Event photography in Naperville, for the people running the event.
Conferences, galas, luncheons, golf outings, fundraisers, grand openings, and the company party. One photographer who reads the room and delivers photographs your team can use for the recap, the press release, the sponsor thank-you, and next year’s invitation.
You are not hiring a photographer for yourself.
You are hiring one so your executive director, your board, your sponsors, your speakers, and your marketing person all get what they were promised, and so nobody spends the week after the event chasing photos. That is the job, and I have been doing it in this town for a long time.
Since 2023 I have covered the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce’s events as its photography and video partner: annual luncheons, award nights, the golf outing, economic forecasts, leadership programs, member socials. Dozens of events, thousands of delivered photographs, and a lot of practice at getting fifty people into one photo before the salad course.
Organizations I photograph.
Events I photograph.
- Conferences, summits, and panels
- Award dinners and galas
- Luncheons and member breakfasts
- Golf outings
- Fundraisers and benefit nights
- Ribbon cuttings and grand openings
- Trade shows and expo floors
- Company anniversaries and holiday parties
- Retirement parties and milestone birthdays
- Graduation and engagement parties
If it is in the western suburbs and people are gathering for a reason, I have probably photographed one like it.
Corporate holiday party photography.
A company holiday party is the one night of the year the whole team is in the same room, dressed up and glad to be there, and the photos get used for the next twelve months: the January newsletter, the careers page, the LinkedIn posts that make the next hire want to work there, and next December’s invitation. I photograph the room as it fills, the toasts and the awards if there are any, the long table, the dance floor once it gets going, and the groups that only exist that night: the department together, the founders with the first hires, the whole company in one photo before people start leaving.
If you want a backdrop station so everyone goes home with a good photo of themselves, that pairs with the coverage and gets quoted with it. More on corporate and team headshots.
The Best of Naperville 2026 party, photographed for Naperville Magazine, is a good look at what a full room looks like in my photos.
How the day goes.
- Before.
- We talk once. I want the run of show, the names of the people who must be photographed, where the sponsor signage lives, and what the photos are for. That last part decides how I shoot: a recap gallery and a press release want different photos.
- Setup.
- The empty room, the table settings, the signage, the step-and-repeat, the venue looking its best. Those are the photos your venue and your sponsors ask for later, and you only get them once.
- During.
- The podium moments, the award handshakes done cleanly and quickly, the candid room, sponsor logos in frame, group shots wrangled fast so people get back to their tables. I work the room without becoming part of it.
- After.
- The finished gallery comes back, ready to use.
Video on the same day, from the same chair.
A highlight reel for social, the keynote recorded cleanly, a sponsor thank-you cut, two-minute interviews with your award winners. When the event needs video as well as photographs, I bring both, and you get one quote, one person on site, and one delivery. No second vendor to coordinate and no two crews getting in each other’s way at the podium.
What comes back.
- The full edited gallery, online, shareable with your team and your sponsors, downloadable in one click.
- Full-resolution files, licensed for the uses we agree on in the quote. For most events that is internal use and social posts; marketing, print, and press are easy to add.
- If you need photos the same night, or a short set of picks for a fast recap, both are add-ons. Say so when you ask for a quote.
What it costs.
Tell me the date, the venue, the hours, and what the photos are for, and the quote comes back in writing.
Questions people ask before they book.
How far in advance should I book?
As soon as you have a date. Put it in the quote request and I’ll tell you if it’s open.
Do you photograph private events, or only corporate?
Both. Milestone birthdays, retirement parties, anniversaries, graduation parties, engagement parties. The same approach, the same delivery, a smaller guest list.
Can we get some photos the same night?
Yes, as an add-on. If a press release or a social post has to go out before the gallery is ready, say so when you ask for a quote and we build it into the plan and the price.
Do you shoot video too?
Yes. Highlight reels, recorded remarks, social cutdowns, and short interviews, shot the same day by the same person. It is quoted with the photography, in writing.
Do you travel outside Naperville?
Yes. Most of my events are in Naperville and the western suburbs, and I regularly work in the city and across the region.
Who owns the photographs?
You get a license for the uses we agree on in the quote, for as long as you like. Most events need internal use and social; marketing, print, and press can be added. I keep the copyright, which is standard, and it does not limit the uses you’ve licensed.
Will you get the group shots?
Yes, and quickly. Group shots are where events lose momentum, so I plan them with you ahead of time, gather people fast, and get them back to their seats.
Do you photograph company holiday parties?
Yes. Office parties, the department dinner, the whole company out at a restaurant or a venue. Same approach as a gala: the room, the people, the groups, the moments, and a gallery your team can post from.
Is it too late to book a holiday party photographer?
Tell me the date. December fills early. If it’s open I’ll say so and we sort the details, and if it’s taken I’ll tell you straight and point you to someone good.
Can you set up a photo station at the party?
Yes. A backdrop and light in a corner of the venue, people step in for a couple of minutes, and their photos are delivered after the party along with the gallery. It’s quoted with the coverage, in writing.
Related reading.
Still comparing photographers? I wrote down the eleven questions I’d want you to ask any of us, and a checklist for the host that you’re welcome to steal.
Tell me the date.
If it’s open, I’ll say so and we sort the details. If it’s not, I’ll tell you straight and point you to someone good.
If what you need is somebody who handles the whole story of your business, not one event, that is the other half of what I do. How I work