Using reference photographs in an event brief

Many clients find words hard when they describe photographs. "Natural", "candid" and "elegant" mean different things to different people. A reference photograph says more than a paragraph.

This guide belongs to our overview of run sheets, priorities and staffing. It explains how to use references in a way that helps the plan and avoids disappointment.

What a reference can tell the photographer

A good reference shows one or more of the following.

• Mood. Warm and intimate, or bright and energetic.
• Framing. Wide and environmental, or close and personal.
• Moment type. A candid laugh, a quiet detail, a formal group.
• Light. Soft window light, dramatic evening light, bright outdoor.

When you send a reference, say which of these you mean. "I like the warmth of this" is clearer than a bare image.

What a reference cannot promise

A reference is not a template. It was taken somewhere else, in other light, with other people. Your event will have its own room, its own light and its own timing.

For that reason, we aim for the quality you like rather than an exact copy. Our guide to discussing a photographer's sample images without demanding exact copies describes the same idea from the other side. We tell you in writing what we can aim for and where conditions limit it.

Translating a reference into priorities

A reference becomes useful when it turns into something you can plan. Try this small exercise.

1. Pick one reference.
2. Write what it shows in a sentence.
3. Write what moment at your event would be similar.
4. Add it to your priority list.

For example, a reference of a grandmother laughing with her grandchildren might become "candid moments between grandparents and grandchildren". The priority photograph list builder holds the result, and the photography style preference brief helps you describe your taste.

References are not our portfolio

Pictures you send are, in most cases, someone else's work. Treating them as examples of what we have done would be misleading. Equally, we do not claim another photographer's work as ours.

If you want to know what we have produced, ask. Our guide to checking who actually made the portfolio photographs explains what to ask any provider. Where we show work, we say who made it and for what event.

Respect for other people's work

Sharing an image privately to explain your taste is common and generally harmless. Publishing, copying or reusing it is a different matter, because copyright and permission questions apply. Our guide to copyright ownership and permission to use event photographs gives general context.

We cannot give legal advice. If you need an interpretation, ask a qualified adviser.

Style, editing and colour

References also show editing choices: bright or moody, warm or cool, black and white. Our guide to comparing event-photography editing styles explains the differences. Mention if there is an editing style you want to avoid.

When you do not have the words

If you find it hard to describe what you want, references are an easy way in. Our guide to starting a photography enquiry when you do not know the terminology explains how to begin with images and plain sentences.

A hypothetical example

Imagine a family planning a thirtieth anniversary lunch. They send four references. One is a warm, close photograph of a couple laughing. One is a wide room shot with long tables. One is a detail of hands holding a cup. One is a black and white portrait.

They write a line for each. The photographer replies that the first three fit the lunch well and the fourth would need a quiet corner and a few minutes. The family agrees to a short portrait slot after dessert. This is an illustration only.

Sharing references safely

References are often private, so share them only with people who need them. Send them directly to the photographer or the planner, and avoid public group chats. If a reference shows other people, remember that they did not agree to be a model for your brief. Keep the set small, and delete it from shared folders once the event is over.

What we confirm

We confirm date, venue, crew, deliverables and quotation in writing. We also record the references you have shared, the priorities drawn from them and anything we cannot promise because of the venue or light.