Finding Your Cape Town Photographer Near You
...and Why I'm that Guy
What Do We Actually Do?
Many people don’t know what a photographer such as myself actually does, some people think we just push a button all day – pretty uncomplicated, right? What I actually do for my clients is to create a photographic record of their events & functions (and weddings) that can be used in print publication media (newspaper press releases or pamphlets, etc) or on social media and company websites with the required technical quality that the printing process requires. So the value in hiring a seriously professional Cape Town photographer near you is so that you have a record of the event that captures the atmosphere and meaning in just a single picture, with a professional level of aesthetic & technical quality.
The Photographer's Brief (important)
In my years of experience in Cape Town as a Corporate and Events photographer I have found that there are many people who don’t understand that a photographer needs to know what you and your company are about, and to know what the assignment is about. Many people think that photographers should just automatically know what the most important things and people are to shoot, but that’s impossible.
I would advise that before searching for your photographer that you and your team come up with a “Photographer’s Brief”. This is a document that explains what the function/event is about, and lists the names of the most important people to get good & usable shots of, and what the most important things are to shoot. Having a verbal discussion about the event/assignment is sometimes not sufficient, so a document containing all of the most important and relevant information is very important.
For example: if you have 13 people who are going to make a speech, it would be a good idea to list the names of the MOST IMPORTANT speakers to get GOOD shots of as you will most likely be using those pictures for publication. And if you have invested in a high quality venue and would like to show it off, then the photographer’s brief should stipulate that you want pictures of the venue from the outside as well.
The Photographer’s Brief should also state the name of the venue, its address and/or google maps location, and also the time that they are expected to arrive, and when to begin the shoot. If you’ve never met your photographer before then please state the name & number of the contact person with whom they will liaise at the venue.
Things to include in the photographer’s brief (not an exhaustive list):
- Date of assignment/event
- Physical address of event venue, including link to Google Maps location
- Name & number of contact-person with whom to liaise on arrival
- Time photographer is expected to arrive and time that they should begin the shoot
- Itinerary/schedule of events: time that speeches commence, dinner service, etc.
- Important things to shoot: venue before arrival of guests, outside and surrounding of venue, caterers and service staff, cakes and food, anything that you want captured as well.
- List of person/s who MUST be photographed making speeches or simply just socialising with guests..
- List of group-portraits to be taken (groups of important people)
One good thing about the brief is that your photographer will have the convenience of having the brief on the day so that they can refer to it throughout the day to make sure that they are giving you everything that you asked for. If they fail to shoot the most important things then you can lay the blame solely at their feet. Which means that you have a legitimate complaint..
Your cape town photographer near you
I started my photography career in the mid 2000s as a Press Photographer for a daily newspaper, and it was in that high stress environment that I learned how to shoot professionally. No time to waste and a daily deadline at 5pm meant that I had to do my job quickly and decisively or else not get paid. Later I started my own business broadening out to events, corporate, corporate portraiture & Headshots, and finally Weddings.
I am a Cape Town local and I know the city very well, including all the best function venues in Cape Town, and also other service providers in the area who could assist me in providing you the service you require.
If you are a large corporation and you are hosting a large event over multiple days in Cape Town, then you will need a local photographer with a high level of experience to handle your needs. Using a local Cape Town Photographer near you who knows the venue you’re going to use, and might even know of alternative shooting locations, or have local knowledge that you can benefit from is very valuable. Here’s one of my favourite function venues in Cape Town I’ve worked at lately.
My Corporate and Editorial work has been published in many local and international newspapers so I have the experience needed to skillfully cover a corporate event and also subcontract other trusted photographers if the need arises.
Events & Functions are your typical birthday parties, 21st celebrations, awards ceremonies etc. They are mostly photographed for social media or even for printing for photo albums or framed photographs for your home. There is a big overlap between this and wedding photography.
Headshot Photography is the photographs that you use for a LinkedIn profile picture, or what a company uses on their website when listing their staff members, Managers & CEOs. I have a portable studio in that I setup at your offices in Cape Town to make it fast and more convenient. Check out my headshot page and talk to me about your LinkedIn profile shoot needs.
I do require a large-ish office or conference room, or any large space. I have done headshot shoots before in small spaces and while it can work, it does restrict what I can achieve. Normally I would ask a client to show me pictures of headshot pictures that they like so that I can emulate the lighting and aesthetic.
When I started my cape town wedding photography career in 2010, I brought all of the lessons that I learned as a Press Photographer, because I have to work fast and capture those decisive moments that will never come back. I take a “fly on the wall” approach, which means that I do not intrude on the wedding proceedings too much. I observe and capture beautiful moments in a natural way because I want to get the atmosphere and vibe of your wedding. Ten years later you might not care what colour the table cloths were, but you will appreciate the fact that I got the glimpse in the eyes of your parents as they watched you declare your vows at the altar. Being a Wedding Photographer in Cape Town gives you the opportunity to shoot many different kinds of weddings: Muslim, African, Interfaith, and traditional Christian Weddings. I also offer an Engagement shoot with some of my wedding photography packages.
Click here for advice on the best Wedding venues in Cape Town
I meet my clients in person before I take on their wedding, check out my wedding portfolio and contact me and lets have a coffee while talking about your big day.