How To Choose The Best Event Photographer

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the best event photographer. It can be hard to know where to turn in order to do so. After more than 20 years in the business I've put together the following list that will help you to choose the best event photographer for your event.

How To Choose The Best Event Photographer

Choosing the best event photographer is an important decision. Especially as they're responsible for capturing all of the important moments you want documented. Therefore, it's important to consider the following key factors when selecting the best event photographer for you:

1. Experience
2. Style
3. Communication
4. Problem Solving Abilities
5. Reviews and Recommendations
6. Personality

Event Photography Experience

You should always hire a photographer with experience in event photography. How do you know they're experienced? First, check their portfolio.  Make sure they not only have photographed events but that they've photographed events similar to yours. Then, ask yourself if they are producing the types of event photos you're expecting for your event. Afterall, even if they create amazing photos, they still might not deliver what you're looking for.

Experienced Event Photographers

Experienced event photographers have photographed many events. As a result they know what works and what doesn't. For example, they know how to handle different lighting conditions, unexpected situations, and challenging environments. Therefore, the best event photographers anticipate potential problems. Plus they have backup plans in place to ensure the event photography goes smoothly.

Event photography have advanced technical expertise. Further, they're masters of their cameras, lenses, lighting equipment, and editing software. Hence, they have the skills to handle various types of equipment and know the best techniques to use in each situations.

Additionally, a great event photographer knows how to anticipate the shots that will best capture the atmosphere and emotion of the event. If the photos don't seem to tell the story of the events then maybe they're not the right event photographer for you.

Preferred Style

Obviously, different photographers have different styles. Therefore, it's important to choose a style that matches your preferences. Take a look at their portfolio. Get a sense of their style. See if it's a good fit for your event.

The unique style of the event photographers near you should fit with the aesthetics of your organization. However, don't let style overrule quality. After all, their ability to capture the coolest photos of your event won't matter if they're out of focus or otherwise unusable.

Event Photography Style Guide

Individual tastes vary. However, event photography styles are about more than color and contrast. When evaluating style think about the following things and what you prefer:

1. Does this photographer focus more on candids or posing event attendees?
2. Do the photos look unobtrusive and taken from some distance or are they super close-ups?
3. Are you able to see only people in the photos or are there a lot of details about the event included?
4. Does the light, amount of contrast, and clarity of the phots match what you want?

A photographer's style will also affect the emotional impact of the photographs. Different styles evoke different emotions, such as joy, nostalgia, or drama. It is important to choose a photographer whose style aligns with the emotional feel that you want to achieve with your photographs.

Communication

A good event photographer communicates effectively. They understand your needs and preferences. Too, they're responsive to these needs. Plus they're always ready to provide a clear answer to your questions.

Effective Communication

Obviously, effective communication is critical. Most events are not simply thrown-together. In fact, there are teams of people involved in most events. Therefore, everyone having clear communication and an understanding of their roles is critical.

Effective communication allows your event photographer to understand your expectations, preferences, and requirements for your event. Thus ensuring they provide the service you want. With the ultimate goal to produce the exact photographs that meet your expectation.

Key's to finding a great event planner.

Coordination with event organizers

Great event photographers want to know who your team is. Too, they want to be a team member. As such they'll ask who they can go to for simple things and when they need to come to you. In other words, a great event photographer won't bother you with small questions. However, they'll ask the appropriate person for the answer. Then, they'll put that information to use to create better event photos.

Certainly, communication at the event is critical. However, so is communication before the event. Therefore the photographer should be in contact with you and your event organizers. Thus, this ensures that your photographer has the schedule, timeline, and the specific requirements for the event. This avoids confusion, missed photo opportunities, and other issues during your event.

Problem Solving Abilities

It's vital that your event photographer can problem solve. Event photography requires quick thinking, adaptability, and creativity. As such, even at highly scheduled events, there's always something unpredictable. Great event photographers know this. They're ready. And, even if they're not, they can still solve the problem on the spot.  

Event Photographer's Creative Thinking

Problem-solving requires creative thinking. Your event photographer must think fast. If something comes up then they need to create workable solutions. After all, the event photographer's job is to produce the right photographs. This is, in fact, what you're paying them for.

That said, it's often not enough to solve problems when they arise. The best event photographers anticipate problems. They see the choices they have. So, find a photographer who is proactive, not reactive. Then you can expect great event photography.

Reviews and recommendations

Reviews and recommendations are important. This is because they provide valuable information about the photographer's work ethic and the level of service they provide.

Look for reviews and recommendations from previous clients on independent websites such as Google and Yelp. These help you to get an idea of the photographer's quality of work and reliability.

What if you live somewhere without many choices? Then you should also ask for recommendations from friends, family, or other event planners in your area. Additionally, you can ask for references from the photographers you like the best.

Reviews and recommendations help you to make an informed decision about whether to hire a particular photographer. When you compare different photographers and weigh the pros and cons of each, the feedback provided by previous clients is invaluable.

Personality

It's important to choose a photographer who has a pleasant personality and is easy to work with. They should be able to put you and your attendees at ease and blend in with the event without being intrusive.

The best event photographers are always on the move, camera up, and taking photos. In particular. they're should be where they need to be. Too, they should have gotten there without attendees noticing them.

An event photographer's personality impacts the overall experience of the event and the quality of the photographs they produced. Undoubtedly a photographer's personality influences how comfortable attendees feels during the event.

Whereas, a friendly and approachable photographer puts people at ease. Conversely, some event photographers may disturb your event attendees. Obviously, you don't want that. The more comfortable and relaxed attendees are, the more natural-looking the photographs will be.

Choose The Best Event Photographer

Choose the best event photographer by considering the above factors. Select a photographer who is skilled, reliable, and able to capture the essence of your event in stunning photographs.

If you're searching for an event photographer near Pittsburgh be sure to contact me. I'd love to hear about your event and to speak with you about my team.