Photographs are the one thing from an event you keep forever, and the one thing you cannot redo. Whether you are booking a wedding in Kurunegala, a corporate event in Colombo or product photography for your shop, the right questions before booking save a lot of regret afterwards. Here is what I would ask — as a photographer, and as someone who has been the client too.

1. Can I see a full gallery from one event, not just highlights?

Anyone can pick ten great photos from a thousand. A full gallery shows consistency: are the ordinary moments also well exposed and composed? Are group photos sharp? Is the editing consistent from morning to night?

2. How do you back up the photos on the day?

Professional cameras write to two memory cards at once, and a professional copies the cards to a second location before sleeping. If a photographer cannot explain their backup process, your photos are one card failure away from disappearing. My engineering background makes me almost obsessive about this.

3. What exactly is delivered, and when?

How many edited photographs? Full resolution or web size? Through an online gallery, a USB drive, or WhatsApp compression that ruins them? Within days or months? Get it in writing.

4. Who owns the photos and can I print them?

In Sri Lanka this is often left vague. You should receive a licence to print and share your photographs freely. Ask before, not after.

5. Do you have backup equipment?

A second camera body, spare lenses, batteries and flashes. Equipment fails; professionals plan for it.

6. How do you handle difficult light?

Sri Lankan weddings often move from harsh midday sun to a dim hall to a night reception. Ask how they handle each; the answer shows whether they understand light or just rely on automatic settings.

7. Will you be the one photographing, or an assistant?

Some studios book you with the owner and send a junior. Confirm who is actually coming.

8. What is your style, and can you show it in my kind of event?

Documentary and natural, or posed and traditional? Neither is wrong, but you should get what you expect. Look for examples in a similar setting to yours.

9. What happens if you cannot make it?

Illness happens. A professional has a network of trusted colleagues and a plan.

10. Can you also do video?

Coordinating a separate videographer adds cost and friction on the day. A creator who does both, as I do with videography and photography, simplifies everything.

A note on price

The cheapest photographer is rarely cheap once you count the photographs you did not get. Pay for the person who answers these questions clearly; that clarity is what you are actually buying.