Morton Visuals has been providing professional convention photography for conferences, annual meetings, and large-scale conventions since 2009. Starting in San Diego, we’ve covered conventions and conferences in major cities nationwide. We expanded to Dallas in 2015 and to the Inland Northwest (including Spokane and Coeur d’Alene) in 2021. Many of our clients have become repeat clients, booking us as their event photographer year after year. This provides them with consistency in style, a photographer who is familiar with their VIPs and key personnel, and the flow of their events. (We love walking in to a venue and having an organization’s leaders recognize us and welcome us!) All of this makes our event photography more effective for their social media, promoting of next year’s event, and ongoing marketing.

  All images Copyright William Morton.

Corporate Event Photography

We pride ourselves on professionalism, and our main focus is on photography for corporate communications. As a matter of face we’ve studied marketing (William Morton earned an MBA degree) and we know how certain types of photos can benefit a campaign, product, or company. We have all the experience, (redundant, top-of-the-line) equipment, and confidence necessary to call ourselves experts in the field of corporate event photography. Because of this, we are well-suited to document your event.

Morton Visuals excels at capturing key moments. We know how to blend into the background as well as capturing images discreetly, or we can mix in with the festivities and encourage the fun.

We’ve covered academic conferences and medical conferences, and we’ve worked with trade organizations and trade shows for their annual meetings and conventions. Learn more about the differences between conventions, conferences and trade shows from industry-leading event management company Cvent. Or continue reviewing the information below.

Event Photography Services

Morton Visuals offers three primary event photography services for conferences and conventions. Additionally, we also offer a bonus service for your sponsors and exhibitors.

Convention Photography – Documentary Coverage

Firstly, we cover all major events. This includes things like breakout sessions, trade shows and exhibits, sponsor/attendee engagement, speakers and presenters, and more. Furthermore, our coverage is extensive and varied, so our photography is usually used for social media throughout the event as well as for marketing next year’s event. This is what most think of when they imagine convention photography or conference photography. For example, view the slideshow at the top of the page.

Conference Headshots

Secondly, if we are not providing extensive documentary coverage – for example, if an organization has an in-house person covering that – we are often hired to provide professional conference headshots. This is undeniably a huge value-added benefit for attendees. As a matter of fact, we have found this to be incredibly popular over the last few years. Because of this we even have a new blog article describing how to offer headshots to your guests. (Tip: offer it as an additional promotion opportunity for an event sponsor!)

Video Interviews and Testimonials

Morton Visuals has begun to offer recording short interviews with key players in your organization. Additionally we can capture testimonials from your guests, where they describe what they like best about your event (and why it’s so valuable to attend). Without a doubt these clips can provide a great highlight reel at your event’s closing. But more importantly they can provide social media content afterwards, and great promotional material for marketing next year’s event!

Trade Show Booth Photography

As a bonus, we are also able to offer your sponsors and vendors professional exhibit photography highlighting their (often very expensive) displays. Since vendors hire us directly for that, it doesn’t cost the event organizers anything. They just need to let their exhibitors know that it’s an option.

Key Benefits of Morton Visuals’ Event Photography

Morton Visuals has been covering events since 2004. In 2009, we made San Diego convention photography and conference photography a core specialty. Then in 2015 we expanded to Dallas, and now cover Spokane and Coeur d’Alene conventions as well. Morton Visuals brings over 14 years of overall event photography experience to your event.

We are happy to travel to your event location, bringing high-quality, high-tech equipment with us. As a matter of fact, we’ve covered venues all over the country, in many major cities. See a partial listing below.

Know what to expect! We are able to lock in pricing and contract for multiple years, even as your event moves to different cities. Obviously this allows you consistency in pricing, budget, and the quality of event photography that you use to market each successive year.

Morton Visuals has several options for providing near real-time images for your near real-time social media use. This helps keeping not only your attendees “in the moment,” but also serving any members who are attending virtually. Of course we can provide select images of highlights throughout the day, or a “daily summary” of highlights at the end of the day. Not surprisingly some clients use these for an opening slideshow the next morning or to keep quality content on your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds.

Morton Visuals can print event photos on the spot. These are great keepsakes, and we can include not only the event name on the photo but also a sponsor logo. Many love the opportunity to provide ongoing advertising long after the event is over.

Morton Visuals has most recently been adding professional headshots at conferences. This is great as a value-added benefit for guests, staff, or VIPs! And if sponsored, can provide advertising exposure for your sponsor.

Often these larger events are one of the only times the full Board of Directors are all together. We can create a beautiful group portrait of the executives, the staff, or any notable group at your event.

We can create quality images of your vendors’ trade show booths or exhibit hall displays. This is particularly valuable for those sponsors or exhibitors who set up larger or more elaborate displays. Of course, this is priced separately, and usually hired by the exhibitors themselves.

All final images delivered are adjusted for optimal exposure, color, and cropping. We weed out the blinks, any unflattering “caught you in mid-sentence” images, etc. Since we know the kind of images necessary for successful marketing, we optimize for those images. Some of these images will have different orientations, extra space to allow text placement, a variety of angles, and more. Our focus is always on providing the most marketable images.

Although our total turnaround time will vary based on the total days/hours we photograph, we always meet our deadlines. Final images are delivered on a large-capacity USB thumb drive or hard drive, depending on the total number of high-resolution images. However, we can also deliver more quickly via online services such as Dropbox. We will always strive to accommodate your preferences.

We understand that we typically fall under a marketing budget, and we do everything we can to work within that budget. We don’t expect (nor want) to be the cheapest event photographer you can find. To set Morton Visuals apart, we make sure that we deliver images that can be used in a variety of ways.

Our professional event photography aims not only to recap your major event, but also to market your company or organization throughout the year. Events provide great opportunities to capture current team photos for websites, quality images to advertise the event for the following year, social media content, and more. The possibilities are truly endless—all from one event! That’s why so many companies book us for their events year after year.

Convention Photography vs Conference Photography

Convention Photography

event photography of the Isagenix convention stage in the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville
Isagenix’s massive stage and light show
lead singer in front of a convention audience in Las Vegas

Conventions tend to be larger events with attendees who represent different companies or groups. The focus is often on building business and trade. Some conventions may include trade shows or exhibit halls, with sponsors showcasing their latest products and services.

Conventions also typically include a wider array of events, such as off-site events that take advantage of the local attractions. After-hours activities are usually plentiful. Additionally, sponsors often contribute huge sums for the opportunity to be showcased.

Attendance is usually easy to project — and that attendance is often boosted by the marketing images of the previous year’s event. Make sure your event photography attracts the most participation from sponsors and attendees alike. And you can do this by choosing an established, professional convention photographer like William Morton and Morton Visuals.

Capturing Speakers on Stage

event photography of keynote speaker Les Brown speaking at the San Diego Convention Center
Les Brown delivers the keynote in San Diego

Most conventions and conferences have featured keynote speakers. Sometimes they are members of the organization. But more likely they are outside speakers delivering a keynote to reinforce company/organization values. Capturing flattering images of these people is critical. And this is especially true of those highly paid speakers in whom the event planners have invested a lot of money.

Terry Watson delivers the keynote for CAI in San Diego
CAI conference keynote at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront

Convention photography highlights these VIPs, and they are extremely helpful in promoting subsequent events.

Morton Visuals always focuses on these key people, whether they are well-known celebrities or the head of the company. Thankfully, William’s timing has become well-tuned. That’s helpful, as he is usually able to capture every smile and intense expression. Shooting convention photography from every angle – even from backstage – provides a wide range of images for social media as well as promotional use.

Engagement and Interaction in Convention Photography

event photography of Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter shaking hands with VIP guests at the APA conference at the San Diego Convention Center
Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter in San Diego

Meeting planners seem to have a few primary goals when planning an event. They want educational and inspiring presentations, engagement, interaction, and promotion. All of this translates to value for attendees. For example, see this handshake between a former First Lady of the United States and a conference VIP. This is not only treasured by the VIP, but the opportunity is highly appealing to potential future attendees.

event photography of a handshake between a vendor and a convention attendee
Trade show vendor meets attendees

Sponsors want the opportunity to promote, usually in the form of an accompanying trade show or exhibit hall. They really love to see their representatives engaging with attendees. From our experience this is consistent for every organization, from academic to MLM companies. And of course Morton Visuals loves to capture that interaction in convention photography.

Meeting planners love to be able to show sponsors that attendees were engaging with them!

Conference Photography

SACSCOC conference stage in Houston
event photography captures a conference presentation at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego

Conferences typically focus on education and the exchange of information. These are popular with academic, medical, and trade organizations. That is because they usually have more presentation-oriented activities, and are a bit smaller than conventions. Some activities can include keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking, and large general sessions designed to inform and educate. 

handshakes all around illustrate conference networking and engagement in our convention photography
Networking and engagement

Budgets are often smaller for conferences, as you may not have as many sponsors investing for the opportunity to market their wares. However, that’s okay — we likely have an event photography package to suit your needs, and can work with you to customize it.

Conference photography is extremely important when trying to get sponsors and potential attendees interested. So show them how much fun, learning, and networking your event provides!


Convention Photography Experience

Aside from major convention centers, we’ve worked numerous other venues around major cities. We are seasoned travelers who have worked many types of events in many different settings. And we may even have experience and connections at the very venue in which you plan to hold your event.

Event Venues We’ve Worked

See a listing of some of the many event venues and cities in which we have provided event photography over the last few years. These include:

  • San Diego Convention Center  
  • Los Angeles Convention Center  
  • Anaheim Convention Center  
  • Palm Springs Convention Center  
  • Sacramento Convention Center
  • Las Vegas Convention Center
  • Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (Dallas)  
  • Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center (San Antonio)  
  • George R. Brown Convention Center (Houston)
  • Gaylord Opryland (Nashville)  
  • Music City Center (Nashville)  
  • Gaylord Texan (Dallas)  
  • Gaylord National Harbor (Washington D.C.)  

 indicates that we’ve worked this location multiple times

Event Photography References

Review some testimonials and recommendations for Morton Visuals from our past convention and conference photography clients. Here are just a few of our favorite quotes:

  • He was very easy to work with, was on time for all sessions and delivered the photos when promised.”
  • …reliable, professional and very consistent in a variety of photographic situations. “
  • Most important is his integrity – he does what he says he is going to do.”
  • He has a unique ability to capture just the right moment.

You can see a full page of references and testimonials for Morton Visuals.

 


Helpful Tips for Event Planners (How to Get Better Convention Photography or Event Photography)

We regularly post helpful articles in our blog to support your event’s success. Here are a few you may appreciate:

We also recommend working with the Visitors and Convention Bureaus in your destination city. They often have a listing of experienced professionals who can help you in all aspects of your event. We are proud partners of VisitDallas and VisitSpokane.

 

Do you have an event coming up that could benefit from corporate event photography? Do you have a Request for Proposal (RFP) for event photography? If so, please contact us to see how we can help you!