“Photography has no rules, it is not a sport. It is the result which counts, no matter how it is achieved.” – Bill Brandt
Event photography pricing can be a complicated subject and so we will attempt here to simplify it as best we can.
While most professional photographers are happy to discuss their event photography pricing, you will still find a few now and then, who are reluctant to be upfront about the subject and will provide a vague quote at best. Pinning them down to a fixed price can be more challenging than nailing jelly to a wall.
Planning events is a complex, challenging affair, without outside contractors making life even more difficult for you, and to this end, Splento makes things as simple as possible, with a simple fixed price that keeps everyone happy.
When seeking out a quote for an event photography price, the initial reaction from most is often a sharp intake of breath, followed by “How much?” – even when prices are quite reasonable.
So before we look at the hard numbers, let’s take a moment to consider what you are paying for when you are weighing up your budget for your event photography prices.
You get what you pay for – but what are you buying?
We could write several articles about what to look for when hiring a professional photographer (in fact, we have done) but here we will just skim over a few key points of what to look out for when hiring a photographer for an event, and why these factors influence the price of event photography.
Experience and training
First and foremost, you are hiring a professional, and that cannot be understated. A professional photographer is not a ‘point and shoot’ expert, they are a dedicated professional who understands the many factors that make up a great shot:
- Timing
- Image composition
- Lighting (natural and artificial)
- Colours
- Movement
- Interest
- Capturing ‘the moment’
- The emotion of a scene
…to name just a few. Event photography requires all of these to be applied, often in a fast-moving environment and while reacting to unexpected moments as they occur in real-time.
It takes thousands of hours of training and experience to become a professional at anything – and all of this is then channelled into each image taken.
Equipment
Let’s face it, photography equipment isn’t cheap – as is repair, replacement and general maintenance.
And the quality of equipment plays a significant role in the quality of the finished product – although equipment alone does not make a great photo.
The best equipment in the hands of an amateur will, at best, produce an amateur photo.
Insurance
One thing to always check when you are hiring a photographer is their professional liability insurance; if it’s not comprehensive, look elsewhere.
Insurance is always important for every photographic job, but even more so for events, as by their nature, they involve members of the public.
What’s included?
Look for a photographer with a comprehensive package that includes all essentials in their event photography pricing.
It’s OK if they list optional extras separately, as not all events need all services they offer, but the basics should be included in their pricing.
Here, we are talking about editing/retouching, the speed of delivery of the finished photos, reasonable travel distances, all necessary equipment and personnel, as well as image use (copyright).
One final word – before hiring, always look at a photographer’s portfolio to gauge for yourself if their standard of work meets your expectations.
Event photography pricing – how much does it cost?
With that explanation out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks – how much does event photography cost?
Well – there are probably as many answers to that question as there are photographers, but fortunately, we can break it down into generalisations to answer the question.
As a rule, there are two approaches to professional photography pricing – per photo and per hour.
For event photography pricing, we can straight away rule our pricing per photo; you will most likely be wanting hundreds of photos – so a price per hour is what you need to be looking at.
The following are, of course, generalisations, but are accurate as a rule of thumb.
Freelance photographers tend to charge a little more than larger photographic businesses, which as always comes down to economies of scale.
Another point to note is that most photographers offer event photography pricing on a sliding scale; that is, the more hours you book them for, the more reasonable the hourly rate becomes.
Some will accept bookings only if you meet a minimum number of hours (e.g. minimum 3 hours booking); if your event is quite small/short, this may not be viable for you.
Other photographers will put a cap on the number of photos per hour they will take (or supply, at least). For example, they may take an unlimited number, but only supply 10 or 20 photos per hour of booking.
Another to watch out for is pricing per event type. Some photographers will vary their rates depending on the event, or day of the week. Weddings often attract a premium fee, as can events in large venues (such as a stadium). Others will charge more for weekend work.
So with all that said, let’s talk numbers.
For hiring a professional event photographer in the UK, you can usually expect to pay, at best, around £1,000 for a day – usually 8 hours. That’s about £125 per hour if you book for a whole day.
For pricing per hour for less than a day, you can expect to pay a minimum of £200 per hour, but often you will find photographers charging £300-£400, especially if it’s just for an hour or two only.
In the USA, $200-$500 is normal.
Freelancers, as we have already mentioned, will often be at the higher end of that scale, with larger photo businesses usually at the lower end.
Remember, many will add travel costs on top of this if your event is outside a certain area or city.
By comparison, Splento takes a slightly different approach. As they say, they always go the extra mile – and this includes their pricing structure.
For a start, they won’t charge more for weekends, or for special events (even weddings). They have a flat fee of just £99 per hour, regardless of booking length, so that’s whether it’s one hour or a full day.
They will take as many photos as possible in each hour – then edit all the best ones for delivery.
Splento pricing always includes photo editing – and delivery within 24 hours of the event.
Additionally, if the event requires it, they can even edit and deliver images on-the-fly, as the day progresses, meaning you can be displaying quality edited photos of your event as it happens.
Photos are delivered to an online gallery at full image quality (not compressed) and, naturally, this includes a commercial use licence.
Additionally, Splento can also provide professional videographers to make your event coverage complete.
For more details, and a free consultation, visit the Splento Events page now.
Event Photography Pricing – FAQs
- What’s included in event photography pricing?
An event photography quote usually includes the photographer’s time and expertise (experience, training) for the agreed amount of time, insurance and photo retouching.
- How much does event photography cost?
UK daily rate (8 hours) £1,000 – £2,000 + VAT
Half day (4 hours) £600 – £1,000 + VAT
2 hours £400 – £600 + VAT
In the USA, $200-$500 (+ GST ) per hour is normal.
- How does Splento price an event photography?
Splento has a flat fee of just £99 per hour, regardless of booking length. The pricing always includes photo editing – and delivery within 24 hours of the event.
- Event photography pricing at Splento – what’s in?
All best photos digitally retouched, delivery in 24 hours, online gallery, commercial use license, high resolution photos.
Contact Splento if you are in need of:
