When you’re planning an event, whether it’s a family gathering, corporate function or nightlife party, photography might not be the first thing you think about (as a professional event photographer, I think you should totally make it the first thing you think about, lol). But if you have decided to invest in professional photos, how you plan absolutely affects the final result.
I’ve photographed everything from weddings and DJ nights to brand activations and 85th birthday parties (fun fact: I photograph 85th birthday parties more than any event type except nightclubs), and the same truth holds across the board: the best photos don’t happen by accident. They’re far more likely to happen when the event is thoughtfully designed with photography in mind.
Here’s what I think you should consider to help your photographer deliver the strongest results possible.
1. Lighting Can Make or Break the Shot
DAYTIME
Natural light is ideal for daytime events, especially if your photographer isn’t bringing additional off-camera lighting. If you’re indoors, try to position key activities near windows or under soft, natural light. Do your best to avoid mixed lighting (fluorescent + sunlight, for example). Ever wanted to look like you’re in a beach-side commercial and a police interrogation at the same time? Mix your lighting, lol.
If your photographer is bringing off-camera flash or stand lighting, mixing your lighting sources becomes less of an issue. Always ask your photographer what they think they’ll need – some will provide the extra lighting as part of their original fee, some will add an up charge, depending on the complexity.
PRO TIP: If you’re planning a family or corporate event outdoors in full sun, just know that midday isn’t your friend (when the sunlight is near or directly overhead). Harsh shadows and squinting subjects make for unhappy clients, even if the photos are high quality. Consider scheduling the main photo moments closer to golden hour – the hour before sunset – for the most flattering light, or at least sometime after 3pm so the sun is a little lower in the sky. You can also set up a shaded area for group portraits, just make sure to plan the space out with your photographer. Speaking of shade, many people think a gray, overcast day is bad for photos, but it’s actually the opposite! Sure, you lose the bright, blue sky background, but the lighting is very even and looks great in photos.
EVENING
If you’re designing lighting for an evening event or a nightclub night, make sure the designer or DJ knows a professional photographer will be taking photos. Ask them to avoid fast, strobe-heavy lighting during key moments, especially laser lighting that delivers a heavy pattern, because you can up with photos of people’s faces covered in those patterns. Of course, the photographer can prepare for this style of lighting and reduce the chance of that happening, but it’s a good idea to limit or minimize these kinds of lights during very important moments.
A common light used at events is called “up lighting” – small boxes that sit on a floor and aim a pillar of colored light up at a wall, to add color to otherwise drab backgrounds. For almost all skintones, you’ll want to avoid green or yellow/amber/orange uplighting. Blues, reds, purples, pinks all are contrasting enough to work well with most skintones.
PRO TIP: A way to add great color to your backgrounds is to use what are called “washes” or can lighting. These lights are normally put on a rack or a stand and can either be stationary or rotate – they provide large, single or multiple color splashes of light across the space, adding a sense of vibrancy and excitement. I highly recommend this type of lighting if you want colorful, vibrant photos, but if you do use it, make sure your photograph knows this in advance, because if you don’t want your guests to be the same color as the wash lighting, your photographer will absolutely need to bring on or off-camera lighting.
2. Know What You Actually Want from Your Photographer
Are you hoping for posed portraits? Candid moments? Detailed branding shots? Wall-worthy family photos?
If you don’t know the answer, then your photographer doesn’t either.
Without input from the client, an experienced professional will take all the shots they think are necessary to tell the story of your event, but with some feedback from you, you’ll end up with much more of the photos you really prefer. Here are some quick examples of how your vision can shape the shoot:
- Family Event: Hoping to get everyone in one big group shot? Make sure you tell me, because I’ll need time, space and coordination to make that happen. Love candids and want more of those than posed? Great, that’s my forte! I’ll still pose people now and then, but I’ll mostly be weaving in and out of the crowd, capturing people in the moment. Need shots of your grandmother rolling dough? Make sure I know where the kitchen is.
- Corporate Event: Is this PR-focused? Then I’ll prioritize sponsor signage, keynote moments and professional headshots. More of a casual retreat? Candid group dynamics may matter more. Want me to avoid Jimmy in Accounting at all costs? Tell me ASAP, lol.
- Nightlife Party: Are these photos for promotion, legacy or both? Do you love those wide crowd shots with hands in the air? Do you want behind-the-scenes shots of staff? Will there be a performer or VIP and do I need to get clearance from them before photographing on or backstage, or do I have free reign?
Even though I’ve got nearly two decades of experience, the more clearly you communicate your goals, the more precisely I can deliver exactly what you’re hoping for.
3. Prepare the Environment for the Camera
One of the things clients often fail to realize is that photography captures everything, good and bad. A fantastic photographer can work wonders when it comes to framing, avoiding a lot of the problematic background issues that often crop up at events, but there are definitely some things you can do to make that easier.
- Clear clutter in the background of portraits. If you know you’ll be shooting group or solo shots in a certain place, make sure you stage the area nicely, and pay attention to the distracting objects or decor. And remember that the photograph might be using a wide angle lens with larger groups, so even things a couple feet away from the space might still be in-frame.
- When possible, hide commonly overlooked things like plastic bags, water bottles, cords and trash cans.
- If it’s a corporate event, remove visible name tags unless they’re necessary or you prefer them in-shot.
- If you want the cleanest images, try not to let guests congregate near bright exit signs or awkward backgrounds (like serving areas, trash cans, dark spaces with no lighting at all).
Remember, you can definitely hire one, but you don’t need a designer to stage your space. Just look around and ask, “Does this area reflect the vibe we want in our photos?
4. Communicate the Schedule—Then Stick to It
I am superb at rolling with last minute changes, but even the most flexible photographers need to know when important moments are coming. We need to adjust settings, choose the best angles to shoot from and anticipate timing, and it’s really hard to do all of that if we don’t know that your uncle is going to do a balloon drop until he’s actually in the middle of doing it.
Speeches run late, the sun sets earlier than expected, the family arrives half an hour behind – things happen! But you can do a lot to help reduce the chance of unexpected changes making it harder to get amazing photos. Here’s what helps:
- A basic run-of-show or timeline shared in advance does wonders to help the photographer plan.
- Assign a point person to liaise with the photographer. Someone who knows what’s happening when, or maybe even more importantly, knows *who* needs to be where, and by when. It’s a good idea to give this role to a close friend or family member instead of handling it yourself, because it frees you up to enjoy yourself (or to be more able to respond to other emergencies).
- Giving your photographer a five-minute heads-up before key moments (like a surprise toast, cake cutting, or group photo) can be the difference between your photographer getting “THAT SHOT” and getting “some pretty good shots”.
You don’t have to micromanage us, but we definitely can’t help you as effectively if we’re out of the loop.
5. Give Your Photographer Some Space (Literally)
Especially in crowded venues or tightly packed events, we need room to move.
If your photographer is hemmed in, blocked by speakers or furniture (or even a big crowd), or can’t get a clean line of sight, the results will suffer. If you want full coverage, plan for a bit of physical access. That might mean:
- Reserving 5–10 feet of clear space for key moments
- Making sure your dinner tables or cocktail tables have enough space between them for the photographer to walk through them, even if people scoot their chairs back a little
- Designating a dedicated space for portraits away from foot traffic (with the understanding that you’re hiring me to document your event, not stand in front of a step-and-repeat and take group photos all night – that’s a separate photography package that can be added to event coverage)
- Making sure that the DJ or emcee announces when an important moment is about to happen or an important group or event photo is coming up
It doesn’t take much, but clearing the way for the photographer means you’ll get much better shots.
6. Don’t Forget the Legal and Ethical Basics
If your event includes children, public figures or potentially sensitive situations (like alcohol use or proprietary branding), think ahead:
- Does your photographer need to try to not take photos of certain guests with alcohol in their hand?
- Are there guests who should not appear in published photos?
- Do you have performers with “no photography” clauses in their contracts? As the event producer, you can often override these requirements (you’re paying them to be there, after all), but limiting photographs to very specific circumstances is a pretty common thing with well-known acts, especially so with famous acts. If you let your photographer know in advance, they can often clear photography with the acts on your behalf by showing them the quality of their work, and demonstrating professionalism in advance.
Having this sorted before the event protects everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
A great photographer can adapt to a lot on the fly, but the more information you can get your photographer, the better for you. You’re investing time, money and energy into your event. It’s worth making sure those memories are captured well.
If you’re planning an event and want help tailoring your setup for photography, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to consult, even if you’re still in the early stages.
TL;DR
Want better photos from your event?
✔️ Use flattering light (indoors, natural is better than electrical lighting and if outdoors, later in the day makes for softer, more flattering light), or make sure the photographer is well-versed in off-camera lighting
✔️ Communicate your goals clearly, providing as many details as possible
✔️ Clear your space of distractions and open up space for the photographer to move around easily
✔️ Share the schedule with your photographer and consult with them about timing
✔️ Handle any model release or privacy issues ahead of time