As a leading corporate photographer in Geneva, working with companies, executives and event teams across Switzerland, I receive this kind of request at least three times a week:
“… please send a quote for photography coverage of our event on [date] …”
And very often, that is it …
No time frame. No programme. No indication whether it is a full day, a half day, a panel discussion, a conference, a networking cocktail, a soirée, or one of those cheerful event monsters that starts with portraits at 16:00 and ends with a standing dinner at midnight.
Does that make sense? Not really.
Why Your Photographer Replies With 17 Questions
Photography coverage is not priced by magic. It depends on what actually needs to be covered.
Is it a keynote? A panel discussion? A conference plus networking? A few portraits before the event? A cocktail dînatoire? A CEO speech? A fast delivery for press or LinkedIn? A full image gallery for internal communication?
Where will the images be used? Website, social media, annual report, press, advertising, internal communication?
And then there is the almighty event monster: high-end photography coverage, plus “just a short video”, preferably yesterday.
All of this matters.
Not because photographers enjoy making life complicated. Quite the opposite. Those details define the planning, the equipment, the time on location, the editing, the delivery speed and the final quote.
Where the Friction Starts
Without basic information, my first reply has to be a long list of questions. That creates friction before the real conversation even begins. The person asking for the quote expected a number. A quick reply. A first budget indication.
Instead, they receive homework.
Sometimes they answer. Very often, they disappear. The project goes silent. The bid is dead before it became serious.
That is the strange part. A weak brief does not make the process faster. It slows everything down.
Better Briefs Lead to Better Quotes
When I receive a clear brief, I can respond fast, precisely and with a relevant proposal.
Those are usually the strongest conversations.
Often, they become the bids I win. Not because I throw a random price into the room. Because I can show that I understood the assignment.
A good brief does not need to be perfect. It just needs the essentials:
Date.
Location.
Rough timing.
Type of coverage.
Key moments.
Number of people involved.
Delivery expectations.
Expected usage of the images.
That is already enough to move from guessing game to professional exchange.
I Have Been on Both Sides
I say this not only as a service provider. Before specialising in corporate portraits, headshots and event photography, I worked for many years as a creative director on agency and client projects. I have hired photographers, designers, illustrators and production partners myself.
And whenever I requested a quote, I tried to give enough information for the person to reply properly.
Because a better brief gets you a better quote.
And usually, a better result.
A Date Alone Is Not a Brief
For corporate event photography, timing changes everything.
A two-hour panel discussion is not the same as a full-day conference. A networking cocktail is not the same as a press moment. A portrait session before the event is not “just a little extra”. It means prepping additional gear, lighting, setup time, coordination and a different rhythm.
Fast delivery is not the same as standard delivery.
The clearer the brief, the sharper the quote. And the smoother the whole project becomes.
