How to… hire a professional event photographer
Capturing the action
Candid shots
Hiring a professional event photographer can feel daunting – especially if it's your first time. But with a bit of planning (and the right questions), it’s easy to find someone who’ll capture the tone, energy and key moments of your event beautifully.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through the whole process, from shortlisting candidates to writing the brief and confirming the job – whether you're planning a conference, gala, awards night, or launch.
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Start by asking respected colleagues if they have any recommendations and put these tried and tested photographers at the top of your list (and then do your own online search).
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Look at the tone and the feel of the shortlisted photographers’ websites/social media and judge if they might be a good fit for the tone and feel of your event. Check their client testimonials and then finally, ask yourself: Do these images appeal to me?
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Email your shortlist with an outline of the event and ask for a quote. The outline could follow the simple format: Who, What, Where, Why and When.
Most photographers bill by time so make sure to state the start and finish times. Your chosen photographer will help you with the ‘How’.
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Use the quotes to evaluate their communication skills and professionalism.
Most experienced high-quality London photographers are all around the same price (around £500-700 Half day - £1000 -1200 Day rate). If you have tight budget constraints then think about finding a young, up and coming new starter.
You can ask me and my network of professional photographers for recommendations.
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Maintain an open communication with the photographer (They will understand if this is your first time and help you to piece together the many moving parts).
You’ll need to write a brief which is a list of what pictures you expect from the event. Establish before the event how and when you need the images delivered – this can also be written into the brief.