Stan Murzyn Photography (540) 227-7553 Call Stan Murzyn Photography

Gala & fundraiser photographer, Washington DC

Galas

Galas are celebrations worth remembering. Oftentimes, they also do double duty in press releases and marketing. I'm there to capture it all. I've been photographing conferences and galas for national organizations for about a decade now.

A single figure in a blue stage wash at a gala.
Motion blur and color trails on a gala dance floor.
A saxophone player in silhouette, black and white.
A gala crowd under colored light with a sash in focus.
A gala guest with an arm raised in magenta light.
A black and white wide view of a gala stage and ballroom.
A gala guest laughing, photographed alone in the crowd.
A black and white photograph of a performer on a gala stage.
A full dining hall during a gala dinner, seen wide.
A black and white field of out-of-focus lights at a gala.
A gala dance floor with hands in the air.
A backlit black and white photograph of a musician in a hat with a horn.
A speaker gesturing at a podium during a gala program.
Guests arriving at an outdoor gala.

01/14

The room before the doors

Dressed and empty. It's the picture your development team will use for three years of invitations, and it exists for about twenty minutes. I'm there for it.

The program

I photograph the honoree, the speaker and the screen when the number goes up, because those are the frames a board report needs.

Highlights

Same-day highlights if you ask for them, so your thank-you email can go out with pictures in it. Sponsor moments come as a separate set for your sponsorship lead.

Who I work with

Associations, foundations, nonprofits and the committees that run their nights. Charity galas are a big part of what I do, and the ones that need the pictures most are the ones with a goal to hit.

What it costs

Here's what gala photography costs.

Questions I get

When do you arrive?

Before the doors open, so I get the room dressed and empty.

Do you photograph the program or the party?

Both, and they're different jobs. The program needs the speaker, the honoree and the moment the number is announced. The party needs the dance floor. I plan the night so I'm in the right place for each.

Can sponsors get their own images?

Yes. I note sponsor moments on the run of show and deliver them as a separate set for your sponsorship lead.

How fast do we get pictures?

Highlights the same day if you ask for them. The full gallery usually in one to two weeks.

Can we put people from the photos in our ads?

You're hiring me for the photographs. The people in them still own their own faces. For the everyday uses, the recap, your social posts, the newsletter, the press, your own walls, a sign at the door saying photography is happening is the normal practice. If you want a specific person on a billboard, a mailer or a paid ad, that person has to agree to it in writing. That part sits with you as the client, the same as it would with any photographer, and it's worth deciding before the shoot so we can plan those frames.

More questions: all of them in one place.

What people say

Stan is an artist when it comes to photography. He does such an incredible job setting up the atmosphere that is both friendly and comfortable for his clients.

James S.
Stan Murzyn, commercial photographer in Brambleton, Virginia, in a long-exposure black and white portrait

Get in touch

Send me the date, the venue and the head count.