Why bring in a photographer?
The cut is over in a few seconds. Everyone leans in, the ribbon drops, and people start shaking hands.
That one frame ends up on your website, in the newsletter and on the wall of the new building. It’s worth having someone there whose only job is to be standing in the right spot when it happens.
What should we photograph?
- The building or the site before anyone shows up.
- Each speaker at the podium, with the crowd in front of them.
- The cut, from the front, with every face in it.
- The whole group together right after, under the sign.
- The first people walking through the door.
At a building dedication I photographed, a fire truck was parked right behind the podium, and it ended up in the speech photos.
How do we set up the cut?
Talk to me about where the ribbon goes before the day. A few things help:
- Put the ribbon where the light is on people’s faces, or all in the shade.
- Keep the line short enough that everyone holding scissors fits in one frame.
- Count it down out loud, so everyone knows when, me included.
- Hold still for a second after it drops.
What about a groundbreaking?
Same idea, with shovels. Have the dirt turned over ahead of time so the shovels actually go in, and line everyone up facing the crowd. If there are hard hats, get them on before the speeches so nobody’s fixing their hair in the photo.
How soon can we share?
Same-day highlights if you ask for them, so the post goes up while people are still talking about it. The full gallery generally comes back in one to two weeks.
I’m based in Loudoun and work across Northern Virginia and DC, from Leesburg and Ashburn to Reston, Tysons and Alexandria. More is on Corporate events, and the event photography shot list helps with the rest of the day.
