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.

Having instant printing services at an event acts as attraction and as a talking point. It also means that guests are a lot more likely to buy a picture. In the modern world of fast edited films and downloadable music, customers almost lack the patience to pay for a product and have to wait for it, when so many things provide instant gratification. It also means that guests can show other attendees their pictures while they are at the event, which attracts more customers to come and have their picture taken. Moreover it means that the guests can have something to take home with them, which often feels like more of a memento than receiving a developed picture after the event has finished.

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.

A lot of time can be saved by checking out each photographer’s website. This will let you eliminate possible candidates quickly, as it will allow you to quickly look through a lot of their work and determine if they have the sort of style you are looking for.

It is then best to interview all the remaining potential photographers and ask each one of them a lot of questions. Ask them about pricing, they may attend the event for free but how much they charge for each photo will impact the success of the event. More often than not, you do get what you pay for, so it is always worth considering stretching your budget. Ask them about what backup equipment they have (backup memory, just in case their system crashes, spare batteries, spare memory cards, etc). Ask them if there is a backup photographer just in case they become ill. Find out about the backup photographer and make sure you know who you are getting; people are often lead to believe that they are getting one photographer but are then sent a different one from the same company. Ask to see samples of their work – They will doubtlessly just show you a compilation of their best work or possibly one of their best albums, so make sure you ask to see more than they initially show you. Looking at photos from numerous different events from start to finish will give you an idea of their batting average and show you what you can expect from your event. If they do not show you very many pictures, ask yourself, why?

When you are looking at their photographs ask yourself, do you like their style? What kind of thing are you looking for? If you are not sure what you are after it may be worth asking each photographer’s advice to give you an idea of what kind of style people usually go for. Once/if you know what style you are after, you can narrow down your list of photographers according to what they specialise in. Some may specialise in black and white pictures, some may specialise in colour, so may prefer a traditional style while some may prefer more of a candid style.

As well as analysing their photographs, it is just as important to think about the photographers themselves. Do you get on with them? Do you feel comfortable around them and do you think they would make the attendees at your event feel comfortable? Do they seem motivated and passionate about photography and about your event?

Before you become too attached to a photographer’s pictures and personality make sure you talk to them about their credentials and experience. Do they have any relevant qualifications and experience? Are they a member of a professional organisation such as the EPS (Event Photographer Society)? What and how many years of experience do they have? Experience is equally, if not more important than their credentials, so do not necessarily discount a photographer with decades of experience just because they neglected to renew their certification.

Always check each photographer’s referees. Would past users recommend them? If they used to work for a company, what do they say about them?