Had a different kind of event job recently where I was hired by a company that decorates and styles event spaces. When I arrived two hours before the start of the event, preparations were behind schedule (except me), so I was really scrambling to get all the needed shots (details, table settings, room shots, etc.). I told the client that because of the time pressure I wouldn't be using any lighting or even a tripod. He was fine with this. Now, I had brought this gear, and in years past I probably would have used at least the tripod. But, I left it in the bag and shot everything handheld with ambient light, using just a 24-105/4 and a 75/1.8 on two bodies.
I was comfortable doing this thanks to two tools that have become particularly effective in recent years: image stabilization and noise reduction. I knew I could get sharp shots at shutter speeds of 2/focal length, and I knew that noise reduction would make even ISO 25,600 images usable. In the end, 99% of my images were sharp and clean. There were just a few that were soft due to camera shake when I was lying on my back shooting up at the ceiling. After culling duplicates, I had produced one unique image every 20 seconds. Could never have gotten even close to that with a tripod.
I'd be interested to hear from you guys about whether and how your work has changed over time. Do you still use a tripod for this kind of work? Lighting? Has your work gotten easier, harder, more/less fun of late?