This post was written by Erica Coffman, owner of Erica Kay Photography, a wedding photography company, and Production Manager at UA Creative Studios, a photo and video production company and educational studio. You can connect with Erica on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
This is the final installation of a three-part series on event photography. You can read part one here and part two here.
One of the most important aspects of event photography is the shot list. It’s crucial to have this discussion with your photographer because without it, it’s possible that important people or events may be missed by your photographer. Here is a list of common requests to help you plan your shot list:
- Decorations and details prior to guest arrival
- Candids during the event
- Key speakers and presentations from various angles and vantage points
- Wide shots of the event
- Posed groupings and key individuals (think CEO, keynote speakers, family of the bride and groom, etc.) - it is helpful to assign someone to assist the photographer in identifying these individuals and groups
- Step and repeat (Envision red carpet celebrity style. A step and repeat option often includes a backdrop of some sort and consists of photos of individuals and/or groups as they enter the event. This is a great way to ensure that guests share their photos after the event!)
As you can see, there is a lot that goes into the event photography process of event planning. For truly successful event photographs, be sure to dedicate adequate time to the hiring of a photographer and the planning of the photography. If you invest in a quality photographer and take the time to plan and coordinate with them, you’ll end up with a collection of photos and videos that can be used in many different ways.
If you’re interested in speaking with UA Creative about your event photography needs or if you simply have questions about the information here, don’t hesitate to reach out to team@uacreativestudios.com!
