Photographers, like other professionals, come from widely diverse backgrounds. Some photographers specialize in food, some in babies or weddings, and some in business portraits, and a few brave souls make it their business to travel to far-flung battlefields and take pictures in the heat of action. What's important is to match up your event with the type of photographer who's best suited to cover it. After all, a landscape photographer won't be of much use snapping candid photos at a cocktail party!
Don't Know What to Expect? Hire an Experienced Photographer
Let's say you're a publicist who's planning an awards ceremony, and you need a photographer to take candid snapshots during the pre-event cocktail party, more composed photographs during the ceremony itself, and even some pictures of the place settings and menu items at the awards banquet. You could hire three separate photographers with experience in each of the three categories, but the more economical option would be to hire a (more expensive) professional who brings the requisite versatility.
What will happen if the photographer you hire can't cope with the demands of your event? Well, he or she may:
- Miss important photographs because he's too busy trying to find the right lens or piece of equipment
- Get frustrated and talk to guests rudely as he tries to get them into position for a group portrait
- Take sub-par photographs of still-life subjects, like place settings, plates of food, award certificates, etc.
- Complain about the demands being made on him and demand to renegotiate his contract on the spot
- Simply give up and disappear, knowing that the job is beyond his capabilities
Granted, you don't need to hire a combat photographer to cover your event, no matter how well certain attendees do or do not get along. But a good photographer does have a bit of a "combat" mentality - he or she is prepared for any circumstance and doesn't shrink away from challenges.
Need a Photographer You Can Trust? Call Gearshift
At Gearshift, we can help judge what kind of photographer you need for your event and what level of experience he should bring - and we have a wide array of professionals in the D.C. area that we can call upon. Questions? Call our photography experts at 877-477-7883 for a free consultation today!