Shooting to someone else's run sheet
The run sheet is the event company's plan for the day, minute by minute, and it's the best brief you'll get. Ask for it when you're booked rather than on the morning, and go through it with the producer to mark the moments the client will judge you on: the CEO's welcome, each award being handed over, the sponsor who paid for the dinner, and the group photo that someone always forgets to schedule. Ask for a list of the people who must be photographed, with a headshot if possible, because you won't know the managing director by sight and the client will notice if they're missing.
Agree delivery in writing at the same time. Event companies are often promising their client a handful of images for social media that afternoon and the full gallery soon after, and if you don't know that promise you can't meet it. Say exactly what arrives when (how many selects, by what time, through what link) and price fast delivery as its own line, since editing on a laptop between sessions is real work. Ask who on the day can approve changes, because run sheets slip and the producer may want you somewhere else when the keynote runs over.
Three parties and one licence
Copyright in commercial photos sits with the photographer unless you agree otherwise, which the real estate photographers page explains in detail. What makes event work different is that three or more parties want the images, and only one of them booked you.
| Who | What they usually want | What your licence should say |
|---|---|---|
| The event company | A few images for its own portfolio and website | Whether it can use them, and whether it needs the client's approval first |
| The end client | Social media, internal newsletters, next year's promotion, sometimes paid advertising | That the client is licensed by name, for which uses and for how long |
| Sponsors and speakers | Photos of their logo, stand or talk | Whether the client can pass images on to them, or whether they license from you |
The Australian Copyright Council says assignments and exclusive licences need to be in writing and signed to be fully effective, and that even non-exclusive arrangements are best written down because a verbal deal is hard to prove later. It also notes that if a client does own the copyright under a commission, a photographer can still restrain uses that weren't made known at the time, which gives you a basis for charging when the conference photos turn up on a billboard. If an event company asks for an assignment of copyright, price it as a different product from a licence. Keep the moral right to be credited in your terms too, since the client's marketing team may not think to credit you otherwise.
Photographing the people in the room
A photo of an identifiable person is personal information under the Privacy Act, according to the OAIC. A small photography business may sit under the Act's $3 million turnover threshold for small businesses, but the event company or its corporate client often doesn't, and the OAIC says covered organisations must take reasonable steps to tell people who is taking the images and what they're for. In practice that usually means the client's notice at registration and signs at the door, so ask what the client has told attendees before you start, and ask whether anyone has opted out. A coloured lanyard or sticker for people who don't want to be photographed is easy to work with if you know about it.
Two other points matter even if your own business is exempt. The OAIC says images that reveal someone's race, ethnicity or religion are sensitive information and need consent, which is relevant at cultural and faith-based events. And since 10 June 2025 there has been a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, which can be brought against any person or organisation, so photographing someone where they'd reasonably expect privacy, such as a parents' room or a quiet room, is worth avoiding entirely. People's likenesses aren't protected by copyright, the Copyright Council says, but other law can still apply to how they're used.
Children need extra care. The OAIC suggests talking to a parent or guardian before photographing a child, depending on the child's age. In Queensland a blue card is needed if you take photos at children's performances, competitions or pageants or mainly photograph children, though not if you don't mainly photograph children, so a family day at a corporate event is different from a junior awards night. Check your own state's working with children rules before you accept a children's event.
Insurance for someone else's venue
The event companies page covers public liability that runs through bump-in and bump-out. For photographers, two more covers are worth having. Professional indemnity covers claims that your service caused the client a loss, according to business.gov.au, which is the risk when a card fails or a gallery arrives after the client's deadline. Equipment cover is the other, and business.gov.au notes that electronic equipment insurance applies at a specific location and doesn't cover theft, so check your policy covers gear you carry into venues. Some venues also ask to be named as an interested party on certificates, or ask the event company for a workers' compensation certificate for each supplier it brings in, so check early what the venue wants from you. The photographers page lists other buyers worth writing to, and if you'd rather not write to event companies yourself, Curlew writes to event producers near you in your business name.
A first email you could send
Hi Mel, I’m a corporate event photographer based in Newstead and most of my work is conferences and awards nights around Brisbane. I shoot from your run sheet and VIP list, can send a set of selects within an hour of the keynote, and my standard licence names your client so they can use the images for their marketing. Public liability and equipment cover are current. If your regular photographer is ever booked out, would it be worth keeping my details on file? Jess If this isn’t for you, just let me know and I’ll leave it there.
An example only. The business is made up.