Ask three photographers what a media day costs and you'll get three contact forms. We publish ours, because an athletic director planning a budget line shouldn't have to chase quotes to fill in one number.
Here's the honest version. A media day in Atlanta is booked as a day rate paid by the organization, starting at $450 and scaling with roster size. Families then order their own athlete packages from a private gallery afterward, starting at $40. That's the whole model. Everything below is just detail.
Why media day pricing confuses people
Two different things get priced, and most quotes blur them together. There's the shoot itself, which the school, club, or booster club pays for. And there's the finished product each family wants, which parents pay for individually. A media day isn't one number. It's a day rate plus whatever families choose to order, and once you see it split that way the whole thing gets simple.
The day rate, by roster size
This is what the program pays to put a photographer on the floor for the event. It covers setup, posing, and the shoot for the whole roster, and it includes a team photo, a coaches photo, and a sponsor banner shot at no extra charge.
- 8 to 15 athletes: $450
- 16 to 30 athletes: $650
- 31 to 50 athletes: $900
- 50 or more, or multi-team: from $1,200
Travel is free within 25 miles of Atlanta. Farther out is no problem, it just gets quoted with the venue location.
The three ways to fund it
How the day rate gets paid is where programs actually make their decision, and the right answer depends on your budget and how much collecting you want to do.
Day Rate, families buy. The program pays only the day rate. Every family orders their own packages from the gallery afterward, so no athlete is required to buy anything. This is the lowest cost to the program, and it's the right call when the budget is tight or when you'd rather not front money on behalf of families.
Complete Package, all-in. The program pays the day rate plus a Basic package for every rostered athlete, which runs $40 a head. Every family walks away with photos, you get one invoice, and nobody has to collect order forms. Rosters over 30 get volume pricing. This is the right call when you want guaranteed coverage for the whole team and zero admin during the season.
Athlete-Pay, $0 to the school. The program pays nothing at all — no day rate, no invoice. Athletes and parents cover the whole day directly, ordering at $65 for Standard-package contents or $100 for Premium contents. The date locks in once 10 athletes have pre-paid. This is the right call when there's simply no budget line for photography but families still want a real media day.
What families pay
Once the day is booked, families order from three packages. These are the 2026 rates:
- Basic, $40. One individual pose, the team photo, digital downloads of your athlete, and gallery access.
- Standard, $65. Two individual poses, one buddy or duo pose, the team photo, and all digital files of your athlete. This is the one most families pick.
- Premium, $100. Up to four poses, team and coaches and buddy shots, a premium effects edit, all digital files, and a free pro headshot.
- Senior Bundle, $150. For graduating seniors — the full Premium package plus a small 28×42 photo banner, custom designed. Available under every booking option.
Add-ons fill in the rest: a pro headshot for $50, a set of eight trading cards for $22, a Memory Mate print combo for $18, a 24x36 banner for $85, or an effects edit with flames or lightning for $50. Families add what they want and skip what they don't.
When you don't need a full media day
The honest part. If your roster is small and what you actually want is action photos from a game, not posed portraits, a media day is the wrong product. Single-game team coverage starts at $350 and gets you the whole roster in one gallery. Media day is for the posed, print-ready portraits that go on banners, trading cards, and senior night. If that's not what you're after, say so up front and we'll point you at the cheaper option that fits.
Two deadlines worth knowing
Family payments are due 48 hours before the event. Starting 24 hours out, base package prices double, so Basic becomes $80, Standard $130, and Premium $200, and no payments are taken on the day itself. It's not a gotcha, it's what keeps a 200-athlete day running on schedule. Get families ordering early and none of it applies.
On delivery, proofs land within 1 to 4 business days and final edited files within 5 to 7, all to a private gallery families can view, download, and order prints from.
Getting a real number
The tiers above cover most programs, but multi-team days, unusual rosters, and travel outside metro Atlanta get an exact quote. Coaches, ADs, and booster clubs can request a team quote with your sport, roster size, and date, and you'll have a written number back within 24 hours. Parents whose school has already booked can order their athlete's package online, and if you're not sure which model fits your program, reach out and we'll talk it through.