Choose the right one, even if it isn’t me.
The best photographer is the one who fits your event, not the one with the nicest website. These are the nine questions I would ask if I were booking a photographer myself.
1. Does the portfolio match the style you want?
Look at the pictures and ask yourself: is this what I want my event to look like? A good photographer has a recognisable style, and you are booking that style. It is not normal to ask a photographer to work in a way that is far from their own. If you want dark, dramatic stage photography and the portfolio is full of bright lifestyle shots, keep looking.
2. How much real experience do they have?
A website with a handful of strong images can hide a lot of luck. Experience cannot be bought: it shows in how many events someone has shot, at what size and how often clients come back. Ask which events they have photographed that look like yours, and for how many years.
3. Are they a specialist in your type of event?
Not every event is the same job. A festival means dark stages, moving light, crowds and weather. A conference is about speakers, people and a clean look in a room. Sport is about speed and anticipation. No photographer can do every kind of photography equally well, so look for a specialist in your field. Ask for examples from events that look like yours.
4. What does their Instagram show?
Photographers are famous for not updating their website. Instagram is usually where the recent work is. Scroll back through the last months: do you see steady work at real events, or only a few good posts? A feed that is active and varied is a good sign.
5. Do clients come back?
A client who books the same photographer year after year is the best proof there is. Ask which clients return, and whether you can speak to one of them or read their feedback. Reliable photographers have no problem with that question.
6. What does the price tell you?
Photographers are often told to charge high rates because cameras and lenses are expensive. But an expensive photographer is not automatically a good one. And with a cheap photographer, ask extra questions about what is included. Compare quotes on what you get, not on the number alone. On my cost page you can see how I price different types of event.
Ask every photographer
- What exactly is included in the price?
- Is editing included?
- Are VAT, travel and other costs on top?
- How many final images will I get?
7. What are the terms and usage rights?
Ask in writing what you may do with the images: social media, press, website, campaigns. Some photographers charge extra for every use. Also check the payment, deposit and cancellation terms before you sign anything.
8. When do you get the images?
For events, speed matters. Your social team wants images during or right after the event, and sponsors and press want the full set the next day. Many photographers deliver weeks later. Ask when you will get the first images and the final set, and compare that with when you need them. See also how to brief a festival photographer so delivery is agreed up front.
9. What if something goes wrong?
Cameras fail and people get sick. Ask whether the photographer works with backup gear and who steps in if they cannot make it. A professional has an answer ready.
Checklist · ask every photographer
- Does your style match what I want for this event?
- How many events have you shot, and for how many years?
- Are you a specialist in my type of event? Can I see examples?
- Can I see your recent work on Instagram?
- Which clients come back, and can I speak to one?
- What exactly is included in the price, and what is not?
- What are the terms, usage rights, deposit and cancellation?
- When do I get the first images and the final set?
- What is your backup plan for gear and for illness?