Event planners, come on in.
In our last blog post, we’ve bridged the gap between photographers and event planners in our last article – Dear Photographers, Here are Eight Things Event Planners Wish you Knew
In this article, we’ll be shaking tables on everything event planners should take note of from the photographer’s perspective.
The table has been turned.
As event planners, we have to strengthen our collaboration with photographers and ensure seamless event execution.
But is this possible if we aren’t all on the same page?
Last month, we gathered three exceptional photographers – Bade of @bade_ogbonyomi, Micheal of @michaelbolajiphotography and Olayinka of @thetruthweddings to tell us about things they wished event planners knew concerning certain topics.
And they delivered! Let’s get right into it.
Here are eight valuable insights that photographers wish event planners knew:
- Vendor food is not a right but a courtesy.
There has always been a controversy as to if it is the planner’s responsibility to provide for the feeding of photographers. Some planners disagree and some planners agree.
But what did our guest speaker have to say? 🤔
Bade Photography: photographers shouldn’t see it as a birthright to be provided meals by planners and they can make provisions for their meals before the event or while shooting., it doesn’t just seem right depending on the vendor’s food. If it comes fine, if it doesn’t, fine.
MB Photography: I have tried not to disgrace himself by running after food from planners. However, event planners should try to provide good for photographers as it’s just courtesy
Truth Weddings summarize both their points and added that in his opinion, photographers can afford their food but the issue arises because photographers begin working from 5am till late hours of the event and they can’t take breaks. He believes photographers are not entitled to it but providing meals for them can be a show and act of kindness.
And I totally agree with our guest speakers. Part of a planner’s value and responsibility is to cater for everyone. Yes, your priority is your client and the guest but let’s not forget that vendors are also a part of the event’s success.
If as a planner, you can advocate for a separate vendor meal with the client, go for it. And if it isn’t possible, you can opt for assisting photographers get a meal while they keep capturing those special moments.
- The iconic struggle of vendors meeting:
Photographers have the habit of not attending vendor meetings. Why and how can this be solved?
Truth Weddings believes that photographers would attend vendors’ meetings if it’s online as well on platforms like zoom because that it could be difficult for photographers to attend physical meetings if they’re on the move. And in most cases, some of the information passed in the virtual meeting can be transferred online.
MB personally doesn’t like going for vendor meetings because most of the information given to him is information he’ll ask about normally during the planning phase and he’ll rather send in his assistant for these meetings.
Bade Photography agrees with what both photographers said as well. In his opinion, it can be time wasting because the exact things they need to make the event successful, they know it already.
But I know first hand that this is not always the case with photographers coz they forget details on the event day- so I say we combine our physical vendors meeting with a Virtual connect for those who can’t make it especially if they don’t have something vital roles that includes their physical presence
So YES to hybrid vendors meeting, savvy planners. It’s something to consider if we want to be on the same page with one of the most important vendors of any event- photographers .
- Taking multiple bookings without building capacity
Have you ever been in a situation where you know the face of a photographer you hired but another person shows up on the date of the event?
I placed this distress before photographers and asked why it happens.
Bade photography: When hiring it is the lead photographer’s responsibility to show up and if there will be any change, the lead photographer ought to send a message and not doing so doesn’t speak well of the photographer. All genuine reasons for a lead photographer not to show up should be communicated.
MB took this as an opportunity to share his personal experience on this subject because he has built a brand where he can attend multiple weddings in a day. Initially, most people didn’t know his face because it wasn’t on his ad but the brand name and when the situation changed, he restructured.
He advises photographers that can’t handle the capacity to not take too many bookings until they learn to build the capacity or indicate that going for certain packages determine if the lead photographer shows up or not.
Truth Photography agrees that structure is necessary for every photographer and it depends on the business model and planners should know the business model of the photographers when hiring them.
Our speakers added that photographers shouldn’t overpromise and under deliver as quality is better than quantity of the work. If Photographers want to increase the volume of their work, then they must build enough capacity to handle it.
And yes yes planners, to this I said AMEN!
- Respect for Creative Vision
Photographers bring a unique creative vision to each event, and it’s essential for event planners to respect their expertise and artistic style.
As a planner, you can witness a photographer capture thousands of moments and when you receive the file, it could contain just hundreds of pictures. Why does this situation occur?
Bade photography said planners should trust the judgment of the photographer and the photos he’ll present on how the wedding went and images that’ll be useful in telling the story.
MB thinks the number of pictures does not matter but the quality and storyline.
However, truth photography took a completely different approach as he decided to send his entire files to the client but only edited a certain amount of pictures. Some clients might not trust the photographer’s judgment so he does this to avoid dispute.
But all photographers agree that planners should strive to trust the selection of judgment of the photographers they hire.
They are there to capture the essence of the event, enhance collaboration and present stunning visual storytelling.
If you have doubts about the photographer’s skills or expertise, do not remain silent about it.
But be also open to receiving new creative ideas and approval of ideas that aligns with your clients vision for the event.
- Calling out photographers who don’t deliver
What happens when a photographer with rude behavior doesn’t deliver and ends up ghosting you as a planner?
MB Photography advises that planners should try all their options for reaching out to photographers and if all proved negative they can call them out.
Bade Photography is of the personal belief that if you do something wrong, you should be penalized and if planners have tried to reach out but you’re proving to be stubborn then what you should do is call them out creatively.
Sometimes, vawulence is needed so YES YES to this
- Clear Communication is Key
Photographers value clear and detailed communication from event planners regarding schedules, timelines, and event logistics.
Providing comprehensive event briefs and promptly addressing any questions or concerns helps photographers prepare adequately for the event.
As an event planner, it is also your responsibility to create a document that briefs the photographer on necessary details and updates. Never assume they know what to do.
- Respect for Copyright and Usage Rights
Photographers retain the copyright and usage rights to their images, and it’s important for event planners to respect these rights.
Clear agreements regarding image usage, distribution, and attribution help maintain professional relationships between your client and the photographer and protect photographers’ intellectual property.
And finally to this last question I asked them: who is your ideal event Planners, and of course that’s where it got interesting
- Who is not your ideal planner?
Bade Photography: I prefer working with someone who is respectful in their dealing and manner of communication. They should be able to do their part well and not ask for photographers to photoshop when the problem comes from them.
He adds that even if planners don’t select them in their hiring process, it’s polite to reach out to the photographers you don’t choose and tell them why. It isn’t ideal to be in discussion with a photographer and to suddenly ghost them.
To him, his ideal planner is also someone that reads contracts well.
MB took over and said that it’s not every planner you can work with, especially some who are “bossy” and want everything done their way. If planners are nice and respectful then he’ll reciprocate.
His Ideal planner doesn’t connect kickback fees but knows how to play the politics of the industry so no one is affected.
And to round it off, their ideal planner is one who is firm but not bossy, can take care of everybody and prioritizes the welfare of Photographers as well.
This blog post just cannot contain the wholesomeness and value this live session brought.
The banter, the fun and controversy just shows how much dedication each side puts into an event.
At this point, we can all agree that collaboration between event planners and photographers is essential for creating memorable events and capturing meaningful moments.
Successful events are a reflection of effective teamwork and mutual respect between all vendors involved.
So if you’re a photographer, head over to part one of this episode that tells you the things event planners wish you knew.
Stay tuned for more insights and tips to help you become a professional event planner.
