Corporate events: what an event photographer in Cape Town covers
Corporate events in Cape Town run from conferences at the CTICC and Century City to launches at the V&A Waterfront and year-end functions at GrandWest, wine estates and restaurants. Coverage usually includes:
- Arrivals, registration and branding;
- Speakers and presenters, on stage and with the audience;
- Networking and guests;
- Awards and group photos;
- Food, décor and venue details (a full menu shoot for a restaurant is a separate booking, described on the food photographer in Cape Town page).
Send the run sheet with your enquiry so the quote matches the hours that matter. Team portraits on the same day are covered on the corporate headshots Cape Town page.
A corporate event shot list
| Part of the event | What to capture | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Before doors open | Venue, stage, branding, décor, food set-up | Sponsor reports, the next event's planning |
| Arrivals | Registration, welcome drinks, guests greeting each other | Social media on the day |
| Speakers | Each speaker on stage, wide shots with the audience, Q&A | Press releases, speaker thank-yous |
| Networking | Natural conversations in small groups | Recruitment and marketing |
| Awards | Hand-overs, winners with the trophy, the winning team | Internal newsletters, LinkedIn |
| Group photos | The whole team, departments, VIP guests | Annual report, website |
Year-end functions cluster in November and early December, so book those dates as early as possible.
What you receive after an event
Lee-Ann delivers event photos through a private online gallery. For corporate clients, agree with her up front which file sizes you need for print and for the web, how quickly you need a first set for same-day posting and whether the images will be used in advertising.
Birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions
Lee-Ann photographs milestone birthdays, anniversary shoots, baby showers, christenings and family reunions the same way as a wedding, only shorter: the people, the details and the moments in between. One to two hours usually covers the key part of the day. For a planned portrait session rather than event coverage, see the full range of work she does as a photographer in Cape Town.
Under the chandelier
A wrought-iron chandelier hangs from the peak of a stretch tent above long wooden tables and white chairs, the open sides showing green trees beyond. Shot looking up from table height, the frame records the scale of the space before the guests arrive.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
Set and waiting
The room, photographed before anyone sits down: a long wooden table with a rose-gold sequin runner, glassware, menu cards and greenery, with a curtain of fairy lights and a wine barrel behind. Blurred glasses in the foreground draw the eye down the table.
Photograph: Lee-Ann AlicksBaby showers: the styling before the guests arrive
At a baby shower the décor has usually been planned for weeks, and it looks its best in the few minutes before anyone sits down. Photographing the room first, while every table is untouched, gives the host and the stylist a record of the set-up. The guests, the games and the cake come after.
Pampas down the table
Close in, dried pampas plumes and bunny-tail grass rise from clear glass bottles between white tapers, upturned wine glasses and jute mats, the soft neutrals echoing the linen runner. Pulled back and shot along the length of the table, the same stems lead the eye past leaf-print napkins to the balloon garland and the cake waiting at the far end.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
A chair for the guest of honour
Cream, blush and gold balloons spill around two white arch boards, with a rattan chair shaped like a fan of leaves at the centre and an Oh Baby cake on a white plinth. A step back brings the red brick behind the arch into view, along with the Mom To Be sash draped across the chair.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
Games, then guests
A Find the Guest bingo card overlaps a baby name suggestion card on a white plate, a crystal candlestick soft behind them. Then the room in use: a guest in a floral dress walks the length of the long table towards the balloon arch, the arched windows filling the hall with even daylight.
Photograph: Lee-Ann AlicksMatric dance photography
Matric dance photos are usually taken before the dance, while everyone is fresh: at home, in a garden or at a nearby estate, in the last light of the afternoon. A typical matric session covers:
- Full-length and close portraits that show the dress or suit properly;
- The couple together, posed and candid;
- The details: the corsage, the bouquet, the shoes;
- Family photos with parents and siblings;
- The arrival or departure by car.
Many matric dances fall in the second half of the year, ahead of final exams. Many schools hold them on the same weekends, so book the time slot early.
Room for the gown
Full-length portraits come first, so the layered blush tulle has space to spread across the lawn. Hands on hips beside a stone birdbath, then lifting the skirt mid-step so the ruffles swing: soft overcast light keeps the beaded bodice detailed and the pinks true.
Photograph: Lee-Ann Alicks
On the footbridge
A matric couple lean on the rough log rail of a rustic footbridge and turn to each other mid-conversation. A deep green canopy closes in around them, so the dress and the suit stand out against the leaves.
Photograph: Lee-Ann AlicksMatric dance photo timing
Plan about an hour of photos and start roughly two hours before you need to leave, so make-up and hair are done and the light has started to soften. Work back from the time the school asks you to arrive, and leave room for traffic.
- Solo portraits first, while hair and make-up are fresh.
- The couple once the partner arrives, starting with the corsage and buttonhole.
- Family photos with parents, siblings and grandparents.
- Friends if a group is meeting at the house.
- The departure by car, last.
In Cape Town the sun sets at about 18:10 at the end of July and about 18:45 in late September. On an overcast or windy day, a sheltered garden or a covered stoep keeps the session on track.
Moments to plan for on matric dance night
Beyond the portraits, the moments families most often ask for are the parents' first look at the outfit, close-ups of the corsage and buttonhole, and a group photo with friends. The car makes a natural last frame before the drive.
Emerald satin, two ways
On a sunny tiled stoep she swings the emerald satin out in a wide arc, smiling, and the light catches every fold. At a log fence she looks back over her shoulder and laughs, showing the beaded straps and the open back of the gown.
Photograph: Lee-Ann AlicksEvent photography prices in Cape Town
Lee-Ann quotes events and matric dance shoots per booking. For context, these are typical Cape Town prices:
| Coverage | Typical price |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | from about R1,500 |
| 2 hours | R2,500 – R4,500 |
| 4 hours (half day) | about R7,000 |
| 8 hours (full day) | about R10,500 |
| Each extra hour | about R750 – R1,800 |
These event figures come from other Cape Town photographers' published price lists, not from Lee-Ann, who prices each event when you enquire.
Every other shoot type sits beside these on the photoshoot prices Cape Town list.
Questions people ask
How much does event photography cost in South Africa?
Lee-Ann prices each event when you enquire. Published Cape Town rates run at about R2,500 to R4,500 for two hours, R7,000 for a half day and R10,500 for a full day.
How long is a matric dance photoshoot?
About an hour before the dance covers portraits, the couple, family photos and the departure.
Where should we take matric dance photos?
At home or in a garden with good afternoon light, or at an estate on the way to the venue. Choose somewhere near home or the venue, to keep travel time short.
Do you photograph corporate year-end functions?
Yes, along with conferences, launches and team events across Cape Town.