5 EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR FUNDRAISING OR DONOR EVENT

Have you considered maximizing your next fundraiser or donation event to create some marketing material from it? Hiring a professional photographer to do just that can be a game-changer.

Having professional photographs from your next soirée will help you capture the essence of your events and make people look forward to the next time that they can participate in one.

Photographs can pull at the heartstrings of your donors and show them (as well as your volunteers) appreciation for all that they do. But of course, there is an art to it!

Be sure to read these event photography tips below to find out how to maximize your next fundraising event.

1. FIND THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE JOB

Many non-profit organizations make the mistake of trying to avoid the cost of photos by having an inexperienced photographer or volunteer do it for free. Or in many cases, they just use their smartphones for all of their photo needs.

Neither of these options will help you capture the highly-valuable moments of your donor event. You need someone dedicated to the task that can catch every little thing that happens during the event and give you quality, high-res photos to share.

That’s why it’s important to find and hire an experienced professional photographer for your event.

A professional photographer will have the experience and communication skills to get hundreds of quality event photos for you to use later on. She can capture precious little moments during the event, as well as team pictures and happy event attendees all around.

You want these photos to attract more people to attending your next event. The photos you capture for it will be imperative for convincing them to save the date whenever your next fundraising or charity event is scheduled.

2. HIGH-RES PHOTOS MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

The photos that you capture from your event are like gold for your non-profit. They can make everyone that sees them feel as if they attended the event themselves. Images hold great power and weight to them and towards supporting your cause.

For that reason, you will want to use the photos for every single marketing outlet you have. Quality photographs will come in handy for things like social media posts, blog articles, thank you letters, profile pictures and so much more!

Because of all the uses that you’ll have for them, you’ll certainly want your images to be high-resolution. Without it, your photos will come out blurry and take a toll on your non-profit’s brand.

The higher the quality of photos that you have, the higher the level of professionalism they give your organization. More people will want to donate to your non-profit or attend your next event because yours seems more legitimate with high-quality photos.

3. WEAR A SMILE THE ENTIRE DAY

The professional photographer that you hire will be taking pictures anywhere and everywhere during the entirety of your event. To catch organic moments, they won’t always shout “say cheese!”

Capturing these organic moments are pivotal for marketing this event down the line. If you aren’t smiling during the picture, the tone of the picture goes from “fun and happy” to “serious and focused.”

People will be inclined to donate money to non-profits that enjoy every second of what they do. Because of that, seeing you and your volunteers and employees smiling in your photos can show them how much you love fundraising and working for your cause.

Before the event gets started, let your entire team know that you’ve hired a professional photographer that will be taking pictures the entire day. Reiterate to them the importance of keeping a smile on their face while they work.

Those moments that you’re smiling while talking with sponsors, donors, and workers are a goldmine for your organization.

4. SHOUT IT FROM THE MOUNTAINTOPS

Now that your event has concluded and you’ve hopefully raised oodles of money money for your cause, it’s time to show everyone the love on social media.

With professional images from your event, you can show people how awesome the event was and how amazing the people are that showed up and contributed to it.

You’ll want to take time and go through every photo, tagging as many people as you possibly can. You can also encourage your followers to tag people that you might have missed.

Tagging and hashtagging your photos on social media will expand the number of people that see your photos, making your event go viral within your community of volunteers, sponsors, etc.

5. SAVE YOUR FAVORITES FOR FUTURE USE

The reason professional photos have such a high return on investment is that you can always use them in the future. Make sure to store your photos away on a USB or other hard drive so that you can easily access them whenever you need to.

You might need them to advertise the same event the following year by placing your favorite moments on the event flyer.

If you accidentally lose or forget to save some pictures, the professional photographer you hired will most likely have a backup stored somewhere, which is another excellent reason to use a professional over an amateur or a volunteer.