Event photography packages: what should be included
A real event photography package includes five things: the coverage hours, the edit, a press-ready gallery, full usage rights, and insurance. Everything else is detail. In Los Angeles, packaged coverage typically runs from about $600 for a two-hour minimum to $2,400 for a full day — and if a package you're comparing doesn't spell out all five, the price isn't comparable yet. Mine are all-in: the rates are public, and nothing gets billed on top.
Planning an event? Tell me about it →
What's actually in an event photography package
Packages exist so you don't have to negotiate five line items separately. That only works if the package names them. Here's the checklist I'd hold any quote against — including mine:
| Line item | What it should mean | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage hours | A photographer on the floor, working — arrivals through program through candids | Travel and arrival time billed as coverage |
| The edit | Culled, color-corrected, press-ready files — not a card dump | “Editing available” as an upsell |
| Gallery delivery | Downloadable high-res files — a Dropbox link or a private online gallery — with a turnaround in writing (mine is 48 hours) | “You'll get them when they're ready” |
| Usage rights | Full rights for web, press, social, and internal decks | Per-use licensing on photos of your own event |
| Insurance | General liability, with a COI available when required | Can't provide proof of coverage |
The shot list that comes with it
A package is only as good as the shot list under it — agreed before doors open, so we both know what has to be covered. After sixteen years the spine barely changes:
| Frame | Why it's on the list |
|---|---|
| The room before it fills | The one shot the planner and the venue both want, and the easiest to miss |
| Arrivals and the step-and-repeat | Names against the sponsor wall — the press and social currency |
| Speakers, wide and tight | The message of the night, covered from more than one angle |
| Sponsor and brand proof | Logos, signage, product in use — what marketing actually pulls |
| Grip-and-grins | Quick, clean, and done without holding anyone hostage |
| Real candids | People enjoying the event without noticing a camera |
| The group photo | The one frame you cannot reshoot tomorrow |
If your event has its own must-haves — an award moment, a surprise, a specific donor — that goes on the list up front. I'd rather ask two extra questions before the event than apologize after it.
Packages versus hourly: which to book
Hourly with a two-hour minimum ($600) is the right call for receptions, dinners, and anything tightly scheduled — small rooms concentrate the moments, so it's also the best value per photo. A four-hour block (~$1,200) covers most galas and award nights: arrivals, program, and enough of the after-hours energy to fill a recap. A full-day flat rate ($2,400, up to 10 hours) beats stacking hourly for conferences, with overtime past ten hours stated up front, and multi-day programs get quoted as one number on the same day rate. The full math is in my guide to what an event photographer costs in LA.
Red flags in cheap packages
The pattern is always the same: the headline number is low because something isn't in it. An hourly rate that bills the edit separately. A gallery with a watermark and a licensing “upgrade.” No insurance until the venue demands a COI the week of. None of these are hypothetical — they're the stories clients tell me after switching. Before you book anyone, read how to hire an event photographer, then tell me about your event and I'll quote it flat, all-in, same day.
Common questions
Do you offer hourly rates or set packages?
Both. Hourly is $300 with a two-hour minimum ($600) — the right call for receptions and tightly scheduled events. A full day (up to 10 hours) is a flat $2,400, and multi-day programs run on the same day rate, quoted as one number. Longer bookings are more efficient than stacking hourly blocks, so a package usually beats the clock.
Can I add video to a photography package?
Yes. I work with a video partner, Lake Effect Films, as one coordinated stills-and-motion team when an event needs both — recap edits, brand films, sizzle reels, interviews. One point of contact, one shoot.
Can you shoot headshots at the same event?
Yes — quick executive or staff headshots on the side are a common add-on to conference and corporate coverage. Tell me up front and I'll build the time into the run-of-show so it doesn't compete with the main coverage.
How many photos will I get?
Typically 60–200 edited images per hour of coverage, all culled and color-corrected, delivered as a Dropbox link to high-res JPGs — not a raw card dump. The exact count depends on the event; a packed activation yields more usable frames than a quiet dinner.
Do you offer prints or albums?
Delivery is digital-first — a Dropbox link to high-res JPGs your team can download and share, which is what most clients want. Prefer a visual online gallery to view, share, and order prints from? I set one up on request.
