Event Photography
Capture the spirit of being there.
For the few hours you hire me to cover your event, that place and the people in it become my world. I flit in and out of crowds—sometimes noticed, mostly unnoticed—and capture not just the main act but also how individuals respond to it and to each other. I’ll take a lot of candid shots, but I’m just as comfortable asking someone to pose. I’m fascinated by the expressions on people’s faces as they watch, listen, laugh or dance to a performance; as they celebrate a milestone, learn a new skill, work together, geek out together, or participate in a shared project. My sincere interest in people of all backgrounds engaged in activity of all kinds is reflected in my photography, in the way that I honor both the individual and the collective. And you, as my client, will end up with much more than a set of pictures—you’ll have memories to keep and be proud to share with others for years to come.
“Thank you so much for capturing such amazing photos on Saturday night . . . These are super valuable to us.”
— Levitt at the Falls
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Thanks to a bit of work I've done recently to design my own in-camera digital Fujifilm recipes, I have drastically reduced the amount of time needed to edit my event photos, and I'm passing the resulting savings on to my existing and future clients in the form of a PERMANENT 20% REDUCTION IN HOURLY RATE!
How is this possible? Those who follow me know that I'm an avid fan of Fujifilm X mirrorless cameras and lenses. My two primary workhorses are the X-T5 and the X100V. The biggest reasons I love Fuji are (a) analog controls including a physical aperture ring—allowing for lightning-fast changing depth of field without looking at a screen—and (b) built-in film simulations and recipes which produce beautiful JPEG photos straight out of camera with no need for editing in post.
Until recently I used recipes mostly just for street/fine art photography, preferring to still edit my events as RAW files in Lightroom. However, after having created my own custom indoor and outdoor event recipes, the photos coming from my Fuji cameras are essentially ready for delivery and publication. I still do some minor work in Lightroom, but it's mostly to select deliverable shots, do some occasional cropping and straightening, and adjust exposure where needed. I've calculated that this saves me about one fifth of the total time I spend on the job.
Although I feel that the prices I've charged in the past are more than reasonable for the quality of work I deliver, I recognize that everything has gotten more expensive, which sometimes leaves less room in the budget for photography. That's why I love being able to buck the trend and actually lower my prices—without in any way compromising quality—and hopefully make the decision to hire me a little easier.
Please complete the contact form below to schedule coverage for your next event!
Types of events
I can document your event in a way that truly captures the feeling of being there in person. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of events I can cover for you:
Award ceremony
Cast party
Charity fundraiser
Convention or expo
Family reunion
Live performance
Networking event
Press conference
Public festival
Ribbon cutting
In addition to covering scheduled events, I am also available for reportage and documentary photography in connection with news stories or magazine articles. For an example, see my work for High Country News.
“A fantastic photographer! Serge knows how to capture artists/musicians in the moment in the most authentic way. Highly recommend his work.”
— Daniel Heier, Jazz Musician
Why hire me to photograph your next event?
Your event is special. You’ve put a lot of time, effort and resources into planning it, and you want to make sure that the photos come out right. I’m recognized for my consistency, technical skills, unique artistry, and professionalism. You can be confident that the resulting photos will not only meet the highest technical standards, but also capture scenes and individuals in a way that inspires and brings joy.
In any sizeable city, there are plenty of talented photographers you can choose from to shoot your event. However, it is my background as a fine art and street photographer, trained in catching authentic and spontaneous moments, that makes my images stand out. And as a musician, I also have a deep understanding of how to visually capture musical performances and the artists on stage.
From composition to exposure to final edit, I approach each shot as a work of art—and the results speak for themselves.
Some examples of my work
Standard rates
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Event shoot with basic editing — $175 hourly / $525 half day / $875 full day
Event shoot with full post-production — $200 hourly / $600 half day / $1,000 full day
Style shoot with full post-production — $250 hourly / $750 half day / $1,250 full day
Notes:
Hourly rate is charged from and to photographer’s home near downtown Sioux Falls, and includes travel, setup, shooting, interviews, teardown, breaks, etc. Expenses, including IRS Standard Mileage Rate for Business, are in addition to photography fee. See Photography Agreement for details.
Additional services or equipment (e.g. large group photos, off-camera flash) may incur additional charges.
“Basic editing” refers to high resolution JPEG files created in-camera using a customized Fujifilm simulation, with minor cropping and straightening applied in post.
“Full post-production” refers to RAW camera files edited in Adobe Lightroom with appropriate styles, adjustments and corrections applied, and delivered as high resolution JPEG files.
"Style shoot" refers to a shoot based on specific style guidelines or other direction set by the client.
Target delivery volume is 10-15 edited photos per hour of shooting time. Extra edits and re-edits may incur additional charges.
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Event shoot with basic editing — $100 hourly / $300 half day / $500 full day
Event shoot with full post-production — $125 hourly / $375 half day / $625 full day
Notes:
Hourly rate is charged from and to photographer’s home near downtown Sioux Falls, and includes travel, setup, shooting, interviews, teardown, breaks, etc. Expenses, including IRS Standard Mileage Rate for Business, are in addition to photography fee. See Photography Agreement for details.
Additional services or equipment (e.g. large group photos, off-camera flash) may incur additional charges.
“Basic editing” refers to high resolution JPEG files created in-camera using a customized Fujifilm simulation, with minor cropping and straightening applied in post.
“Full post-production” refers to RAW camera files edited in Adobe Lightroom with appropriate styles, adjustments and corrections applied, and delivered as high resolution JPEG files.
Target delivery volume is 10-15 edited photos per hour of shooting time. Extra edits and re-edits may incur additional charges.
Tax exemption certificate, 501(c)(3) form or similar proof of eligibility must be presented prior to contract signing
Please, no partisan political organizations
Find out more!
I’m based in Sioux Falls—a beautiful, vibrant city in the southeastern corner of South Dakota, only a short distance from Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. Travel to larger cities like Omaha or Minneapolis-St. Paul is not out of the question. Complete the form below to request more information or schedule a shoot. I look forward to hearing from you!