What should I ask?
Most people ask about equipment, and almost nothing that goes wrong at an event comes down to equipment. These are the questions I’d ask instead.
Which questions matter?
When do the images arrive? Get a specific answer. “A few weeks” is how a photograph of your October event turns into something nobody can use.
Can I see a full event, not a portfolio? A portfolio is the best ten frames of a career. Ask for everything from one event about your size. That tells you what an ordinary day looks like.
Who’s showing up on the day? Some quotes come from a company and the person who walks in is a contractor you’ve never spoken to.
What happens if you can’t make it? There should be an answer, and it shouldn’t get invented on the morning.
What do you need from me? Somebody who asks for a schedule, an on-site contact, and the list of people who have to appear is going to hand you something useful. Somebody who needs nothing hasn’t thought about your event yet.
If price is the next question, here’s what event photography costs.
Which questions don’t matter?
What camera do you use. It tells you nothing about whether the photos show up on time.
How many photos will I get. That one’s got its own guide, and a number’s easy to hit by delivering everything.
Have you worked this venue before? Everybody asks this one, and I don’t think it tells you much. I’ve worked the same room twice and had two completely different days. Different light, different crowd, different schedule, something broken that wasn’t broken last time.
Knowing a venue is worth a little. What you’re paying for is somebody who’s handled enough variable days that a new one doesn’t rattle them, and who still comes out of it with something beautiful. That’s the thing to ask about, and a full event gallery will show you.
