Show Your Best Moments
NYC’s Trusted Event & Conference Photographer
• For New York City corporate conferences, trade shows, and galas
• Same-day selects and a full gallery within 48 hours
• Single or multi-photographer coverage
Capture the spirit of your event
In today’s digital world, conferences and events are rare opportunities to connect personally with your clients and team.
The right photographs extend these moments, fueling your marketing, social media, and internal communications, long after the event has ended.
For over 20 years as an NYC event photographer, I’ve photographed conferences and business events across the city. From large keynotes to intimate client dinners, I know how to be friendly yet discreet, and to adapt under any circumstance — capturing smiles in the stuffiest of rooms, light in the darkest venues, and most importantly, authentic energy in every interaction.
My team and I are known for our speed, reliability, friendliness, and responsiveness.
Tell me about your event, and I’ll send you a quick, tailored quote.
– James Maher
Highlight Client: Skift Media
Melissa Carter
Skift Senior Manager, Creative Team
I’ve had the pleasure of working with James on numerous corporate events over the past few years, and he has consistently been an absolute joy to work with.
James is professional, reliable, and incredibly easygoing, which makes every project run smoothly, even under tight timelines or shifting event conditions. For example, I work for a media company that releases articles about our events in real time. James delivers photos immediately post-session so we can release our articles with high-quality professional photos.
James has an exceptional ability to capture the energy and moments that matter most, and his turnaround time is always impressively fast. James is patient with our teams, proactive in communication, and always delivers high-quality photos that perfectly match our brand’s needs.
We’ve continued to work with James again and again because of his consistency, professionalism, and the trust he has built with our team. I would highly recommend him for any corporate or event photography needs.
Regina Yuen
Skift, Senior Director of Events
Working with James Maher has been an absolute pleasure. He is incredibly easy to collaborate with, always punctual, and makes the entire process seamless from start to finish.
Even with very tight capture schedules, James consistently delivers everything we need—and always turns photos around quickly without sacrificing quality.
His reliability and efficiency make him a true partner.
Experience and Background
I have worked with a wide variety of companies and events in every condition—from photographing tennis on a full court installed in the Grand Hyatt ballroom for the U.S. Tennis Association, to Facebook’s IPO event in the American Museum of Natural History’s Whale Room, to plenty of terribly lit, tiny conference rooms.
For 20 years, I’ve felt privileged to be a fly on the wall for so many fascinating events and conferences. I truly enjoy these jobs and my clients.
I try to anticipate your needs based on my experience so you don’t have to worry about the photography.
Large or Intimate NYC Events
I photograph NYC corporate events, meetings, and conferences of all sizes—from trade shows and keynotes to intimate offsites. I can be a fly on the wall during a quiet speech, and I can walk around capturing candid interactions and happy group shots.
I use flash when needed and turn it off when it isn’t, so the room’s atmosphere stays intact. Low light, mixed light, or stage lighting—I keep skin tones clean and consistent.
Whether your conference is in a large ballroom or a tiny office, you’ll get close, engaged, and enthusiastic images. I pride our team on staying out of the way while still capturing the action.
Same-Day & Next-Day Photos
We live in a social media world, and I specialize in returning top-quality photos fast so you can promote your NYC event right away.
I can send same-day selects during or immediately after events, and every full set of images is delivered within 48 hours.
I take my workflow and post-production work extremely seriously and will create clear, beautiful photographs even in the darkest venues—clean color and consistent skin tones in low or mixed light.
Please let me know if you have specific turnaround needs (press deadlines, executive comms, live posting), and we will make it happen.
Natural, Comfortable Images
“How the HELL do you capture them laughing and smiling?! It’s never been done before. Great stuff!”
This has been my favorite email of all time. No matter how serious the meeting, as long as there are a few light moments, I will manage to get you smiling, engaged images from your events.
I will certainly capture the serious moments, but the relaxed moments can be more elusive—and they are always what I make sure to come back with. My team works quietly so people feel comfortable and natural on camera.
Contact for a Quote
*Fast quotes in 24 hours.
About James Maher
I’m an NYC event & conference photographer with 20+ years of experience in business and corporate events.
As a lifelong New Yorker, I love photographing conferences, meetings, and galas across the city and its landmark venues. Many clients bring me back each year, which means I already know the rooms, schedules, and the shots that matter.
I photograph primarily in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, although I travel along the east and occasionally to the west coast.
Outside of client work, I’m a documentary photographer, NYC historian and guide, and writer (also a huge Knicks and dumpling fan). If you need restaurant or neighborhood recommendations for your attendees, I’m happy to help.
What sets me and my team apart is a calm, unobtrusive approach, consistent lighting in any room, and quick delivery—same-day selects and a full gallery within 48 hours. We can scale from single- to multi-photographer coverage as needed.
If you’re interested in working together, please email me or call 917-494-6712. Including your date, venue, schedule, and deliverables helps me provide an accurate quote.
Event Samples
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Below are sample selects from a variety of events.
These are not full sets of what is provided to clients, but enough to give you a feel of each event.
Trade Show & Expo Photographer (NYC / Javits Center)
New York’s trade shows are large, fast-moving, crowded, and often chaotic—with many sessions, panels, mixed lighting, tight schedules, and quick needs on turnaround time.
My team and I have done it many times, and we move fast and efficiently. From smiling speaker and panel photos to establishing shots, energetic booths, to advertising and product details, we always deliver more than you need.
Whether it’s the Javits Center or any of the major New York venues or ballrooms, we can provide same-day selects and an edited gallery within 48-hours, standard.
Need more coverage? We can provide multiple shooters. COI provided.
Corporate Event & Meeting Photographer
One of the most fascinating aspects of photographing corporate events of all types is that we get to attend lots of fascinating meetings.
What sets me apart is that I enjoy being there; I feel the privilege of being able to be a fly on the wall at both major and intimate events on all types of topics.
We are polite and discreet, invisible when needed, but profoundly interested. This gives us a pep in our step and I think shows in our photography.
Through large events, executive offsites, quiet client dinners, breakout sessions, or vitally important moments, we have gained the trust of a wide variety of clients from around the world.
Gala & Awards / Fundraiser Photographer
Galas are fun but hectic, often similar to weddings. And their importance cannot be understated.
Often our clients’ primary funding comes from a single yearly gala, and all efforts are expended to put on the best and most professional event possible.
While we take every event as seriously as we can, the weight of a gala holds special importance to our team, and we feel honored to be invited back yearly to many.
We cover red carpet arrivals, step-and-repeat, flattering candids, and we shoot these events with a polite and professional energy that we believe adds to the day.
For those needing quick turnaround, we can provide morning-after selects for press and socials and a full gallery within 48 hours. I’m experienced in black-tie venues (Cipriani, Ziegfeld Ballroom, Gotham Hall), and can scale from a single photographer to a multi-photographer team when you need red carpet and room coverage simultaneously.
Press Conference & Panel Discussions
Press events and panel discussions often have many speakers, sometimes far away from where the photographers can shoot.
Capturing these speakers with professional, real smiles and moments, clean and graphic podium shots, tight panelist portraits mixed with full panel moments, and branded backdrops without clutter, and delivering fast for social media, is not an easy task.
But it’s a task that we have down to a science, and we get many compliments on how we juggle everything and capture the hero shots.
On-Site Headshot Station for Conferences
While everyone is together, events are the perfect time to capture portraits and headshots, whether its for your team or as an add-on for attendies.
I set up a compact, streamlined professional headshot station with consistent lighting (studio or natural-light look). Retouching included.
Rates & What’s Included
Pricing is quoted per event based on schedule, venue, and deliverables. I’ll send an exact quote after a quick review of your agenda.
Please let us know the hours, delivery needs, coverage needs (single or multi-photographer), and add-ons such as in-event photographs or a headshot station.
Contact
General Event Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you deliver same-day selects?
Yes. For an additional fee, we can send editorial-quality selects during or immediately after the event. We are one of the fastest teams in the city when it comes to providing images, at no expense to quality.
Files can be delivered via Dropbox or private gallery for web/social, with press-ready crops.
What’s the typical turnaround for the full gallery?
Always within 48 hours as part of our standard package. Every delivered image is edited for exposure/white balance/crop with consistent color and skin tones.
Can you accommodate rush delivery?
Yes. Rush options include same day, same-night, or next morning galleries. Rush fees depend on scope—include your deadline in the inquiry and I’ll quote it clearly.
How are files delivered and licensed?
High-res and web-sized JPGs are delivered via Dropbox or online gallery with easy download links. Licensing covers all of your needs, including corporate, web, social use, and attendee use.
Do you provide a certificate of insurance (COI)?
Yes. COI is standard whenever needed, and I can add venues or clients as additional insureds.
Can you scale coverage with a second photographer or assistants?
Yes. I can add a second shooter for simultaneous breakouts, red carpet, or social content, and assistants for lighting or step-and-repeat setup. We can provide as many photographers as you need.
Do you offer an on-site headshot station at conferences?
Yes. We offer an on-site headshot station with a neutral or branded backdrop. Retouching services are available.
Do you work at the Javits Center and midtown hotels?
Yes. I’m fluent in Javits and hotel logistics—security, union rules, risers, and lighting restrictions.























































