Corporate Event Photography Pricing
How much should I budget for corporate event photography?
Imagine this…You’re in charge of organizing your corporation’s annual sales conference, a high-pressure event, and need to ensure you have photographic evidence that it was the company’s greatest conference of all time. So…without any knowledge of corporate event photography pricing, how much do you need to set aside in your budget?
A professional event photographer should fit seamlessly into your event to capture candid moments, group shots, details like decor and food, any VIPs, highlight moments and more. Securing a professional corporate event photographer ensures you’ll have lasting memories and evidence of your events success and the day’s most important moments, whether your event is corporate or social.
What factors influence corporate event photography pricing?
Corporate photography pricing can vary greatly from photographer to photographer. Some photographers may charge by the hour, while others sell package rates that include travel, post-production, albums, etc.
Event photography pricing can also depend on your event. If your event is expecting a large number of guests or is longer than a couple of hours, you may need to consider hiring a team of photographers to ensure all your important moments are captured.
In my home city of Phoenix, event photography pricing will range anywhere from $200-$600 an hour. This depends on a variety of factors, including the event itself (does it require more formal corporate photography pricing or can more relaxed event photography pricing be applied), the number of attendees, the date and length of the event, location, as well as season. In Arizona, photographers are very busy in the spring and fall, and therefore corporate event photography pricing can be much higher than in the height of summer.
What does my photographer need to know in order to provide a customized event photography pricing list?
In order to successfully secure a photographer for your event, it’s often helpful if you are able to provide a few additional key pieces of relevant information in order for us to provide a realistic event photography pricing list:
- How many edited images you expect to receive
- If you expect to receive the photos edited or unedited
- How quickly the photographer needs to turn around edited images
These factors all can have a great amount of influence when negotiating corporate event photography pricing. If the event photography pricing list you receive from your photographer seems higher than anticipated, consider all of the additional work that goes on behind the scenes and in post-production. Aside from the general cost of business, photographers are often on the hook for travel expenses, self-employment taxes, potentially hiring an assistant, as well as (and this is important) high-quality photography and videography equipment and training. It’s important to keep in mind that the better the photographer, the better the equipment they’ll have, the more experience they’ll have, and the better result that you’ll see in the end.
How do I find a photographer?
So, now that you know are familiar with Phoenix event photography pricing, let’s talk about where to look when beginning your search for a photographer. There are tons of ways to research, after all, if you’re reading this you obviously have access to the internet. Word of mouth is always a great place to start…Ask your friends, family, and coworkers if they have any recommended photographers. Often times, photographers who shoot weddings are also available and happy to shoot corporate and non-wedding related events.
Another way to find reliable corporate photography services is through review sites such as Yelp, Thumbtack, or Google Reviews. Social media is also an amazing way to discover talented photographers. As a photographer, social media is my best marketing tool and one of the most common ways that clients discover my work and reach out to me.
Where can I find event photography pricing?
Generally, experienced photographers will have their event photography pricing listed on their website, accompanied by a list of services that their event photography pricing includes. If for any reason they don’t provide pricing on their website, you shouldn’t take this as a bad sign. Every event is different, so photographers may just asses each potential gig on an individual basis and should be able to provide you a customized event photography pricing list.
Final thoughts on budgeting for corporate event photography pricing
As always, it’s important to remember that in the world of photography, you generally get what you pay for. Always review the photographers’ work, ask if you can reach out to any of their former clients that have hired them in a similar capacity, and make sure you are in agreement with expectations, both on day-of the event as well as post-production work and final product delivery.
Don’t be afraid to interview a wide array of photographers. You may find that for your event, going with a more experienced photographer will be worth the budget allocation, or perhaps your event is more laid back, like a birthday or retirement party, and you might be okay going with hiring a less experienced photographer for either a lower price or more payout at the end, such as longer hours, a printed album or a larger number of edited images.
Always consider your event…Is it a black-tie formal corporate affair, or a laid back birthday party in a backyard? Make sure you are asking all the important questions, and don’t be afraid to ask your potential hire “Why you? Convince me that I should hire you.”
