When you invest in hosting an event, whether it’s a conference, gala, fundraiser, retreat, or company celebration, you’re doing a lot more than just having a party. When you host these events, you’re creating an opportunity to tell a story, market your brand, and create a  connection with your audience. Professional photography turns these moments into marketing assets that you can use long after the event is over.

At Melissa Kelly Photography, my team and I help organizations capture the energy, emotion, and intentionality behind your events so you can leverage those photos across platforms year-round. Here’s why professional event photography delivers such a strong ROI.

Photographing the Ministry of Awe inside the old Manufacturers’ National Bank isn’t just about documentation, it’s about stepping into a space that’s constantly shifting. With over 20 rooms and six towering floors of evolving art, each visit offers reveals something new. The goal is to preserve not just what’s on the walls, but the energy in each room.

Being a photographer isn't just about filling a dropbox full of images, it's about partnering with organizations that value storytelling and understand the importance of visual branding.

These clients understand that photography is an investment in their story. They're not looking for generic stock photos or trying to cut corners. They want images that capture the authenticity of their community and mission.

We all have the same 24 hours. As a business owner, there (hopefully!) comes a time when your calendar fills up, inquiries keep coming in, and you find yourself wishing you could be in two places at once. As a photographer, often the only way to scale your business is to bring on help. When the amount of work became overwhelming, and I wasn’t able to clone myself, I decided that I needed to build a team I could trust.

If it’s been a while since your institution updated the photos on your website, you’re not alone. Time gets away from us when we aren’t paying attention and pretty quickly your ‘new lifestyle photos’ are 3 years old. The faces on your site may have long since graduated, and some other cringe fashion trend from your youth is making a comeback. But don’t stress, one of the easiest (and most impactful) ways to breathe new life into your website and online presence is by updating your branding photos.

Recently I had the opportunity to photograph a community event hosted by Main Line Health and local emergency services: the launch of the Delaware County Overdose Response Team. This new initiative brings together police, EMTs, and peer recovery specialists to provide immediate support and resources to individuals in the aftermath of an overdose.

Whether you're a small business owner, a marketing director, or a nonprofit leader, knowing the difference between corporate and commercial photography can help you make the best investment for your brand’s visibility and success.

Both corporate and commercial photography styles serve different purposes, and understanding which one you need will make sure your visual content actually works for you, not against you.

Before we let Women’s History Month slip away, we wanted to share our recent collaboration with Lasalle University during their 2025 Women in Leadership Award Luncheon.

Lasalle’s Women in Leadership Award Luncheon celebrates the achievements of exceptional women who have made significant impacts in leadership roles. The event highlights their contributions to various fields and provides a platform for inspiration and networking. And this year, it just happened to fall on International Women’s Day!

Photographing Penn University’s LALSA’s 28th Annual Conference presented an exciting challenge: capturing multiple speakers against a similar backdrop while making sure each photo still feels unique. By adjusting angles, lighting, depth of field, and composition, we could create photos that highlight the energy and individuality of each speaker. Pair that with some energizing networking photos and you have a pretty perfect event gallery.