Aaron May Event photography Request a proposal
Wide view of a packed hall of attendees at round tables looking toward a lit stage under a wood-paneled ceiling.

Corporate + event photography

Your event has a job to do. So should the photographs.

Conference coverage, corporate events, and on-site headshots, planned around the people, moments, and pictures your organization actually needs.

Edited galleries, delivered within 1 to 2 business days.

Based in the Mid-Atlantic. Covering Washington, DC and events across the U.S.

Recent event work

Organizations I have photographed for.

Three panelists seated on a stage in front of a CDIA logo wall, with a blue carpet in the foreground.

Event photography for CDIA, including CDIA Connect, a multi-day conference in Washington, DC.

A faculty member in academic robes stands in front of a SANS Technology Institute commencement banner.

Corporate events and commencement for SANS and the SANS Technology Institute.

Since 2023, I have also photographed a long list of events at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, from policy briefings to awards programs.

Good event photographs show the whole room, not just the podium.

Anyone can photograph a speaker at a lectern. The pictures your team ends up using are usually the others: the person in the third row who just heard something they did not expect, two people who finally got to meet in the hallway, a full ballroom a few minutes before the keynote.

I work to get all of it, and to get it without anyone feeling like they are being photographed. You end up with a gallery your communications team can use right away, for social media, press, the recap email, and next year's sponsor deck.

My job is to get the photographs without becoming part of the event.

I know how these days run.

Agendas slip. A keynote runs long, a VIP arrives early, a sponsor wants one more group shot before lunch. I have worked enough of these to expect it, and I am usually already standing where the next thing is going to happen.

Since 2023, a lot of that has been at the National Press Club, along with hotel ballrooms, university halls, and private venues around the region. I am comfortable around executives, speakers, and press, and I stay out of the way of all of them. I am based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, about ninety minutes from DC, and I work events across the Mid-Atlantic and around the country.

Full group photo of the whole crowd under the event screen.
Low angle along the blue-skirted stage, audience legs in the foreground.

Plan the photographs around what happens next.

Before the event, I want to know where the photographs are going. It changes what we intentionally photograph, and it keeps the gallery useful instead of just full.

If you are not sure yet, that is fine. We can sort it out when we build the coverage plan.

  • The recap email and post-event report
  • Social media
  • A sponsorship deck
  • Your website
  • The annual report
  • Next year's registration campaign
  • Internal communications
  • Press and media

Event coverage

Events I cover

  1. Conferences and summits

    Keynotes, breakouts, panels, the exhibit floor, sponsor signage, and the hallway in between. I work from your agenda and adjust when it changes, which it will.

    Speaker at lectern with flag, audience in foreground, balcony and flags behind.
  2. Receptions and networking

    Candids, a few group shots if you want them, and the sponsor moments your team needs to show later. I keep it loose so people stay relaxed.

    Two attendees leaning in together.
  3. Awards and ceremonies

    The presentation, the handshake, the look on the winner's face, and a portrait of each recipient if there is a good spot for it.

    Three winners holding trophies against blue drapes at an awards event.
  4. Association and policy events

    Panels, briefings, member meetings, and receptions, often in rooms with flags, TV cameras, and a strict schedule. I have done a lot of these.

    Panel table in a diagonal line, flag.
  5. Multi-day events

    The same careful eye on every day, with galleries sorted by day and session so your team is not hunting for anything.

    Full group photo of the whole crowd under the event screen.
  6. Executive and VIP coverage

    Leadership, keynote speakers, and special guests, photographed quietly. If someone can give you ten minutes for portraits between sessions, I can make good use of them.

    A packed National Press Club ballroom listening to Bernie Sanders speak from the podium.

Headshots

Corporate headshots, on site.

Scheduled headshots for the people your organization needs photographs of, set up where your team already is, so it fits into the day instead of pulling people out of it.

Headshots can be part of an event or a standalone assignment. If your executives, speakers, or board members are all in one place anyway, that is a good time for portraits too.

Good for

  • Executives and leadership teams
  • Board members
  • Employees and new hires
  • Speakers and panelists
  • Conference attendees

Tell me who needs photographs and where, and I will build a schedule into your proposal.

Ask about headshots
  1. Tell me who needs photographs

    Who they are, how many, and where. A conference, an office, a leadership offsite.

  2. We build the schedule

    I plan around your day, so people come through at set times and the rest of the event keeps moving.

  3. Your team gets edited headshots

    Finished photographs in an online gallery, ready for websites, directories, and press.

Recurring events and travel

Your event can move. The working relationship can stay.

For recurring events, it helps to work with someone who already knows your people, your brand, and your priorities. You should not have to start over with a new photographer every time the conference changes cities.

I am based in the Mid-Atlantic and available to travel for events across the U.S. We will work out the coverage and the travel as part of the proposal, so the plan is clear before you book.

Tell me about your calendar

Over time, I learn

  • Your executives and the guests who matter most
  • Your brand priorities
  • The rhythm of your events
  • How you like the photographs to look
  • What your communications team needs
  • How and when you want delivery

Pricing

Straight answers on price.

Every event is a little different, so I quote each one. These are starting points, so you can budget before we talk.

The final number moves with the hours, the number of days, how quickly you need photographs, and whether you want a second photographer.

By the hour

A reception, a panel, a briefing, or an awards program.

from$500

per hour, 2 hour minimum

Edited images, delivered within 1 to 2 business days of the event.

Half day

A shorter conference, a ceremony, or a long reception.

from$1,750

up to 4 hours

150+ edited images, delivered within 1 to 2 business days of the event.

Full day

A conference, a summit, or an all-day meeting.

from$3,250

up to 8 hours

250+ edited images, delivered within 1 to 2 business days of the event.

Multi-day

I would rather cover your real agenda than squeeze it into a daily rate.

Custom

a quote built around your schedule

Delivery planned around your agenda, in your quote.

Additional coverage is from $500 an hour.

Everything is included.
Add only what your event needs.

  • 150+ edited photographs on half-day coverage, 250+ on a full day
  • 1 to 2 business days to your finished gallery
  • One photographer who plans the day with you

Also in every booking: a Standard Business Usage License, a private online gallery for downloading and sharing, and backup gear with your images backed up as I go. Clear pricing, with any travel or venue costs shown in your quote up front.

Tap what you want. Nothing is booked or charged.

Request my proposal

If you need photographs fast.

Standard delivery is within 1 to 2 business days of the event. If your communications team needs images the same day, tell me and we will plan for it, whether that means a handful of finished photographs to post that afternoon or the whole gallery on a faster clock.

  1. Same-day selects

    A small set of finished photographs you can post while people are still talking about the event.

  2. Next-day delivery

    A fuller selection, edited and waiting for you first thing the next morning.

  3. Rush on the full gallery

    Everything, edited, on a shorter clock than usual, for when the whole team needs it.

More from the rooms

Click any photograph to see it large.

Speakers and panels

Keynotes, panels, and the person at the audience microphone.

Networking and receptions

Hallways, coffee lines, and cocktail hour.

Conferences and summits

Full rooms, big stages, and ceremonies.

Details and branding

Signs, programs, swag, and anything a sponsor paid for.

People being actual humans at corporate events

Laughing, listening, and getting very into the prize wheel.

How it works

  1. Tell me about the event

    The date, the place, the schedule so far, and what the photographs are for.

  2. We build the coverage plan

    I plan around your agenda, your people, and where the pictures are going, so the gallery is useful and not just full.

  3. You get a clear proposal

    Coverage, deliverables, travel if there is any, and the price, all in one place. When you are ready, you sign and pay a retainer to reserve the date.

  4. I photograph, you get the gallery

    You run the event and I stay out of your way. Your team gets an edited gallery that is easy to download and share.

Common questions

Do you travel?

Yes. I am based in the Mid-Atlantic and available for events across the U.S. Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania are regular work for me. For events farther away, we work out the coverage and the travel together, and your proposal shows the plan before you book.

Who photographs the event?

I do. You deal with me from your first message through delivery of the gallery.

Can you cover a multi-day conference?

Yes, and they are common. I build the coverage around your agenda, and the galleries come back sorted by day.

Can we add headshots?

Yes. Headshots can be added to an event or booked on their own. Tell me who needs them and where, and I will build a schedule into your proposal.

Can you cover our other events?

Yes. Many organizations run more than one event a year, or move a conference from city to city. If you tell me what is on your calendar, we can plan the coverage together and keep it consistent from event to event.

How much does coverage cost?

Starting points are on this page: from $500 an hour with a 2 hour minimum, half days from $1,750, and full days from $3,250. Multi-day events are quoted around your agenda. Your proposal shows the final number, including travel when it applies.

Can we use the photographs for marketing?

Yes. Your organization gets a Standard Business Usage License, which covers your website, press materials, social media, email, presentations, reports, and sponsor decks. Bigger commercial uses, like a major advertising campaign, are handled separately, and the rate guide explains how.

How many photographs will we get?

Half-day coverage includes 150+ edited images and full-day coverage includes 250+. Shorter coverage delivers fewer, based on the length of the event, and a multi-day event is planned in your proposal. The goal is a complete record of the event, without padding the gallery with repeats.

How soon will we get them?

Standard delivery is within 1 to 2 business days of the event. If you need photographs faster, same-day selects and next-day galleries are both available.

Can we get photographs during the event?

Often, yes. Same-day selects depend on the size and schedule of the event, so we plan for them ahead of time. Tell me you need them and I will build it into the proposal.

Do you bring backup equipment?

Always.

Can you work from our shot list?

Please send one. VIPs, sponsor requirements, must-have photographs, and brand guidelines all help, and the more I know ahead of time, the better the gallery will be.

Do you shoot video?

No, only photographs. I am glad to work alongside your video team.

Symposium, full room from the audience tables to the panel and backdrop.

What is on your event calendar?

One reception, a multi-day conference, or a year of events: send me what you know so far. A date, or even a rough window, is plenty to get started.

I will write back with availability and a proposal. Sending this form does not hold a date, and nothing is booked until you sign.

You can also email me directly at aaron@aaronmayphoto.com.

A few optional details, if you have them
What will the photographs be used for?

Most organizational uses are already included. This just helps me plan what to photograph and make sure your proposal includes the right license.

Request a proposal