When you get a quote for conference or event photography, it can be hard to know whether you’re getting a good deal. Prices vary wildly across the industry, and it’s not always clear what’s included. Here’s a transparent breakdown of what event photography pricing actually covers — and what to watch out for.
What Should Be Included
A professional event photography quote should cover the complete service from start to finish. At From the Hip Photo, every quote includes:
Pre-event planning: A coordination call to review your schedule, build a coverage plan, and align on deliverables. This typically takes 30-60 minutes and saves enormous time on event day.
On-site coverage: A full-time lead photographer (not a part-timer, not a subcontractor) for the contracted hours. Our team of five full-time photographers has years of conference-specific experience.
Retouching: Expert post-processing on every image in your gallery — color correction, exposure adjustment, cropping, and light skin retouching where appropriate. We deliver 50+ retouched images per hour of coverage.
Digital delivery: Your full gallery delivered via a private online platform within two weeks. Download in full resolution, share with stakeholders, and re-access for at least 12 months.
Usage rights: Royalty-free, perpetual usage rights on every image. Use them anywhere — website, social media, print materials, sponsor reports, annual reports — with no additional licensing fees, ever.
What Some Photographers Charge Extra For
Watch out for these common add-on charges that can inflate your final bill:
Retouching fees: Some photographers quote a shooting rate only and charge per-image for retouching. This can add 30-50% to your total cost. Usage licensing: Some photographers retain image rights and charge separate fees for each use (web, print, social). This is a legacy model from editorial photography that doesn’t belong in corporate event work. Travel and parking: For Denver-based events, we don’t charge travel fees. The only out-of-pocket is parking if the venue doesn’t provide it. Rush delivery: Same-day selects are included at no extra charge for multi-day conferences. For single-day events, expedited delivery may be available as an add-on.
Our Pricing at a Glance
Half-day coverage (up to 4 hours) starts at $2,000. Full-day coverage (up to 8 hours) starts at $3,800. Multi-day conferences are custom-quoted, with most falling in the $6,500 to $15,000 range depending on scope. Headshot stations start at $800/hour with same-day delivery included. B-roll video add-on starts at $1,500.
The effective rate works out to roughly $425-500 per hour of coverage when you factor in everything that’s included. That’s competitive with — or better than — most professional conference photography studios in the country, and well below what you’d pay in New York, San Francisco, or Chicago.
Getting a Custom Quote
Every conference is different, and a good photographer should quote based on your specific needs — not a one-size-fits-all price sheet. Tell us about your event, and we’ll put together a detailed proposal with options. See our pricing guide for reference points, and email chat@fromthehipphoto.com to get your custom quote.
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