How To Hire A Corporate Event Photographer

Why Hire a Professional Event Photographer?

Depending on a variety of factors, an event photographer can cost between $100 and $600. Possessing high-quality equipment and stamina, a corporate event photographer is a worthwhile expense. The money you spend on an event photographer goes toward celebrating your brand and your audience, and a trained eye can ensure that you thoroughly document your event (and your team’s hard work).

Professional photographers offer consistency in how your guests, speakers, and event space are visually portrayed – the imagery will usually have the same look and feel. Hiring a photographer will also provide high-quality images for your post-event coverage, marketing materials for your next event, and your website or digital advertising. A great way to showcase these images is by gifting clients an event photo book. You can use professional photo book editors online to guarantee that special touch to to cleanup pictures wow your clients.

Below are tips to consider when hiring a photographer for your corporate event:

Know What You Want

Build a vision ahead of time that demonstrates how you want to document your event. Then share this perspective with your chosen photographer. They can provide feedback and elaborate on the mood you’re hoping to capture.

Moreover, a professional photographer will understand which moments are worth capturing and attempt to work your vision into each photograph.

One of the perks of hiring a professional is that they will know which angles to look for when setting up a shot and won’t be distracted by other responsibilities.

There are a few general styles of event photography to consider when describing your vision to a professional:

Candid: This style of photography captures life in its natural state. Guests are not set up for the shot but photographed while enjoying your event. Most of the time, they won’t know their picture is being taken. These photos are low pressure and great for capturing genuine smiles on the faces of your guests.

Photojournalism: Photos that closely follow your event headlines as they unfold. This style takes all the simple requirements of candid photography and elevates them with a unifying story. This story can be reinforced by individual images or as a series. This style is ideal for blog coverage of the event, a white paper, or a presentation.

Conceptual: This type of photography is staged to represent an idea. Using symbols and themes, your photographer will try to reinforce a predetermined concept. This style is perfect for marketing materials or advertising content.

Portrait: Portrait photography uses dramatic lighting, backdrops, and poses to capture personality and style. This is a good option for corporate events where you want shots of executives and employees for the website or print material.

Fashion: A great option for capturing subjects on the move. A fashion photographer will have an eye for style, design, and movement. This style is perfect for sharing images on social media and connecting with guests after the event is over.

Do Your Research

Once you’ve narrowed down the style of event photography you’d like to feature, start with a simple google search for photographers in your area. By hiring someone local, there is a better chance they may have photographed the venue before.

Research within your network. Ask friends, coworkers, or family if they have someone they would recommend. Talk to your venue, as they may have already worked with standout photographers who provided good service to previous event planners.

Check local photography associations, as these groups will generally feature a range of specialised professional photographers for hire.

Review Your Photographer’s Work

Most professional event photographers will have an online portfolio for you to browse. Check all their photos and collections to make sure their style lines up with the vision you have for your event.

Read their reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook and wherever else they happen to be featured. You can tell a lot about a person’s work ethic by what others have to say about them.

Call each reference given and ask specific questions about what it was like to work with the photographer in question. How did they deal with stress or last-minute changes? In the eyes of guests, your event photographer is an extension of your brand and will make an impression when pointing their camera.

You need to make sure they are well-spoken, dressed appropriately, and polite to guests. You can find out these details by talking with references and reviewing how they behaved while working at other events.

Ask The Right Questions

Beyond asking about price, dig deeper into the specialisations of the photographer. The more you know about their professionalism and style, the better you can assess if they are the right fit for your event.

Here are some questions you might consider asking:

• Have you photographed this venue before?
• Do you have insurance?
• What style of photography is your favourite?
• Will you be the one photographing the event? Or, will you send an associate?
• If the event goes overtime, will you stay longer? Will you charge extra?
• How will you present the final product? What are my options?
• What packages do you offer? Can I customise them to fit my needs?
• How many photographers will be at my event? Who are they and what are their specialities?
• What is the cost? Do you charge by the hour or by the image?

Summing Up 

To get the most out of your event photographer, make sure you have a vision and clear expectations outlined for their documentation. You should provide your photographer with a list of VIPs (such as guest speakers or award recipients), a detailed schedule for the day’s events, and a vision board featuring photos in the style you wish to emulate.

By being prepared and organised yourself, you’ll help ensure that your photographer captures the moments meant to define your event.

If you don’t know where to start looking, why not check out our list of fashion photographers in Paris?

Featured image: Photographer via unsplash

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