Do we need a photographer at the holiday party?
You need one if anybody’s going to use the pictures after the night.
The holiday party is the one night a year the whole company’s in a room and dressed for it. Those photos end up on the careers page, in the January newsletter, and in the recap email from the CEO. If all you want is a record for the group chat, phones will do.
What should be photographed?
Most of the night is coverage, and that’s on me. What’s worth writing down is shorter:
- The room before anyone’s in it, dressed and empty. It’s what the events team uses to sell next year’s venue.
- The remarks: whoever gives the toast, and the room listening to them.
- The groups people will ask for, like each team, leadership and the people who planned it. Keep the list short. Every posed group takes three to five minutes of somebody’s evening.
- Awards, if you hand any out: the name on the screen, the walk up, the handshake.
- People talking. It’s what shows the night was worth going to.
- The dance floor, if there is one. It fills later than you’d expect.
If the list is long, the event photography shot list guide goes through what belongs on one and what doesn’t.
What do you look for at a holiday party?
The electricity. A holiday party has a little extra pizzazz in the air, and the fun is in what makes your team unique: the inside joke, the table that’s louder than the others, the moment the room lights up.
I watch for those, because they’re the pictures people actually want to see afterwards.
How do we plan it with you?
Tell me what’s happening and when. If there’s an award going out, or a toast, I’ll plan where to be so I get the right photo at the right time.
I like to build a little space for those moments into the run of show, so I know where I need to be and when. It usually takes one or two conversations before the party.
How long should the photographer stay?
Long enough for the part you’ll use: the arrival, the remarks, the groups and the first stretch of the party. For most companies that’s a few hours, not the whole night.
The late hours are fun, but they’re rarely the photos anyone uses. Plan the coverage around the program, and put anything you really need in the first half.
Won’t a camera make people stiff?
Not when it’s done quietly. I work with the room’s own light wherever I can, stay out of the way, and most people stop noticing pretty quickly.
The exception is the posed groups, which is why it helps to do them early, while everybody still looks the way they did when they walked in.
How fast do we get the photos?
Highlights the same night if you ask for them. The full gallery usually comes back in one to two weeks, depending on the size of the party.
When should we book?
As soon as the venue’s booked, and with the photographer you want. Wait, and you may end up searching last minute for someone who fits. Holiday parties crowd into the first three weeks of December, and the Thursdays and Fridays go first.
More on how I photograph holiday parties. Corporate events covers the rest of what I photograph for companies, from mixers to launches.
What should I send for a quote?
The date, the venue, the hours and roughly how many people.
