You’ve spent months, maybe even years, planning the perfect event. The last thing you want is for the small details to slip through the net and for the event photographer or videographer to miss the point of the event and not get the shots or have the expertise necessary to share what happened with the world.

While you might not think your event photography is essential, you need to know how best to hire an event photographer to make sure you record everything in the best way possible and bring this experience to life both during the event and after for your marketing material.

So what should you look for when hiring an event photographer?

Firstly you need to consider the type of event you are having. Different factors and expectations will dictate the kind of results you will receive. Are you having a party event where you expect fun in the moment shots that require people to be thinking fast to capture the best images? Or is it a conference where things will be much calmer and require specific pictures of speakers professionally portraying them? Galas, fundraisers, weddings etc., all will require different levels of experience and various types of shots to capture the essence of the day. It might be that aerial photography is required to capture your entire event and give you a different perspective of the day. 

Experience

The photographer you choose will need to be experienced in the event you are holding. This will allow them to navigate the location better and know where to be at what times to get the best shots. Ask for previous work and portfolios showing work in similar fields; for example, if you are going to be promoting the service on a website, ask for former clients details and their websites so you can get an idea of what to expect.

An experienced event photographer will be your documentarian for the day. While they might likely spend most of their day asking for permission for pictures, they will be granted access to areas otherwise not seen for a more intimate personal take on what was going on in different areas.

Recommendations

These days everyone is quick to google a person or brand they want to work with. The internet has made this so much easier. However, how do you find the best people for the job and know that what they portray online is the real deal?

Chance are, you won’t be the only person in your network to need to use an event photographer. Photographers such as Ignite Images Event Photography will have many years of experience and will have built up a good reputation amongst different networks. So ask around and see who people use and why? Get first-hand feedback on who to work with and who to avoid, and the reasons why they would rehire that same contractor again.

Be Thorough

You need to be open and honest about the event itself and what you expect. The more details you can give your event photographer, the more they will be able to see if your ideas of imagery and style match. Give as much information as you can about the location, set up, itinerary, guestlist etc. and what you feel will best capture the event.

Ask for their feedback and suggestions. Their experience will help them provide better or alternative recommendations to succeed and get the right pictures or videos.

Set A Budget

This is an essential consideration as photographers will set prices n their experience skills and what they can offer you when you work with them. The more experience they have and sought after they are, the more they will charge. So before you start looking around, know precisely how much you can afford and use this to get quotes and compare packages within your budget as this will also help you avoid wasting both your time and theirs goog through the options if their fees are out of your budget.

Ask About Delivery of Work

Importantly ask your photographer about how they will be delivering your images, any restrictions they have and what you can expect. The use of the mages will dictate prices and the resolution and quality of the pictures. For example, they will need to know if you are using them on social media alone or a large printed banner.

Ask them how they will send the files to you and make sure you know how to access them and your usage rights. Discuss time frames and requests and make sure you are happy with the terms before agreeing to hire them.

The more effort you put into researching the best event photographer for your needs, the best results you will post-event when you want to share the details with the world and look back on the day.