You do not need technical terms. Describe who will be there, what will happen, where it takes place, and what you want to do with the photographs afterwards. A photographer can translate that description into coverage hours, crew, style and delivery. Plain descriptions are often clearer than terminology, because they show what you actually need.
People often delay an enquiry because they feel they should first learn the vocabulary: coverage, candid, deliverables, turnaround. You can skip that step. The photographer's job is to turn a description of your event into a plan, and you can describe it without any of those words.
This guide is part of our wider event photography planning guide.
What should an enquiry say?
An enquiry works well when it answers five simple questions.
- What is the occasion, and when is it?
- Where will it happen?
- Who will be there, and roughly how many?
- What is going to happen, in what order?
- What will you do with the photographs?
Anything beyond that is a bonus. A message of five or six lines with those answers is enough for us to ask good follow-up questions.
How do plain words map to photography terms?
You can describe what you want, and the photographer will translate. This table shows the idea.
| What you might say | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| "I want photos of everyone who comes" | Coverage of arrivals and guest portraits or candids |
| "Not too posed" | A candid approach, with only a few directed photographs |
| "We need the whole family in one photo" | A formal group photograph, planned in advance |
| "Just the speech and the cake" | A short coverage window around two moments |
| "I want them quickly for social media" | A small set delivered early, with the full set later |
| "I want the best ones only" | A selected and edited set, rather than every frame |
If a term in a quotation is unclear, ask what it means in practice. Our guide on what a quotation should include explains the common terms.
How do you describe what you want to see?
Describe the people and the feeling. "Our grandparents laughing with the children" tells a photographer more than "lifestyle photography". "The team receiving certificates on stage, plus a group photo at the end" tells us exactly what to prepare.
If you have photographs you like, send two or three and say what you like about them. You are not asking us to copy them. They are a way of showing tone.
Our priority photograph list builder lets you write down moments in everyday language and rank them.
What if you do not know what you need?
Say that. Tell us what you know and what you are unsure about, and we will walk through it. Our photography needs selector can also help you see which type of coverage fits your situation before you write.
For example, someone planning a thanksgiving lunch for 60 people might write: "Family lunch at a restaurant in Ipoh, around 1pm to 3pm, about 60 guests. I would like some group photos and natural ones of the older relatives. We will share them on WhatsApp." That is a complete enquiry. It gives location, timing, size, priorities and purpose.
What happens after you send it?
We read the description, ask for what is missing and propose coverage in plain terms. The date, venue, crew, deliverables and quotation are confirmed in writing, so you have the details in one place.
You can also use the event photography brief builder to organise your thoughts before writing. When you are ready, our enquiry page is the place to send them.
Which questions are worth asking us?
You do not have to ask, but these are useful.
- What will you need from me on the day?
- What is included in the coverage window, and what happens if the event runs late?
- How will I receive the photographs, and in what form?
- Who will be photographing my event?
Questions like these are a sign of a careful client, not an inexperienced one. We answer them in the quotation so that you can read the answers again later.
A short template you can copy
If you prefer a starting point, fill in the gaps in this outline and send it as it is.
- Occasion and date: ...
- Place or area: ...
- Start and finish time: ...
- Roughly how many people: ...
- The moments I most want photographed: ...
- What I will use the photographs for: ...
- Anything that needs care, such as people who prefer not to be photographed: ...
Leave a line blank if you do not know yet. Blank lines tell us what to ask about, and we would rather see an honest gap than a guessed answer.
Checklist
- Write the event type and date, even if the date is provisional.
- Say where it is, or which area if the venue is not chosen.
- Estimate the number of guests, with a range if needed.
- List the two or three moments you most want photographed.
- Say what the photographs are for: family, office, sharing, records.
- Mention anyone who should or should not be photographed.
- Share a few photographs you like, if you have them.
Write to us in your own words, even if it is only a few lines about the event and what you hope to have afterwards. We will ask for what is missing and explain any term we use.
Describe your event in your own wordsCommon questions
What if I do not know how many hours I need?
Give us the start and finish time of the event, and mention which parts matter most. From that, we can suggest a coverage window and explain the reason. You do not need to name a number of hours yourself.
Do I need to know the style I want?
No. Describe how you want the photographs to feel, for example natural and relaxed, or tidy and formal. Showing two or three photographs you like from elsewhere also helps, since they say more than a label.
What if I do not know the size of the guest list yet?
Give a range, such as 80 to 100, and say when you expect to confirm it. A range is enough to start planning, and the final number can be updated later.
Is it a problem if I get a term wrong?
No. If something is unclear, we ask. The aim is to understand the situation, so a wrong word is easy to correct as we talk.
Describe your event in your own words
Write to us in your own words, even if it is only a few lines about the event and what you hope to have afterwards. We will ask for what is missing and explain any term we use.
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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