What’s in a full day of event photography?
A full day is up to eight hours on site, one photographer. What you’re really getting is a wide spread of photos that different people in your organization can use: the standard shots you need, a few more creative ones, and a first edit you can put to work right away. Here’s how the day goes. For what it costs, see what event photography costs.
Before the day
I like to have the full shot list from the planner or whoever owns the day, along with the schedule and anything tied to a specific time or place. I plan the day from that the day before.
I also want a direct line to the right people. That’s often a text or chat group with the planner and whoever needs highlights during the event, so a special request in the middle of the afternoon doesn’t get lost.
When I arrive
I get there about an hour and a half to two hours early. That gives me time to set up properly, and it’s a buffer for the day the schedule pushes late. A day that starts calm tends to stay that way.
Through the day
The standard shots come first: everything on the list, the people who have to appear, the moments that only happen once. Then, when there’s room, I add extra frames that are a little more dynamic and creative. You end up with both: reliable event photos you can use right away, and a few that are more artistic.
I shoot most events on Fujifilm, with a film simulation on and JPEGs saving, so a finished-looking first edit exists immediately if you need photos fast for social media.
The end of the day
Events often finish with group photos, and I bring out the flash for those. Sometimes there’s dancing or a cocktail hour to cover too.
Who uses the photos
The point of the day is range. Marketing, social, the newsletter, the sponsors, and sometimes portraits. If there’s time, schedule an hour or two during the day to photograph your leadership team, and you’ll have new portraits out of the same booking.
What you have afterward
A private gallery at full resolution, usually delivered in one to two weeks. If you need images while the event is still running, ask for same-day highlights and we’ll plan it.
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.
What to send me
The date and the venue, the schedule, the shot list if you have one, and the name of whoever I should be in touch with on the day. If you don’t have a shot list yet, here’s what goes on one.
