Event photography packages
Event photography is booked by the time I’m on site:
- Two hours: $2,000
- Half day, up to four hours: $3,400
- Full day, up to eight hours: $5,200
That’s one photographer, and every booking comes with a private gallery at full resolution, usually delivered in one to two weeks. If you need an hour or two more than you booked, extra hours are $750 each, never more than the day rate. A second photographer is $1,700 for a full day and rush delivery is $1,000 for a full day; on a shorter booking both are quoted. Multi-day programs are quoted from there, because the hours and the number of rooms running at once change the job.
A two-hour booking costs more per hour than a full day because the setup, the drive, the editing and the rest of that day don’t shrink with the clock. And when you book time on site, I use all of it: images for your marketing, guests having a good time, frames you can use for the next one.
Why I publish rates
Plenty of photographers won’t put a number on their site. I’d rather be straight with you up front. People decide a lot based on the number they see, so here are my event photography rates, and you can tell right away if they fit.
What the number covers
The time on site is the part you see. Behind it are the gear, the editing, and the work of running the business so I’m ready when you call. Editing takes real time. Anyone can snap a photo and put a filter on it; getting it right takes longer. The story goes that someone asked Picasso for a quick sketch. He finished it in a few minutes. When they said it only took five minutes, he told them it took forty years. I’ve photographed conferences, summits, brand and product work, and portraits for businesses over the past decade, and that range is part of what you’re paying for.
The photos are yours
When you book, you own the photos. No long licensing back and forth. I keep the right to show them in my portfolio, and that’s it. If you book it, you buy it.
What moves corporate event photography pricing
Here’s what changes the number, whether it’s a conference, a gala or a company party:
- Hours on site, and whether they’re consecutive.
- How many places at once. Concurrent tracks either need a second photographer or a decision about what goes uncovered.
- How fast you need images. Same-day highlights while the program’s still running is a different job from a gallery next week.
- Anything beyond stills. Video, a larger crew, or a full production package is its own conversation.
Where I work
I’m based in Northern Virginia and most of my work is around DC, so inside the DC metro there’s no travel line on your budget. I also travel for clients. If your conference is somewhere else, ask.
Why the cheapest quote usually isn’t
Photography can be subjective as a visual art. But where many photography quotes differ is whether the images show up in time to use, whether every sponsor got what they were promised, and whether you end up chasing anybody. Beautiful photos that land a month late have already lost most of their value, so the cheaper quote didn’t save you anything. Five questions to ask before you book will tell you which quote is which.
What to send for a quote
The date, the venue, the hours, and roughly how many people. That’s enough for a real number in one reply. If your idea of a half day looks different from mine, tell me and we’ll work it out.
