What to Send Me Before Doors Open

Before I photograph your event, I want to know what has to happen, who has to be in the pictures and what I won’t be able to repeat once doors open.

Start with the run of show

Send the working version, even if times are still moving. I’m looking for doors, arrivals, speeches, reveals, performances and the end of the event. Mark anything that happens only once. A product reveal and a room full of people need different positions, and the schedule tells me when I need to move between them.

The run of show drives the coverage plan because it tells me which photographs have a deadline. I can return to a display later. I can’t return to a speaker’s first reaction after the announcement. If two required moments overlap, I want to flag that while there’s still time to decide which takes priority.

Include one person who can confirm changes on the night, with a number where I can reach them. If the speech moves forward, I need the update before it starts.

Tell me which logos need to be legible

Tell me which logos, product names and sponsor marks have to be legible in the frame. “Get the branding” leaves a lot open. A photograph that shows the room may not let anyone read the small sponsor mark beside the entrance. Those are separate pictures, and I need to know whether both are required.

A marked floor plan, a photograph of the build or a short list can explain this. Point out the exact placement and spelling, especially when several brands share the space. If there are agreed requirements for how a mark appears, send those too.

I also ask where the pictures will be used. A press image, a sponsor report and a social post can call for different framing. Tell me what needs to fit around the photograph, including captions or campaign text.

Name the people and their available windows

Send names, roles and reference photographs for anyone who must be photographed. Separate the people you need from the people it would be useful to have. A guest list tells me who might attend; it doesn’t tell me whose picture the client will ask for tomorrow.

Put an available window beside each required person, along with someone who can make the introduction. If a founder can only do a portrait before doors, that belongs in the schedule. For a required group, tell me who is gathering everyone. I can make the picture once they’re together, but searching the room for each person takes time away from everything else.

For press and talent, name the publicist or handler and explain the process. Can I approach directly, or should every request go through them? Tell me about designated photo positions, restricted areas and any approval or release conditions before coverage begins. If press photographers share the space, send their access window too.

Decide whether you need video

Tell me what the video needs to do, whether that’s a short recap, social clips or a record of someone speaking. Include where it will run, whether it needs to be vertical or horizontal and whether spoken words need to be heard. “Some video as well” doesn’t tell me whether the speech needs complete coverage or just a few moments for a recap.

That changes the plan. A photograph can come from a brief gesture; a film needs enough of the action to make sense across an edit. Speech coverage also needs an audio plan, so I ask for the production contact before the event.

I quote per project, rather than by the hour, so these needs belong in the brief before the scope is agreed.

Confirm access and load in

Send the venue address, the entrance I should use, the load in window and the name of the person meeting me. Include credentials, security instructions and any restrictions on moving through the space. Give me photographer access and guest doors as separate entries.

Tell me when the build will be ready and when the lighting will be set for the event. Getting inside early helps only if the things I need to photograph are ready. If there’s a walk through, include that time. I want a chance to see the room, confirm the required marks and find the positions for the moments on the schedule.

If there’s no brief, tell me what matters most

If I’m working the room cold, I start by asking who is in charge, what happens next and which picture cannot be missed. Then I look at the room, the branding and the way people are moving. I can respond to what’s happening, but I can’t recognize an unnamed priority guest or anticipate a reveal nobody has mentioned.

You don’t need a finished production document to brief me. Send what exists and mark what’s unknown. For more on how I work, read about event photography and video coverage, or send me your event details.