Ask three photographers what a media day costs and you'll get three contact forms. We publish ours, because an athletic director planning a season shouldn't have to chase quotes to fill in one number.
Here's the honest version. A media day in Atlanta is $50 per athlete, and it costs the school nothing. Families order directly. There's a $500 minimum per media day, which is simply ten athletes at $50. That's the whole model. Everything below is just detail.
Why media day pricing usually confuses people
Most quotes split the cost in two and blur the halves together: a day rate the program owes, plus a menu of family packages nobody can compare without a spreadsheet. An athletic director ends up trying to forecast how many parents will buy before they can approve anything.
We took that apart. One price, one package, paid by the people who actually want the photos. There is no purchase order to raise, no budget line to defend, and no invoice to the program.
What $50 gets an athlete
- Two edited photos of your athlete, posed and lit properly, not snapped against a gym wall.
- A buddy shot with a teammate.
- The team photo.
- All of it as high-resolution digital files — yours to post, print anywhere, and keep. No watermarks, no per-print upcharge for the files you already bought.
- Private gallery access for your family.
The program also gets a coaches photo, a team managers and staff photo on request, and a sponsor banner frame, all at no charge.
The $500 minimum, explained
A media day runs a $500 minimum, which is ten athletes at $50. The date locks in once ten athletes have paid. If your roster is smaller than that — golf, tennis, cross country — you can still book; the program just covers the difference to the minimum. It's the same rule stated two ways, and it exists because the drive, the studio setup, the teardown, and the gallery build cost the same whether six athletes walk through or twenty-six do.
Travel is free within 25 miles of Atlanta. Farther out is no problem, it just gets quoted with the venue location.
What families can add
Nothing here is required. Add what you want, skip what you don't.
- One more photo, $20. One additional fully edited shot of your athlete beyond the two in the package. The pose count is fixed on purpose — it is what keeps a full roster moving through the studio on schedule instead of stuck in a line all afternoon.
- Pro headshot, $50. A second look is $35.
- Effects edit, $50. Flames, lightning, smoke — the poster treatment.
- Trading cards, $22 for a set of eight. Memory Mate, $18. 8×10 print, $14.
- Photo banners from $75 for a 28×42, $85 for a 3×5 foot, $100 for a 4×6 foot.
- Senior Bundle, $150. For graduating seniors — the media day package plus an effects edit, a pro headshot, and a small 28×42 photo banner custom designed for your senior. Bought separately those run $225.
When you don't need a full media day
The honest part. If 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 the price doubles to $100, 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
For most programs the math is just $50 times your roster. 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 a media day is the right fit, reach out and we'll talk it through.