Event Photography Pricing

How much does an event photographer in Melbourne cost in 2023?

Common questions that we’re asked are ‘How much is an event photographer?’ and ‘What are the prices for event photography?’.

We probably shouldn’t be surprised that these are the very next questions a client asks once they have found a professional event photographer’s website that is displaying photos that fit with their moodboard or photography brief.  After all, we’ve all got budgets to work within!

Obviously all events are unique, so we quote according to the brief and what the client requires as an end product, but here are a few ball park figures to help with planning your event.

Further detailed explanations are given below, but these offer an accurate picture of event photography pricing in Melbourne in 2023:

Daily rate (8 hours) $2000 – $3500 + GST

Half day (4 hours) $1600 – 2000 + GST

2 hours $800 – 1000 + GST

What are typical event photography costs, and what’s included?

An event photography quote will usually include the photographer’s time and expertise on the day, for the agreed amount of time.  

Usually (but not always!) this will also include the post processing of the images.

The average hourly rate for event photographers in Melbourne is between $350 – $500 per hour of shooting, depending on the type of event, duration of event, number of guests, end use of images.

Do event photographers offer discounts?

NGO, not-for-profit and charity organisations sometimes benefit from a more preferential rate of around $300-$450 per hour, depending on the size and scope of the event, as well as planned usage of images.  

Some photographers are more open to being flexible with their rates than others when it comes to working in the not for profit or charity sector so it’s often worth organising a time to detail what you have in mind to see if it aligns with their values and areas that they prefer to support.  

For example, we generally provide one pro-bono event photography service per year, and other enquiries are then offered a less expensive pro-bono rate.

Is it cheaper to book a photographer all day?

Photography quotes are often based on the number of hours onsite, with most photographers preferring to be working onsite for a whole day rather than just an hour.  

Most event photographers will quote for a minimum of a 2 hour booking, whether you require just one hour or two as they want to maximise the use of their available time and don’t have to spend hours sat in traffic getting between jobs.

For example, a 2 hour booking is likely to be between $800 – 1000, which is an hourly rate of between $400 and $500. 

Contrast this with an 8 hour booking, which is most likely to be quoted at between $2400 – $3500, and hourly rate of between $300 and $450.

You may find that some photographers increase their hourly rate slightly during weekends and public holidays.

As well as the photography time included in the quote, a pre-event consultation on the phone, via skype/facetime, or in person to discuss the client’s requirements and to start building an effective working relationship.

Delivery of images is another factor that may be charged as an additional service by photographers, with most including online delivery via dropbox, wetransfer or google drive as part of the quote.  

Should you require an online gallery, or a service where guests can download images for themselves, this is likely to be an additional cost.  

Images delivered on a USB or hard drive may incur additional costs, but these are often just the cost price of the item.

How much does a second photographer charge?

If you require more than one photographer, often the second photographer is charged at a slightly cheaper rate per hour as they are under the direction and management of the first photographer.  These additional photographers have usually worked with the lead photographer on a regular basis.

The photography is thus usually split between the photographers with one shooting stationary action such as speakers on stage, branding or exhibition spaces, while the second is photographing audience reactions, guests interacting and socialising photos, as well as alternative angles on what the main photographer is covering.

Do Photographers charge for travel and parking?

The short answer is, it depends.

As a guide, most event photographers in Melbourne include travel costs for locations within approximately 30km of Melbourne CBD.  Beyond that, you may find that they charge a fixed fee or the 72c per km or as advised by the ATO.

Do you get what you pay for with photography?

Usually, yes. We’ve seen some ridiculously low prices from Uber style photography businesses that act as the conduit between client and photographer.  If you haven’t guessed which company we’re referring to, the brand starts with an S and rhymes with Crapper.

We were recently passed an email from another photographer who had been approached by Snappr, with the opportunity to photograph restaurant menu items for Door Dash.  We were quite shocked at the rates of pay on offer for the quality and amount of photography required, with rates set at:

$93.6 AUD per 1.5-hrs shoot

$116.35 AUD per 2-hr shoot

$139.1 AUD per 2.5-hr shoot

$161.85 AUD per 3-hr shoot

It’s hard to imagine a professional photographer taking on any of these jobs, which we’re guessing most likely means they’re being taken by amateurs or student photographers?  If you’re a photographer for a brand like Snappr, we’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with it so drop us a line below using the contact form below.

Do photographers require a deposit?

Some event photographers charge a deposit of 50% to hold a booking.  

We’re flexible and usually charge clients we have worked with previously following the event, once we have edited and delivered the images.

New clients are invoiced a deposit of 20% to make a booking, with the balance payable following the event and delivery of images.

If you’re planning an event and looking to commission a photographer, please contact us with the details of your event so that we can give you a detailed, accurate and (perhaps most importantly!) competitive photography quote. Photographers in different genres often charge varying fees so we recently wrote an extensive articles on the different type of photography rates in Melbourne.

Now that you’ve learnt more about event photography pricing, read our 60 second guide on how to brief a photographer.