If you have ever had to use poor photography or images to promote a product r event, you will know that is difficult and understand the importance professional event photography. Investing your time and effort to get the best images possible for the budget will make your job much easier next time round. Camera phones are ok for quick snaps but just don't compare to professional cameras and the photographer experience.

How to get great images and photography coverage of your event

Hire a photographer

It is very important to hire a professional event photographer, ideally one that has done a similar type of event to yours. You can ask for recommendations from other people in your industry or an online search is also very common and will show you many event photographers.

Many venues may have a preferred suppliers list they use so always ask the events team or manager. Make sure you give yourself time to book someone before the event rather than last minute. This will give you more time to brief the event photographer.

Research the top 8-10 photographers’ in your Google search. Take the time to check each photographers website images, experience & location. You will soon find a style that suits your event’s promotional needs, contact them with the details such as date, time of how long you wish to book them for and whats generally involved. Ask for a quote and agree on a final cost before booking the event photographer. Get a detailed quote with a list of whats included in the price including time, coverage, editing and format/timescale for the supply of the images.

When you have hired your event photographer, make sure you fully brief them and look after them during your event. Provide food and water for your photographer, if you keep them happy and full of energy they WILL do a much better job than if they are uncomfortable and hungry. Give them a little space to securely leave their kit and setup a laptop if needed.

Provide them with somewhere to leave their stuff such as in an organiser’s office or lockable cupboard and ensure they have appropriate passes to gain the right level of access to your event.

Event Access

Make sure your Event Photographer has Full Access to all the areas you want them to Photograph in. Just because you know who they are doesn't mean all the event staff, stewards or security will! Give them all the access passes, lanyards and wrist bands to make their job easier, you wouldn't want them to miss a key shot due to poor access.

Brief your Event Photographer

Always put together a written brief for your photographer to give them all the information so they can cover everything you want included. Make time to discuss the brief with them on the day before the event starts and meet with them to check over any last minute questions.

Your event images should tell the story of your event from start to finish. Get your photographer to include before event shots showing the event set up looking clean and tidy. During with visitors attending, looking busy and people interacting with activations. Get your photographer to include images of people watching product demonstrations and presentations. They should get people in conversation with exhibitors, enjoying hospitality, entering a competitions and getting involved with the event.

Make sure to include a mixture of close-up detail shots and wide shots showing the room or whole event. Your photographer should get candid natural shots as it happens and some posed shots of staff, products and guests. Images that a capture reaction are great along with action shots of the activations. More abstract images are great for marketing after the event of for your next event as these maybe generic and could apply to more than one type of the event.

Give your photographer a shot list but also remember to give your photographer freedom to be creative on the day too, after all this is what they do and what they are good at.

What to include in a photography brief

Target Audience & End Use

Photographing your target audience interacting with your event is key, but also think about the end use, where are your images going to be use, social media and what are you trying to achieve? Will you send these to local or national media? Don't forget to include images of sponsors, staff and partner companies such as the stand or event builders.

Do you need images for a daily post or the opening day of the event for publicity or your exhibitors?

Often there will be more than one thing going on at once that need coverage, especially at larger events, timings can clash. This might mean you will need more than one photographer. You may have to supply more than one brief or you can let the photographers work this out themselves as they know what works best for them.

Brand Guidelines

If you have a set of brand guidelines give these to your photographer before the event so the can do their research if possible give them some examples of what you like.

Know Your Event

Give your event photographer as much information as possible about your event to help understand the event better. Sending them a brief, brand guidelines and a shot list are key bits of information. Include the show guide, programme and map of the event. At the event give your photographer a quick tour pointing out key areas and possible timings.

If it is important to capture celebrities, VIPs, sponsors, and senior staff members at the event, include any details in your the brief of key times and locations. Ideally tell a member of your event staff who knows who these people are to give a heads up to your photographer during the event, point them out and ask them to pose for photographs.

Key Moments

There are often a number of key moments during your event which will need to be covered by your event photographer. This may be the opening of the event, guest speeches, live demonstrations and launches. A time-table of ‘key moments’ should be give to your event photographer with the brief.

Image Supply

Agree with your photographer the format they are going to supply the images to you and the timescale. You may want a small selection during or at the end of each day. Let your photographer know how quickly you need or expect the images, but also understand that if there are lots of images it will take time for your event photographer to go trough them all.

Permissions & Image Usage

Generally you do not need to get permission to photograph large groups of people at public events(Except when children are involved) provided the images will not be used out of the event marketing. At your event it is a good idea to advertise that there is event photography taking place as this gives people the option to opt out if needed.

Summary

Take your time and do some research to find a great event photographer and brief them comprehensively to get the best images from your event.

Book an Event Photographer

Please get in touch if you need a London event photographer for your event or anywhere else in the UK.