What to Look for When Booking A Las Vegas Event Photographer

After being in the event photography world for over 30 years, I have come to know this painfully simple truth:

Finding the right photographer is a lot like finding the right hairstylist. Booking a Las Vegas event photographer is no different.

You not only get what you pay for but during that search, you will come across an array of cheap, expensive, just plain bad, and awesome ones before you find the “right fit.”

Once you find that gem, you are going to want to hold on tight. Just because someone owns a professional camera doesn’t mean they know how to use it.

Do Your Research and Be Picky

That statement stands even stronger here in the Las Vegas convention, trade show and expo arena where you have amateurs and newbies calling themselves ‘professional’ photographers.

That leaves you at risk for expensive mistakes if you hire the wrong person for the job.

To help you avoid wasting time and money on the wrong photographer, I am here to share my advice on how you can hire the best photographer.

Someone you can collaborate with to get the best images for your event or branded photoshoot, whether you are here in Las Vegas or plan on coming to Las Vegas for a corporate event.

By knowing what to look for and what to expect, you will not only receive great photography content, you will develop a meaningful relationship with a well-intentioned partner.

You will have a positive visual message that adds to your business and image for years to come!

Define Your Project and Photography Needs

As the client, you need to bring clear expectations of your photography needs when booking an event photographer.

Do you need images for a website? Do you want headshots? Do you want corporate interior/exterior space photos, expo photos or special event coverage?

As a business person, every time you hire a photographer it is best to create a general photo list of the photos you are needing so you can bring that list to your creative consultation.

Craft a description that’s short but detailed, to describe your project. Include a bullet list of all the important aspects of the project.

For example, you might want to create a list like this if you are launching a new real estate consortium business:

• Exterior and Interior photos of new building and office space
• Close up micro shots
• Studio white background shots
• Branded service photography shots
• Wide angle, off-center images for the banner on the website homepage
• Headshots and lifestyle branded photos
• Founders, Business Partners (three women-diverse)
• In-Studio white background headshots
• Partner photos using in candid poses in stylized space
• Detail shots (contract writing, closing deal handshakes and other poses)
• Wide angle, off-center images for the banner on the website homepage
• Must be in a clean, modern office space
• Must use a branded color palette
• Some photos must be shot horizontally so we can use for banner displays on the website
• Lifestyle photos to be used for Instagram and Facebook accounts

A list like this can really help you narrow down the types of photos you will need and will allow the photographer you book to have a better idea of your photo expectations and needs.

The more detailed, the better. That way, there is no dissatisfaction!

To discuss how to plan a branded photo shoot, click the link for my in-depth planning guide!

Understand Photography Pricing

Most people only have experience with “retail” photography like wedding, family and portrait photography.

In these cases, a photographer takes the photo and provides you a copy of the images in digital and print form.

Many times, a photography session is a certain price, listed on a website since the final product and the shoot is “standard.”

Business photography is a different beast as every photo shoot has different expectations and needs.

Some will be a lot like retail if you are hiring a photographer for office space photos or employee portraits as there is a set expectation. But many times, pricing will be a dictated by the type of business photography required.

When booking an event photographer the national, average cost event photography typically sits between $250 – 650 as a starting point. Nationwide a corporate event fee can be $1,000 for a half day (4.5 hours) $1,500 for a full day (8 hours) plus an hourly rate of $200 for each hour over a full day.

Before your jaw drops to the floor, understand there are a lot of factors involved in what the pricing will be:

• Photographer consulting time/planning
• Photographer time
• Photographer travel
• Photographer editing
• Photographer services (hair, makeup, model calls)
• Wardrobe planning
• Location renting or studio work
• Photographer printing and copyright rights

Since there are so many factors involved in business photography, many photographers don’t offer a standard pricing menu.

Instead, the industry standard is to consult with potential clients and then provide a quote based on the requirements, time and labor necessary.

As a business owner in Las Vegas, it’s good to understand the many factors in which a photographer will consider their pricing when booking for event photography.

For example, I have worked with many real estate companies and photographing and consulting on their branded shoots for social media content, websites and marketing material.

Each project is inherently different by nature, so you can see the extensive planning involved in each of them and why I might have charged more.

The biggest and most erroneous assumption, is that photographers just show up with their gear, click off a few shots and send you photos the next day. How about, no!

The amount of planning and time that goes into successful business photography sessions is indispensable.

Whether it’s for a new launch promotion, content fills or website images photographers take a lot of time to produce excellent results and they should be fairly compensated for the value they bring.

Amateur vs. Professional Photographers

Unfortunately, in the photography world unlike other industries, there are no legal regulations or licenses required for photographers to practice and the Las Vegas market is no different.

For you, that means there is no guarantee of the quality of work they will produce nor is there an industry standard for pricing.

Here are a few tips on separating the professional photographers from the newbies

• Amateurs are usually much cheaper. Yes, you get what you pay for
• Amateurs lack the experience to adapt quickly to changing photographic situations
• Amateurs lack backup equipment as they are “just starting out” and do not know what they need
• Amateurs lack publication features and highlighted clients in their portfolios
• Professionals are sometimes more set in their ways as they are experienced and know the drill
• Professionals have meaningful conversations to understand the client
• Professionals ask a lot of questions
• Professionals have a set turn-around time and photography procedures in place

Discover Photographer’s Skillset

The simple truth is, you are going to have to do a little homework to find the best photographer for your business needs. This means more than just looking at a few websites. This can be a bit intimidating since you might not know a lot about photography so how do you filter out the good from the bad?

Ask questions.

Be an active in your pursuit by asking questions so you can sense the photographers comfort level, expertise, and confidence in answering the following questions:

• How do they handle lighting situations indoor versus outdoor? What about low-light situations?
• What mode do they shoot in and what quality of images do they shoot? (Hopefully, they shoot in Manual mode and RAW quality)
• How do they work with a subject when it comes to posing and coming up with styling for their shoots?
• How many shoots of this type have they done?
• Have they worked with other businesses, if so, who?
• Do you have consultations with clients prior to their session?
• Do they have returning clients?
• How do they edit photos? Do they have a certain stylized editing filter/style?
• Do they backup their photos?

Now sit back and listen to their answers, is it educational for you? If so, they probably know their stuff, which is a good sign!

Many photographers these days know the basics and cover up their lack of skill with Photoshop actions and filters.

Make sure you hire someone who really understands the process of photography.

You do not want someone who shows up and needs to be instructed.

By having someone who can think of creative ways to express and portray your brand beyond your wildest dreams is the photographer you will want to hire.

Time to Do a Little Cyber Stalking

Start your research by checking out their social media presence, reading reviews and local listings.

What type of feedback is posted? Does the photographer respond? Are they engaged and responsive with their followers?

Take a good look at the photographers’ websites and blogs to see other photos from other projects. This will give you an idea of their overall style.

Is the design of the website and content up to date? Does their style align with your branding standards and what you are looking for?

If not, they might not be the best fit for your needs, so move on to find others who portray photography styling you want!

Portfolio Check

Make sure to look past the first few photoshoots they list on their website and social platforms. Do not be afraid to really dig deep and get a sense of how they do things!

It goes without saying that photographers put their best work out to represent them so be sure to look at the quality, breadth of work and consistency of all the photos.

Do you see several different subjects and clients represented in their work or is it just the same subject taken in several different poses and setups?

Hiring a event or corporate photographer with a diverse, high quality and consistent portfolio will be most likely a better choice over someone who lacks those characteristics.

Post-Production Tech Details

What is their post-production process like?

Here’s a list of photo questions you will want to ask so you understand what to expect post shoot:

• How many photos will you get edited? Do you have the rights to the RAW files?
• What resolution will the photos be returned in?
• What are the photo rights?
• How long will it take to edit and receive the photos back?
• Will the images be high resolution?
• How much do they retouch images? (which can range from simple white balancing to beauty retouching and stylized art effects)

If they do not have a solid process to editing photos and can communicate what to expect, you might want to consider another photographer.

The Business Savvy Photographer

Outstanding event and corporate photography takes time and planning.

A photographer worth the money will dedicate the time needed to ensure the best results for your business.

This includes asking the right questions about your event goals, business philosophy, branding style and the results you are hoping to get from your images.

Beyond understanding your business, they must devote time to setting up a detail-oriented shoot.

These steps will result in your message coming across to your target audience in a professional engaging way that brings you the return on the investment you have made.

I hope these tips prove helpful. I specialize in lifestyle and business branding photography in Las Vegas, although I travel often for many of my regular clients.

My goal is to help grow your business by revealing your business story to your target market and audience.

So, feel free to reach out with any questions or schedule a shoot with me here!