Event Photographer: Brittany Schnell

Do you remember the underwater photos I was taking in January? I was pumped about them and thought they would make the coolest after prom party perk. I reached out to the Lemmon High School to pitch the idea to the gentleman in charge of the school’s prom. I had to leave a message and didn’t receive a call back for a few weeks.

He thought I was crazy. There was no way he was going to include a pool photoshoot in after prom. But, he wasn’t calling to shoot me down, he was calling to inform me the junior class had voted me as this year’s prom photographer. If I was available, was I up for the job? You bet.

I drafted a contract and emailed it to the school contact who had never signed a contract for a prom photographer in all his years of prom coordination- he has over a decade of experience. After negotiations, the date was booked.

After confirming the timeline & video script with the school contact, I created my handout with Canva Pro- completely redesigning a template that stood out to me. The handout featured an infographic style with a monochromatic color scheme, complete with a QR code. I also filmed, edited and published a video explaining in detail the photography process and prom schedule.

I created the prom gallery request form that asks specific questions to give the best client experience to anyone looking for a couple’s gallery. The form is linked in the QR code on the infographic and in the video description. Many people signed up before prom and a handful after. I’m still accepting requests.

Formal Prom Photos

I’m often slightly anxious to attend social events in Lemmon where I’m expected to know the people I’m interacting with. Many people have met me, sometimes quite a few times- and I still have no idea who they are, who they belong to or how we are connected. It’s embarrassing and I try to avoid it as much as possible. When we are out together, I’m always asking Carson who people are, silently quizzing myself.

Prom was actually way less anxiety inducing than I anticipated. I have photographed many of the Lemmon students and even photographed a few of their dates.

Parents were extremely respectful, giving me all the space that I needed to take pictures. The couples were equally respectful, posing just how LaQuita Shockley directed. LaQuita posed couples and groups and kept track of who we were photographing with a clipboard. She live streamed grand march on The Dakota Herald’s facebook page. She’s such a great asset to this community and I’m happy to call her a friend.

I want to say a big “THANK YOU” to the Lemmon Junior Class for requesting me to photograph prom.