Photography for an agency's own event case study

Agencies need proof of what they build. A strong case study shows the idea, the production and the result. That proof usually comes from photographs, and those photographs come from an event that belongs to someone else.

This page sits within our guide to agency and recurring event-photography commissions. It deals with the agency's own documentation needs and where they sit next to the client's.

Whose purpose does the photography serve?

There are two purposes at one event. The first is the client's: a record of the event they paid for, for reporting, communication or archive. The second is the agency's: evidence of its own craft for pitches and its portfolio.

The two overlap but are not the same. A client may want guest moments and speeches. An agency may want the stage build, lighting detail and the set before guests arrive. Our guide on photography for documentation, memories or promotion helps separate these purposes.

What does the agency need to show?

Be specific. "Great photos of the event" is hard to plan around. A list of what the case study must show is easier:

• The finished set or installation from a clean angle, before guests arrive.
• Production detail that explains how it worked.
• A few guest moments that show how the design was used.
• The run of key moments that prove the concept landed.

Each item has different timing and access. A clean view of a set needs time without guests in the room. Production detail may need access to the back-of-house area. Guest moments overlap with the client's own coverage.

Does the end client permit it?

This is the first question, not the last. The agency's right to document its work depends on what the client agrees. Our guide to permission to photograph and permission to publish explains why these are two different permissions, and agreeing whether photographs may appear in a portfolio covers the portfolio question directly.

Ask the client for clear answers on:

1. Whether additional photography for the agency is allowed at the event.
2. Whether guests, speakers or brands may be identifiable in the case study.
3. Which channels the case study may appear on.
4. Whether the client wants to review the images before use.

Record the answers in your brief. If the client's contract with you already covers this, tell us so the photographer works to the same wording.

A worked example

For example, an agency designs a 250-guest company anniversary dinner with a custom stage and lighting scheme. The client agrees to a record of the event and allows the agency to feature the set in its portfolio, but asks that no named guests appear.

We would plan two things in the brief. First, a short session before guests arrive to photograph the finished room from agreed positions. Second, event coverage that follows the client's priorities, with the agency's case-study frames marked as a separate group in selection. Guest images stay with the client's set unless the client agrees otherwise.

How do you keep the case study subordinate to the client's brief?

Two habits help. First, put the client's priorities at the top of the shot list and the agency's below them. If the programme runs late, the client's moments are covered first.

Second, keep the selection separate. The client's gallery and the agency's case-study set are different outputs, with different permissions attached. Our post-event image use planner helps record which images may be used for what.

What about captions and claims?

A case study makes claims about what the agency delivered. Photographs should support those claims accurately. Our guide to photographs in partner case studies and event-success claims explains how to keep claims tied to what the images actually show. If several suppliers are visible in the frames, see also agency portfolio images containing several supplier brands.

Next step

Share your case-study aims and the client's current permissions with us. We confirm in writing how case-study coverage fits around the main brief, including any extra time, access and deliverables.