Last week, David Ashbourne from Event-Pics gave us some guidance on what to look for when choosing a school prom photographer. This is the second part of his advice on choosing a prom photographer, so without further ado, it's over to David!
On prom night
Obviously everyone wants a fun and enjoyable time and a good photographer will contribute to this. A good rapport and a degree of flexibility are, in our experience appreciated by the guests. If your photographer has specified a time limited attendance only for arrivals then it is important that your guests are aware of this so they aren’t left disappointed when he or she has packed up and left. On the flipside if the photographer is there until the end there is no need for everyone to ‘pile’ into the studio area at the same time especially if the food is being served.
From a photographers point of view we would love to have orderly queues and a reasonably calm area but…we know this isn’t going to happen! Personally I think the noise and excitement add to the fun of being there.
If there is a single thing that concerns me more than any other at any prom or for that matter any event it would be damage to the equipment. Accidents do happen but all we would ask is simply to be careful in and around the studio area. Not just because we are worried about our equipment but we also want everyone to be safe. We have seen occasions where a guest comes diving onto the studio to be part of a group already in place. Fortunately nothing was damaged and we got some good photos but all I would add is please be careful and everything will be fine.
When the photos are being taken expect around 2-4 shots of any individual or group on the studio at the time. These should then be available to view and you can choose to have them printed. Usually if you don’t like the photos you will be able to have them re-taken. At Event-Pics we don’t put a limit on the number of photos you can have taken, so as long as you don’t mind queuing we will take your photograph.
Incorporating a prom theme into the photography
If your prom is to have a theme, for example a Masquerade Ball, then prom photographs can easily incorporate this. You will find that most photographers tend to use two particular styles of background, either a coloured patterned background or a white background for ‘high key’ images. White backgrounds are very popular because they can bring out the colour and vibrance in the dresses as well as bringing the focus onto the subject. With this type of event is it wiser to go with a simpler background and leave the theme for specific events like Christmas parties.
If you do want to have something in the photo that identifies it as the prom it is possible is to have some text added to the photograph as it gets printed. This would need to be arranged beforehand with the photographer but you could then have the name of the school and the perhaps the year included.
To summarise this post I’ve listed a few items to help in selecting a prom photographer
• Make sure the photographer has covered proms before
• Look at samples from previous events, reputable photographers will be happy to supply them
• Don’t be fooled into believing the lowest cost will be the best, it could lead to disappointment
• Make certain you know how long the photographer will stay for
• Look for on-site printing to save any delay in receiving photos after the event
Keep these in mind and you’ll have a fun night and some great photos to show for it.
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Many thanks to David, if any of you have any questions related to prom photography then simply ask in the comments below or if you’re shy, use the contact form. Next week will be part two of our series on prom themes – why not take a look at part one before you go?
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