Recce
A reputable event photographer will always take the time to recce any venue before the event takes place.
This is just to familiarise themselves with the layout of the venue and to check out the different angles from a coverage perspective.
five questions you should ask
Pre shoot Planning
A professional event photographer will also have completed a pre-shoot planning process – liaising with the event coordinator and establishing what they would like shot.
The planning process need not be particularly onerous or involve hundreds of emails or calls. But a thorough pre-shoot briefing process will always pay dividends, as the photographer will know exactly what the event client expects.
In addition, any potential timing issues with the schedule can be ironed out before the event.
Insurance
A decent event photographer will also be fully covered with public liability insurance.
Different venues have different requirements as to the level of insurance they require any event suppliers to hold. Typically these range from anything from £2 million liability coverage up to £10 million.
Delivery Timeline
Professional photographers will plan time in their work diaries for image post production.
As part of the pre-shoot discussions talk about when you want the images delivered. And set a deadline.
Do you want an express turnaround? Or a few images to post on socials before the main body of images are released?
A professional event photographer will be able to ensure you get the images you need, in the format you need them, when you want.
Back Up Gear
Finally, any event photographer worth their salt will always have contingency gear.
Back up camera bodies, backup lenses and multiple cards in case a memory card gets corrupted.
It’s also always worth asking whether the event photographer has a data backup procedure in place.
This is so that as a client, you can be sure that your data and images are safe.