Choosing a professional photographer or videographer to cover your party is a crucial process. If you hire the right people, you can look forward to unobtrusive shooting on the night, and a quality party video or photo album to commemorate the event.

Photo opportunities
Incorporate scheduled photo ops into your party program. Who will they need to shoot and for how long? And let photographers and videographers know which parts of the event you definitely want captured. There's nothing worse than having the photographer miss classic, never-to-be-repeated moments you wanted to immortalise on film.

Photographers
Whether it's a wedding, child's birthday, product launch or dance party, you'll want a visual record of the event - its high points and poignant or amusing moments. And the simplest way to ensure you get a quality photographic record of the event is to hire a professional. Leaving it up to the guests, or engaging an amateur snapper, is false economy - you can never go back and get these shots!

If you decide (wisely) that you can't afford to do without an event photographer, the following queries will help you find the
right candidate:

¥ Do you have a portfolio of event photographs you can show me?
¥ How many years' experience do you have in the event photography business? What other relevant experience and qualifications do
you have?
¥ Have you covered events of a similar size, style and nature to
this party?
¥ What makes you confident you can get good-quality, creative coverage of this event?
¥ How experienced are you at portrait photography? Photographing children? Capturing candid shots in a crowd?
¥ Are you qualified, licensed and insured?
¥ Can you provide referees, with current contact details?
¥ At the event, will you require special lighting or supplied power?
¥ Do you have appropriate attire? Are you prepared to dress up for a themed party?
¥ Do you work at an hourly rate? What's your overtime rate? Can you work overtime on the date in question?
¥ Will you be shooting on 35 mm film, large format or digital? Colour, black and white or both?
¥ Can you create photographs with special effects, such as blue-toned or sepia?
¥ How many rolls of film (or number of digital pictures) would you normally shoot at an event of this nature?
¥ What size prints will you provide, in what quantity? What's the cost of re-prints?
¥ Do you have the facilities to touch up photos?
¥ Can you provide the party photos on CD-Rom, and/or create a website from which guests can order prints?
¥ Do you get to keep the negatives?

This chapter continues in Party Magazine