How to Prepare Your Photographer for a Multi-Venue Event
Complex events with multiple venues, performers, and overlapping activities challenge even experienced photographers. When we recently covered the Definitely Superior Art Gallery Halloween party, which spanned several locations with DJs, live bands, belly dancers, and packed crowds, proper preparation from the organizers made comprehensive coverage possible. Here’s how to set your photographer up for success.
Provide a Detailed Timeline and Schedule
The foundation of successful multi-venue event photography is a clear, detailed schedule. Your photographer needs to know what’s happening where and when to plan efficient movement between locations and ensure no important moments get missed.
Create a timeline document listing all performances, activities, and special moments with their specific times and locations. Note which elements are absolutely critical versus nice-to-have coverage. Highlight any moments that require specific positioning or setup in advance, like a group photo or special presentation.
For the Halloween party, knowing that a DJ performance happened at one venue while a live rock band performed at another, followed by a belly dance show at a third location, allowed us to plan a route that captured each performance without missing crucial moments. Without this information, we would have been guessing about where to be and potentially missing key coverage.
Map Out the Logistics Between Venues
Multi-venue events require careful logistical planning. How far apart are the locations? How long does it realistically take to move between them? Are there obstacles like crowds, security checkpoints, or physical distance that affect travel time?
Work with your photographer to create a realistic route plan. If venues are far apart or require significant travel time, accept that comprehensive coverage of simultaneous events isn’t possible with a single photographer. Either prioritize which events matter most or consider hiring additional photographers to cover multiple locations simultaneously.
Be honest about distances and timing. A five-minute walk on an empty street becomes fifteen minutes when navigating through crowds of costumed party attendees. Accounting for these realities prevents disappointment and ensures proper coverage of priority moments.
Provide Appropriate Access Credentials
Busy events with capacity crowds create access challenges for photographers. Getting stopped at the door, waiting in lines, or being denied entry to VIP areas wastes time and prevents the coverage you’re paying for.
Provide clear access credentials that work at all venues. Wristbands, lanyards, passes, or inclusion on guest lists all work, but make sure security staff at every location know photographers have special access. Brief the door staff that photographers may need to enter through restricted areas or move freely during the event.
For multi-venue events like the Halloween party, this becomes especially important. Your photographer shouldn’t waste thirty minutes at each new location explaining who they are and why they need access. Smooth entry at every venue maximizes time spent capturing important moments.
Create a Clear Shot List with Priorities
General instructions like “get some good photos” leave too much open to interpretation. What matters most to you? Crowd shots showing attendance? Specific performers? Venue atmosphere? Behind-the-scenes moments? Sponsor recognition?
Create a prioritized shot list identifying your must-have images. For the Halloween party, priorities included DJ performances showing equipment and energy, live band shots capturing musicians and stage presence, belly dancer performance with audience context, crowd shots demonstrating attendance and atmosphere, and venue details showing decorations and ambiance.
This clarity ensures your photographer focuses energy on what matters most to you. If getting a wide shot showing the packed crowd is critical for proving attendance to sponsors, explicitly state that. If capturing every performer matters equally, communicate that too. Clear expectations prevent disappointment.
Set Realistic Expectations for Coverage
Complex, busy events rarely go exactly as planned. Performances run long, schedules shift, crowds block sightlines, and equipment malfunctions cause delays. Accept that perfect, comprehensive coverage of everything might not be possible despite everyone’s best efforts.
Discuss realistic expectations during planning. If two important performances happen simultaneously at distant venues, acknowledge that your photographer must choose one or compromise by catching partial coverage of both. If a venue is absolutely packed with no clear sightlines, understand that shots might be more limited than in a spacious, controlled environment.
Setting realistic expectations doesn’t mean accepting poor work. It means recognizing that live events are inherently unpredictable and that professional photographers make the best possible decisions in real-time to deliver valuable coverage despite challenges.
Designate a Point Person for Real-Time Communication
Events rarely follow their printed schedules perfectly. Performances start late, venues change, and special moments happen unexpectedly. Having a designated point person who can communicate real-time updates to your photographer prevents missed opportunities.
This person should have your photographer’s phone number and authority to make quick decisions about priority changes. If the schedule shifts and the belly dancer now performs thirty minutes earlier, your photographer needs to know immediately to adjust their route plan.
At busy, loud events, texting works better than calling. Quick updates like “Band running 20 min late” or “VIP photo now at main stage” allow photographers to adapt their coverage plan without lengthy conversations.
Planning Makes Perfect Coverage Possible
Multi-venue events offer rich, diverse content when photographed well. The variety of performances, venues, and energy creates compelling galleries that showcase your event’s scope and success. But achieving comprehensive coverage requires preparation and clear communication between organizers and photographers.
We’ve covered countless complex events throughout Thunder Bay, from multi-venue festivals to packed nightclub parties to sprawling outdoor celebrations. We know how to move efficiently, adapt to changing conditions, and capture the moments that matter most. But even with our experience, we rely on organizers providing the timeline, access, and communication that makes comprehensive coverage possible.
