Great event photos start long before the doors open. Use this checklist to brief your photographer and get the shots you actually need.
Two weeks before
- Share the run sheet: timings for arrivals, speeches, awards, meals and entertainment.
- List the key people: speakers, sponsors, VIPs and anyone who must be photographed, ideally with photos so the photographer can recognise them.
- Agree the must-have shots: for example, every sponsor's branding, the full room, group photos and award handovers.
- Confirm where the photos will be used: social media, the website, a press release or sponsor reports. This affects the style and the licensing.
- Plan consent: add a note to registration that photos will be taken, and agree how guests can opt out, for example with a coloured lanyard. Take extra care with anyone under 18.
On the day
- Introduce the photographer to the MC and the venue manager.
- Give them a contact person who can point out key guests.
- Agree on a group photo time and keep it short.
- Allow the photographer to move freely, including near the stage.
Shots most organisers forget
- The venue and decor before guests arrive.
- Registration and arrival moments.
- Sponsor branding in context, not just banners in empty rooms.
- Audience reactions during speeches.
- The team behind the event.
After the event
- Ask for a handful of preview images within 48 hours for social media.
- Confirm the delivery date for the full gallery.
- Decide how you will share photos with guests and sponsors, for example with a private online gallery.
Organising an event in Gauteng? See our event photography service or get an instant estimate with the shoot checklist.