Event Photography: The Top 10 Things to Look for when Hiring a Photographer

May 28th, 2009 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

Are you in the planning stages of an event? Does your company or organization depend on you to hire event photographers? If so, then it’s absolutely critical to choose wisely. The quality of images that you use to market your event in the press, to grace your website, or to illustrate your annual report is vitally important to how your company is perceived by clients, investors and consumers. If you really care how your brand is portrayed to the world, it is more important than ever to use the best event photographers you can find for your event. Substandard images can negate everything your carefully thought-out branded event has created.

The truth is, anyone can call themselves a “photographer” these days. Because of the relative ease and low cost of camera equipment and setting up a website, tons of people have decided to go into business as “professional photographers”. Today, you can hire a photographer at nearly any price point, from budget to high end. Because it can be very confusing, the staff at 5th Avenue Digital put their heads together and came up with the top things to look for when hiring an event photographer to help you choose intelligently.

Hiring an Event Photographer: The Top 10 Things to Look for:

1. Look for a company whose website has a specific section on event photography and examples of projects they have shot that are similar to what you want. For example, if you want your guests to be able to take photos home with them (one of our most popular services) make sure that the company has Onsite Printing on their website.

2. Ask what type of camera equipment the photographer is currently using – make sure your photographer uses a professional quality camera from one of the big three Canon, Nikon, or Fuji. Going to a site like www.dpreview.com will allow you to check on the style of the camera if you are unfamiliar. Because digital cameras over the past few years have changed significantly, you will want to know what a photographer is working with and if it is up to a professional standard.

3. Find a company that is well-established with a healthy roster of experienced photographers. Stay away from companies or independent photographers who haven’t been around very long and don’t have experience in the type of photography you need.

4. Make sure they can supply highly trained, professional photographers who can work well under pressure, make changes at the drop of a hat, and who understand the importance of proper lighting and other standards of the craft.

5. Confirm that the photographer or company can deliver your images within 48 hours after shooting, via a method that works for you (such as an online link or a DVD). This shows a level of professionalism.

6. It’s important to feel you’re getting responsive customer service right from the start. Make sure the company has someone you can speak to right away, who will get back to you promptly, and who will work with you pleasantly and professionally.

7. Look for someone that explains in advance what you can expect from the photographers working at your event, the breadth of their service, the process of the job from beginning to end, what’s delivered after the event, and when you’ll receive it.

8. Look for a company that supplies photographers in your local area. Long travel times can cause lateness, stress and frustration – as well as additional costs to you.

9. Understand how they prepare for the job. Do the photographers bring any extra/backup equipment? Will the photographers do a location scout? How a company answers these questions should give you a clear idea of what their photographers have done before.

10. Ask for a list of clients they have worked for in the past. The most reputable companies will have a list of previous clients with examples of what they have done for those clients displayed on their site or blog.

So choose not the lowest cost photographer, but an event photographer that offers the best value all around for your event and your brand.

Fifth Avenue Digital provides photographers for all corporate needs, as well as ancillary services such as prints and albums. For over 10 years we’ve been vetting and hiring great photographic talent for our clients around the country. Our unique mix of creativity and technology has enabled us to be chosen by top companies such as Edelman Advertising, JP Morgan and the Walt Disney Company. We handle every aspect of corporate photography, including meetings, event marketing and onsite printing, as well as executive headshots and group portraits. And, we always listen carefully to our clients needs and assign the right photographer for the job.