How many event photos will I get, and when? Figures from galas, conferences and corporate events

The number of photos from an event depends primarily on how long the event lasts and what its programme includes, while the number of guests on its own helps to gauge the scale of the event more precisely. Speeches, the official part, the awards ceremony and the photo wall have the greatest impact on the final number of photos delivered, so a particularly large number of photos comes from galas and conferences where many people speak. Posed group photos, on the other hand, make up only a small part of the event and have little impact on the final set.

By far the most photos come from company and themed trips, as I work longer hours on site over several days. On such trips, the daily schedule usually includes far more activities and specific programme items than at one-day events.

Before the event, I can only give an estimated number of photos, as the exact figure depends on what happens on the day. I base this estimate on the length of the event, the programme, the expected number of guests and the type of event. Even events with a similar format and shared features differ from one another, so with every estimate I point out that the final number may turn out higher or lower.

Across the five assignments in the table, I delivered between 190 and 1,000 photos per event to clients. Each of these figures relates to one specific event, so I wouldn't apply them directly to other events. I agreed the deadlines for delivering the full set of photos, shown in the Delivery column, separately with the client on each assignment.

For the mFaktoring gala and the 40th-anniversary event, the client received a package of selected photos earlier: for the gala, 30 photos by the following morning, and for the event, within 24 hours.

The two galas in the table are the easiest to compare with each other, as both lasted around 6 hours and had a similar number of guests. From the mFaktoring 30th-anniversary gala, where I worked alone, I delivered 220 photos, and from the awards gala, where two of us worked, we delivered 450. I described the entire course of the first one in a post about what a photographer's work at a corporate gala looks like.

I select event photos so that they show the full course of the event without unnecessary repetition or weaker shots. I treat selection as the editorial part of my craft, so when choosing, I care first about which photos go in, and only then about how many there are.

Many of the photos taken on site are repeats of the same moment, and I choose the best of them. The client receives full coverage of the event, and the number of photos after selection is around 10-15% of all the photos I took during the event. At the same time, I try to deliver as many meaningful photos as possible so that the set is complete.

Sometimes the client tells me before the event how many photos they need. I treat that number as a starting point, and the final selection depends on what happened on the day, so the photos cover the entire event even when that means more of them. I don't charge extra for additional photos, and if the time on site runs longer, I bill the extra hours in the standard way, according to the agreed price list. I've described the other factors that affect the quote in my post on what determines an event photographer's price.

I usually agree the delivery deadline for the event photos with the client before the event, and if no date has been set in advance, I deliver all the photos within a maximum of 4 working days, in most cases sooner. I've covered the other points to discuss before the event in my post on what to agree with the photographer before the conference.

For multi-day events, such as company trips, the deadline for the full set of photos is longer, because several days of shooting mean far more photos to select and colour grade. For the same reason, I don't recommend asking for both the shortest possible deadline and the largest possible number of photos at the same time. If some of the photos are needed straight away, it's better to agree on a smaller package in the form of event highlights or selected shots, and to receive the full set by the agreed deadline.

Event highlights are usually 10-20 selected shots, which I can deliver on the same day. The sooner the organiser receives them, the better, because in the events industry coverage of an event quickly goes out of date. Most often, such a package is needed right after the event ends, when I can sit down at the computer for a moment and prepare the selected photos.

Clients rarely need photos during the event itself, which allows me to focus entirely on taking photos and capturing complete coverage. If the photos are to be ready while the event is still running, time is needed to prepare them, or a second person to take over the photography in the meantime, so that the coverage of the event can continue. I recommend agreeing on such a package before the event.

I write more about how I work at corporate events on the corporate party photographer Warsaw page.