Hi, I’m Jonathan Owen, an Event Photographer in Essex with over 20 years’ professional experience photographing a wide range of events in and around Essex in a natural, storytelling style. The types of events I photograph regularly include birthday parties, wedding receptions, anniversary parties, corporate events, and other private occasions. I frequently photograph events in locations across Essex, including Chelmsford, Brentwood, Southend-on-Sea, Rayleigh, Colchester and my hometown, Leigh-on-Sea.
Get in touch with your event plans, even if it’s just a rough date and location, and I can check my availability and give you an event photography quote, usually within 24 hours.
How much do my event photography services cost?
My event photography packages start at £230 for what I would call essential coverage, capturing the key moments from an event and giving a snapshot of that moment. Find out more information on my event photography prices for Essex page.
Natural, story-led event photography
Event Photography Example Galleries
Professional event photography for conferences, team days, launches and company celebrations.
Evening wedding photography capturing dancing, speeches, guests and celebration.
Elegant event photography for dinners, awards nights, galas and private celebrations.
Relaxed wedding party photography focused on natural moments, guests and atmosphere.
Natural photography for christenings, baptisms and relaxed family celebrations.
Colourful coverage of outdoor music events, festivals, crowds and live performances.
Natural sports event photography capturing teams, action, reactions and atmosphere.
Relaxed photography for schools, nurseries, open days and family-friendly events.
Atmospheric black and white images from gigs, live performances and music events.
Venues, brands and locations I have worked with
I’ve been fortunate enough to work at a broad range of events in my career as a photographer, both inside and outside of Essex.
As a young photographer, I took photos at friends’ birthday parties in Leigh-on-Sea, family events, and even the odd pet. As that passion turned into a career, my love of music led me to local venues around Essex: the Sugar Hut in Brentwood, where I was resident photographer for quite a few years, Talk in Southend-on-Sea, and Dukes in Chelmsford, to name a few. That then led on to bookings in London for clubs and larger venues including the O2, Koko, Marlborough House, and Fabric, and then even further afield for festivals and overseas events in amazing venues in places like Ibiza, Belgium and Venice. Along the way, brands such as Dune, McVitie’s, and Dynamo the Magician have used my images in their marketing.
As you can imagine, the family and friends photography never really stopped in the background. Word of mouth led me to capture friends’ and friends of friends’ weddings, family events, and wedding receptions, plus 21st and 30th (and 40th!) birthday parties at venues like The Lawn in Rochford, The Roslin Hotel in Thorpe Bay, Colchester Town Hall and Colchester Castle, Chelmsford Racecourse, The Cliffs Pavilion, and Hylands Park, I’ve even captured hen parties in places like Rayleigh.
Currently, I have a blend of all three event types in my life, with a few more baby and toddler birthdays thrown into the mix since the appearance of my little boy, Charlie.
Event Photography FAQ's
What is your approach on the day?
It depends on the event, my key aim is to capture the moments at the event naturally. With many years’ event photography experience I have learnt to read a room and work accordingly, whether it’s to blend in and discreetly capture key moments or dive in to the middle of the dance floor and photograph the action, I’ll adapt to suit the mood in the room and aim to be a photographer that suits the atmosphere both when photographing the guests, or deciding what to wear on the day.
How far do you travel for events?
I am based in Leigh-on-Sea and most of my work is as an Essex event photographer, covering Southend on Sea, Chelmsford, Colchester, Rayleigh and surrounding areas. Travel within the Southend-on-Sea borough is included. For events further afield I usually add a simple per-mile travel cost that covers any travel time and fuel, I will calculate this when I put together your quote so there’s no hidden extras.
How much does event photography in Essex cost?
Event photography for bookings in Essex starts from £230 for the base package. Once I know your date, venue and timings I will give you a clear, tailored quote. A 30% deposit secures your date, with the remaining balance due on or before the day. For more detail take a look at my event photography prices in Essex page.
How quickly will we receive the photos?
Typical delivery is around 7 days from the day of your event, I aim to get your photos back to you as soon as possible, depending on the size of the event and my workload. Your images are delivered via a secure download where you can download everything in full resolution and a private online gallery so you can share a link with guests. If you need a few preview images quickly for social media or press, just let me know when you check my availability.
If you have more detailed questions about how I work, usage rights or specific types of event, there is a larger FAQ section on the About and FAQs page.
Enquire About Essex Event Photography
Ready to get your Essex event booked in? Or just want to make a quick enquiry? Send over a few simple details using my enquiry form and I’ll confirm availability and next steps for you.
Experienced, insured and easy to work with
I have a genuine passion for events of all kinds, and I love capturing a genuine smile in the moment. My goal is to tell the story of your event without getting in the way. From an intimate birthday party to a busy festival, I aim to capture everything, from the details through to the bigger picture, so you have photos to share and a proper reminder of how it all felt on the day. I look forward to hearing from you!
