4 Tips for Working with Your Incentive Travel Photographer

Incentive Travel Trip to Florence - Ponte de Vecchio

When it comes to organizing an incentive trip, there are tons of moving parts. From site visits to menus and all of the logistics of moving people around…there’s so much to manage. Of course, all of the hard work you do needs to be captured to preserve memories and create visual content that can be used for marketing and promotion.

So many logistics and planning needed for incentive travel programs

One consideration that might not be top-of-mind is having a plan for maximum photo/video coverage of the activities and special photos that you must have from the trip.

Most of the time, attendees can be headed in different directions each day to participate in exciting and interesting activities. So getting quality photo coverage of as many important activities as possible takes a little planning.

Here are 4 tips and things to think about when working with your photographer to capture as much as possible during your incentive travel program.

1. The Plan: During the planning stages, the agenda for incentive travel programs is usually fluid. But once the activities have been locked in, a great way to maximize photo coverage is to have a pre-program meeting between the photographer, the key travel director who’s handling activities and the DMC (destination management company). That way, the photographer and the DMC can map out the coverage plan based on locations, timing and transportation.

Map out the activities - look at distance between locations, who will be on the excursions and the timing of each activity

2. Transportation: Talking with the DMC ahead of time can also help determine if the photographer will need a dedicated car or can ride with the group to activities. A rental car provides the most flexibility, especially if they need to cover more than one activity per day and can’t wait for the group. However, if your incentive trip is taking place somewhere that might be more challenging to navigate (like Ireland where they drive on the left side of the road or Naples where the traffic requires a local to navigate), a local car service might be the best option.

Left-side driving

Challenging roads

3. In the Action: Getting great shots of the attendees during activities usually means your photographer needs to be in the middle of the action.

Let’s say your group is headed out on a snorkeling trip off the coast of Maui in Hawaii. Consider sending your photographer along on the excursion. Otherwise, the only photos you’ll get is of people getting on the boat and waving goodbye.

One option…the photographer stays behind on the dock catching attendees waving goodbye as the boat pulls away

A better option…the photographer joins attendees in the middle of the action to get great shots of the excursions.

The same goes for snowmobiling on a glacier in Iceland or even just being onsite for the group’s cooking class in Tuscany.

Snowmobiling on a glacier in Iceland

Cooking class in Tuscany

But most of the time, you’ll need to reserve a spot with the DMC so there’s a guaranteed space for the photographer to be close to the action or in some cases even participate in the activity (to some degree) and capture authentic and memorable moments throughout the excursion.

For a bonus, the best shots might come from a photographer who can be in the water with the right gear to capture some underwater shots of the group. Aerial/drone shots will also give a great and unusual perspective that your guests aren’t likely to get on their cell phones…something to consider when hiring an incentive travel photographer.

Snorkeling photos from the water instead of from the dock

Group photo from a drone of snowmobiling excursion in Iceland

Aerial and drone photos of snorkeling in Hawaii takes incentive travel photos to the next level

Drone photos add an exciting and unusual dimension to incentive travel photos

4. Special Shots: Talk with your photographer well-before the trip about special photos you’d like to have during the trip. Different gear might be needed depending on the circumstances. A travel photographer needs to balance the amount of gear they bring on a trip with the needs of the group. Different needs can mean different gear - not all cameras are created equal.

For example, if you have a group of 250 people and want a group photo, the photographer might need to bring extra lighting equipment or camera lenses that might not otherwise be needed. So it’s important that you discuss these types of shots ahead of time so the photographer can determine the type of gear needed and how it will get to the site.

As a professional, your photographer should be able to offer suggestions on achieving your vision for special photos that might even save money and make it a good experience for the attendees.

Pre-planning with your photographer can make large group photos and other special shots go more smoothly and help you achieve your vision

By following these tips, you can effectively schedule a photographer to cover the activities of your incentive trip and create beautiful, professional-grade images that will help you remember and promote the experience for years to come.

In the action: Get great action shots by including your photographer on excursions

Turtle under water seen on an incentive trip snorkeling trip in Maui