HOW TO HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR CORPORATE EVENTS??!?!?!

Here’s some advice on hiring an experienced event photographer for work.

Every so often I’m contacted by a new starter in a company who is clearly feeling overwhelmed by their task of gathering quotes or picking out the best photographer for an upcoming event at work. Do not be afraid. I’ve seen and heard it all. 

You are welcome to call or email me for help, with no obligation to take on my services. I just want you to feel like you’ve got someone who knows what they are doing on your side, which you do!

If you are an experienced events manager, look away now to avoid feeling patronised. If you have been asked to find a suitable photographer for an event but you don’t know where to start, read on.

Photographers quote based on the information they have - to avoid confusing re-quotes, it’s best to have at least the basics at hand. However you cannot be expected to know everything, and we do our best to accommodate in these situations.

Try to have this information available (if you don’t that’s fine, we’ll just need to get this in good time before the event):

Who you are. 

Date(s).

Location(s).

Timings. Preferably the photographer’s arrival/leaving times as well as the event’s timings. You may or may not have full information when we first chat, which is fine for now.

Style of the event. Just a basic overview - is it a drinks reception followed by award ceremony followed by a party? Is it 18 panel discussions set across 4 lecture halls and tech demonstrations during lunch?

Purpose of the photos. I shoot in a style that is suitable for the intended audience, so it’s good to know.

Things that need photographing. Again, it’s best to know these things but often it’s impossible to say until further down the line. Sometimes the brief is as simple as a list of speech times, plus ”guests enjoying the evening”. Other times it’s a veritable spreadsheet. It is important to communicate with the photographer what you need - often for more complex events with lots of sponsorship or voluntary workers, there are details that need photographing which might not be at all evident to the photographer without being told. I tend to print out my own special running order of events so that I know exactly where I should be and at what time. This allows me to confidently go free-range for other images that have been requested which are not time-critical.

HOW DO I GET THE BEST PRICE OUT OF A PHOTOGRAPHER?

If you have received a quote from your favourite photographer but it’s not within budget, be open about it and say something. We are freelancers trying to live a normal life in the big city, which means we need to price accordingly, but we are open to negotiation if required.

If you already know your budget, you can state this and see how the photographer responds.

WHAT IS CORPORATE PHOTOGRAPHY ANYWAY?

Corporate photography simply means photography for businesses (in contrast to family portraits, weddings and kids’ parties, which are private rather than corporate). I specialise in corporate events and headshots. 

I hope this slightly rambling guide helps you to feel a bit more at ease in reaching out to a photographer. Again, please do simply get in touch with any questions you might have and we can go from there. 

Best of luck!

Josh