or two, though, it wasn’t always easy. Month after month, we needed to find 10 or 12 events to photograph, and there simply weren’t that many happening all year round. I remember that in February 2007, we ran photographs from the Christmas parade because there was so little going on that winter.
Today, the challenge is completely different. There are more events than we could ever possibly cover. Every month, our communities come together to support schools, nonprofits, the arts, sports, local organizations and countless causes. It’s remarkable to look back and see how much that has grown — and how much those event pages have become a reflection of the generosity, energy and spirit of our communities.
Covering Local Events
Covering local events requires a lot of coordination: We keep a running list of upcoming events; an event photographer signs up to cover an event; they take photos and record names; the events editor creates a designed page; that page is then polished with editing, fact-checking and final design work; and the finished page is put in the magazine.
We are always looking for additional photographers to take photos at events. Interested? Email invitationmag.events@gmail.com to find out more!
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