Top Ten Must-Haves for Dallas Event Photography

Let’s enjoy a little imagination together, shall we? Let’s imagine for a moment you’re in the market for Dallas event photography. The bulk of your event is planned and just a few outstanding items remain on your to-do list. Finalize catering order, give location final attendee headcount, follow-up with keynote speaker… hire a photographer.

That pesky little ‘hire a photographer’ often gets people very, very stuck. They don’t know where to begin. They don’t know what questions to ask. They don’t know the photography industry. And suddenly, our little ‘enjoy imagination moment’ becomes quite a nightmare.

Hiring for Dallas event photography shouldn’t be a nightmare. It should be a pleasant, easy, professional experience ending with excellent photos that perfectly capture the event you’ve worked so hard to put together. How do you make sure your Dallas event photography selection process doesn’t end in a nightmare? Here’s JWCannon’s Top 10 Must-Haves for event photography that rocks:

1. Excellent Service.
Why kick the list of with excellent service? Because customer service says a lot about a photography business. Professionalism goes a long way in the creative industry because truth be told… most creatives aren’t professional. If an event photographer doesn’t start off with professionalism, red flags should be flying in your mind!

2. Creative Talent.
The best in Dallas event photography never comes from a novice. You want images that sing the praises of your event, your brand, your hard work. Make sure your photographer has the creative chops and extensive talent required to get all the shots you need.

3. Scale-ability.
Some events require only one photographer. Others require a team of photographers collectively working together to capture moments happening simultaneously. Choosing a Dallas event photography company with scale-ability means you rest easy knowing your event will be covered no matter what.

4. Fast Turn-around.
Oh the woes of slow image turn-around. If I had a dollar for every person who has lamented to me about image turnaround from fly-by-night photographers they hired…! Be direct in asking when you’ll get your images, and expect a firm answer or… bye, bye, bye!

5. Ongoing, prompt communication.
When you reach out for an event photography quote, you should hear back same-day. When you have a question, you should receive quick responses. If you don’t, ask yourself how trustworthy these people will be come the actual event?

6. Ahead of the curve technology.
An outdated website? Outdated camera? Outdated lighting? Your photographer should boast the latest and greatest in technology. That goes for online galleries and photo gear alike.

7. Portfolio variety.
When you browse a photography event portfolio, is there variety or is the photographer a one hit wonder? Variety in event size, style and type is critical to any portfolio. And what if they don’t have an online portfolio that shows their depth? Just…nope!

8. Eye for editing.
Editing matters as much as the actual photography. Ask about the editing process – how many selects will you get? Do they offer retouching? Do they have an in-house editing team?

9. Price.
Ah, the old adage is true yet again. You get what you pay for. A too-good-to-be-true price more than likely means you’ll be met with overwhelming disappointment in your images. Choosing the cheapest means getting far less than the best. Beware the flip-side: choosing the most expensive. Event photography prices should be appropriate for the need. Some quotes are hourly, some are specialized based on event size, duration and other specifics. The quote you get should be specific and easy to understand. If it isn’t…. red flag!

10. Friendly & Fun.
The best photography happens when people are natural and comfortable. A stiff, stuffy, unfriendly photographer will bring out the same in their subjects. Choose a friendly and fun photographer – it makes all the difference.

If you’re in the market for a Dallas event photography company, be sure you evaluate these 10 things. Having been in the photography industry for more than 20 years, we promise we know a thing or two about choosing the best!