The warm attitude of the organisers and the lots of positive comments we received from the guests on our photography service made us feel very welcome and it was definitely the best of black tie events we attended for a long time. The staff at the venue was also very helpful and despite the fact that it was a working Saturday night for us the night was a fantastic experience.

Thank you all

Click here to see photos from the event

A great photo from your school prom is a necessity. It is a big occasion that all attending will wish to remember; and prom photography enables attendees and their parents to do just that.

Prom photography provides a crucial service that adds to the occasion. They provide a mobile studio and the service is free of charge. Everyone attending the prom if free to have a picture taken of them and there is no obligation to pay unless they wish to purchase a picture.

The mobile studio features professional standard lighting and numerous backdrops that provide flawless photographs when combined with their top of the range cameras and years of experience. The correct lighting is crucial and it is up to the photographer(s) to summon the appropriate colour temperature and contrast from their subjects and their environment. Strobe lighting has been established as the standard lighting to be used by ball photographers because of its impressive light colour temperature control, impressive light intensity control and its efficiency. The textbook colour temperature for a portrait photograph is a pure white light. This is created by emitting all three of the primary colours of light (red, blue and green); equally, however in different environments the photographer(s) may have to make adjustments. The angle in which the rays are emitted and the direction in which they are travelling when they hit the subject(s), dictates the contrast. Ideally a diffused light source will be used, as this will cause the rays to hit the subject from different directions, thus producing a low contrast, which has soft edges and looks professional and flattering. If all the rays hit the subject(s) from one direction, this will cause the contrast to be high and will the pictures have bad shadowing and overly visible edges.

The correct backdrop is also crucial. A bad backdrop can ruin a photograph and distract the viewer from the subject, while a good backdrop can make a photo memorable and bring attention to the faces of the subject(s). Prom photographers are inclined to have multiple backdrops available so you are able to choose which one you prefer. Once an attendee has had their picture taken, they will then be free to view the pictures on a large screen inside the mobile studio. If they subsequently choose to buy a picture, then it can be edited, printed off and mounted in their presence within minutes, or if they wish, the pictures can be viewed and bought at a later date via the internet.

Experience makes a good photographer. A good prom photographer is well prepared; they charge the batteries on their cameras the night before, bring spare batteries with them, bring spare memory cards with them, prepare the lighting before the guests arrive, take practice shots and plan ahead. A good prom photographer can multitask; they are able to keep an eye on the lighting, an eye on the queue, make attendees feel relaxed, take good pictures and sell good prom photography pictures.

A good photographer is polite and friendly; they will encourage the attendees to pose as they feel comfortable, but give advice if asked. Furthermore, they will invite their guests to have however many people in the picture they wish, whether it is as a group, a couple or as an individual. Most of all, great prom photographers pay attention to detail; they will tell a story through something subtle such as a curl of hair, cuff links or jewellery.

Some may consider just having a friend take pictures as it is important to keep costs low for charitable events, but this is not an issue, as most event photographers will gladly turn up to your event for free (meaning your ‘on the door’ price will not have to compensate for their attendance). Having a professional there helps raise money in that it both acts as an attraction for people to come, increasing your ticket sales and/or likelihood of people donating, and in that the photographers themselves will donate by giving a percentage of their profits – which they make from selling pictures to guests throughout the event – to the charity the event is raising money for.

Your attendees will enjoy having the photographer(s) there, as they will bring an impressive mobile studio in which the attendees can have their picture taken for free. The fact that there is no obligation to actually buy the pictures taken of them, unless a customer wishes to do so, provides extra entertainment for the event and hosts a hospitable environment.

It is also worth noting that by having a photographer, you are enabling yourself to have good quality pictures that you can remember the event by. If you took pictures of the event yourself throughout the day (assuming that you even had the time), the number of pictures taken and the quality of each picture would not be anywhere near as high in comparison as if a professional was doing it. Plus, it would just be another thing on your plate.

Think about other things prior to your search, such as how much you are willing to spend and what you expect from your photographer(s). You may for example, expect your photographers to have on site printing.

When you start looking for possible photographers, you should use every resource possible, but the best and most reliable source is word of mouth. Talk to other schools; ask who they have used in the past and what was good or bad about them. You can then create a list of different potential photographers. If you look at each company’s/photographers web-site, you will save a lot of time, as it will let you see what kind of photos they tend to produce and allow you to make a judgement on whether they are the kind of photographer(s) you are looking for. If you like the photos you should then arrange a meeting so you can find out what they are like in person. Do they seem professional? Are they enthusiastic and excited about working at your event? Ask them how they are going to work on the night. Ask about there credentials/qualifications.

The next stage is to find out what they offer. Is there an attendance fee or will they come to your prom free of charge? How much do they charge for individual photos? Is there a team or just an individual photographer? What equipment do they use? What does there mobile studio feature?

You want to be looking for a photographer/company with top of the range equipment and years of experience, but most of all you want a photographer with good referees that would recommend them to you.