When an agency commissions us, we agree in writing who instructs the team, who approves changes and who receives the photographs. The agency's brief and the end client's needs are recorded together. One named contact gives instructions on the day, so the crew is never given two directions.
How do agencies usually commission photography?
Agencies are in the middle. You answer to a client, and we answer to you. That works well when the instruction line is written down. It goes wrong when two people each believe they are the one who decides.
We ask three things at the start: who instructs, who approves and who pays. Paying for photography through an agency or event organiser explains why the third question deserves its own answer.
What does the instruction hierarchy look like?
Write it as a short list that names people, not departments.
- Day contact. The person who speaks to the photographer during the event.
- Approver. The person who can agree to extra coverage or a change in the programme.
- Client contact. The end client's representative, if they need to be reached.
- Backup. The person who steps in if the first is unavailable.
The responsibility planner lays this out in a form you can send to us. If the client and agency give different instructions, handling conflicting instructions from the client and event agency covers what to agree beforehand.
What do we need from the agency?
We need the run sheet, the venue contact, the list of key people and the photographs the client cares most about. Tell us what is confidential, and whether the end client has branding or sponsor requirements.
Keep the brief in one place as it changes. The brief handover tracker records who changed what, so the version we hold is the version you mean.
How are assignments and crew confirmed?
When the booking is confirmed, we state in writing the date, venue, crew assigned, deliverables and terms. Crew confirmation follows our process described in who photographs your event. If your event spans several rooms or parts, we discuss the crew needed in the quotation.
What about several clients or several events?
If one event has more than one commissioning organisation, read one event with several commissioning organisations before you send the brief. For a series, recurring event photography enquiries explains how a coordinated brief works. For booking steps, see corporate photography proposals.
Checklist
- Agency name and the end client's name.
- Who instructs the team on the day, and a backup.
- Who approves scope changes and extra work.
- Who receives the gallery and who may share it.
- Which uses each party needs.
- What may be shared with the end client.
- Who is invoiced and who pays.
Send the event brief, the end client's priorities if you can share them, and the names of your contacts. We will reply in writing with how we propose to work.
Discuss our agency briefCommon questions
Who gives instructions to the photographer on the day?
One named person, agreed in advance. That person can approve small changes. Agree who may approve larger changes, and a backup contact in case the first is busy.
Can the end client see the brief?
That is your decision. Tell us what may be shared and with whom. Our guide on sharing confidential briefs explains how to handle sensitive material.
Who owns the photographs and who may use them?
Use and ownership are stated in the written quotation. Tell us whether the agency, the end client or both will use the images, so the permissions cover the real uses.
What if the agency and the client disagree on the day?
Agree the order of authority beforehand. If instructions conflict, we ask the named contact to confirm the instruction rather than choose between them.
Discuss our agency brief
Send the event brief, the end client's priorities if you can share them, and the names of your contacts. We will reply in writing with how we propose to work.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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