Local service guide
Photography and Videography in St. Louis: Hiring Guide
For Photography and Videography in St. Louis, choose a provider whose complete galleries and finished films match your event, then agree on coverage, editing, delivery and location responsibilities before paying a deposit. Ask the provider to assess your exact outdoor setup: Gateway Arch National Park, city parks and Missouri conservation areas follow different permission processes. Include a backup location and written rescheduling terms in the booking. [1] [2] [3]
Choose the provider around the moments you need
Write a brief before requesting quotes. Include your date, exact venue, people involved, desired coverage and the photographs or scenes you cannot miss. For family portraits, describe the group and any mobility needs. For a wedding or celebration, identify the ceremony, speeches and other moments you want recorded. Decide whether you want photographs, a film or both.
Ask to see a complete gallery from a comparable assignment and a finished film with spoken audio. Look at indoor images, group portraits and the treatment of skin tones. Listen to speech recordings through headphones. Ask who photographed, filmed and edited the examples, and who will handle your booking.
If you want both services, ask how the crew will divide responsibilities during moments that happen once. Request a plan for camera positions, microphones and coordination with the venue. Ask who will take over if a crew member cannot attend and how the provider will protect your files during editing.
Compare the complete booking cost
Request an itemized quote with coverage hours, crew members, travel, editing, delivery and any location expenses. Ask whether setup and movement between locations count toward coverage. Have the provider explain overtime charges and the process for approving extra time. Compare the total for your brief rather than a starting package price.
Define the finished work in the contract: the agreed image count or selection method, retouching scope, film length, audio coverage, file formats and delivery deadline. Ask whether you receive download access, print permissions and permission to share the film. Specify whether you want raw files, additional edits or a longer recording, and request a price for each.
Ask for deposit, cancellation and rescheduling terms before booking. Include the response to bad weather, a venue change or a provider's absence. Discuss whether the provider may publish your images in a portfolio, especially if you want privacy for children or guests. Request insurance information if your venue asks for it.
Assign location permissions before the shoot
Give the provider the exact location, participant total and equipment plan. The St. Louis Film Office does not issue traditional filming permits. Its production guidance directs city shoots involving street or sidewalk restrictions to the Street Department and park filming to the Parks Department. It requires permission from the owner for filming on private property. [2]
For a production in St. Louis County, the Film Office tells you to contact city hall in the municipality where filming will occur. Ask your provider to identify the appropriate authority and handle the outreach, or name another responsible person in the contract. Obtain confirmation before committing to a location-dependent package. [2]
Treat the Arch grounds and conservation areas as separate planning cases. The National Park Service and Missouri Department of Conservation publish their own rules for equipment, access and group size. Ask your provider to check the full proposed setup rather than assume that permission for one location covers another. [1] [3]
Plan outdoor coverage and an indoor alternative
Agree on an indoor alternative, who will decide to move or postpone, and when you will receive that decision. Ask the venue about access to the backup space and discuss how the provider would light it. For fixed-date events, request a plan for continuing coverage indoors rather than depending on a rescheduled session.
The National Weather Service's St. Louis climate table reports an average of 12.6 days with measurable precipitation in May and 7.3 in September for 1991–2020. Those monthly averages support including a weather alternative in your booking; they do not predict conditions on your date. Check the forecast as the session approaches and agree on how you will handle heat, wind or storms. [4]
Prepare a short shot list and a route between locations. Share parking, access and contact details with the crew. For a family session, choose clothing and essential props in advance. For event video, introduce the videographer to whoever controls the venue's sound equipment and ask them to agree on an audio-recording plan.
St. Louis monthly days with measurable precipitation
Local details that affect your job
Arch portraits and video have distinct permit conditions
Gateway Arch National Park says still photography does not need a special use permit for any group size when it meets all listed conditions: public areas, hand-carried equipment, no exclusive site use, no adverse impacts and no likely additional NPS administrative costs. For filming or audio recording involving eight or fewer individuals, the park describes a permit-and-fee exemption under those same conditions. Other activity rules still apply. Ask the park about a setup that falls outside these conditions. Remove park-based drone coverage from your brief: the park prohibits launching, landing and operating drones from or on its lands and waters and will not issue drone-use permits. [1]
Conservation-area mini sessions can trigger advance approval
On Missouri Department of Conservation areas, a special use permit is required for drone use, closed-hours or closed-area access, props or equipment beyond what one person can carry, or more than 10 people participating with a photographer or videographer over the day. Ask a mini-session provider to check the daily participant total rather than count your family alone. MDC asks applicants to allow 30 days for processing and warns that it may deny requests. Its photo-shoot guidelines also prohibit confetti, glitter, smoke bombs and other listed decorations, so review props before choosing an MDC location. [3]
Choose a location plan before booking
| Proposed setup | Location check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Arch portrait session | NPS exempts still photography of any group size when all listed conditions are met. | Confirm public access, hand-carried equipment and no exclusive use or adverse impacts. |
| Arch drone footage | The park prohibits drone operation from or on park lands and waters and will not issue drone-use permits. | Ask for a ground-based alternative. |
| Video in a city park | The Film Office directs park filming inquiries to the Parks Department. | Assign department outreach before confirming the shoot. |
| Video in a county municipality | The Film Office directs county productions to the applicable municipality's city hall. | Identify the municipality and ask about the proposed setup. |
| MDC session with a drone or large setup | MDC requires a special use permit for drones or equipment beyond one person's carrying capacity. | Allow the requested 30-day processing period and keep an alternative location. |
Your hiring checklist
- Send the same date, locations, coverage needs and deliverable brief to each provider.
- Review a complete gallery and finished film from work comparable to your booking.
- Confirm the people who will attend and their plan for covering simultaneous moments.
- Assign responsibility for checking location permissions and obtaining any required approval.
- Request an itemized total, overtime terms and prices for optional deliverables.
- Record delivery deadlines, sharing permissions, privacy preferences and editing scope.
- Agree on a weather alternative, decision time and cancellation or rescheduling terms.
- Share the final shot list, access details and venue contact before the shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need a permit for family photos at the Arch?
NPS says still photography of any group size does not need a special use permit when it meets all listed conditions, including public access, hand-carried equipment and no exclusive use or adverse impacts. Ask the park about your setup if it falls outside those conditions. A separate event may have its own permit requirements. [1]
Can our provider include drone footage at a conservation area?
MDC requires a special use permit for drone use on its areas. It asks applicants to allow 30 days for processing and does not guarantee approval. Ask the provider to obtain approval before you commit to aerial coverage at that location. [3]
How should we compare photography and video prices?
Give each provider the same brief and compare the complete price for coverage, crew, editing and delivery. Ask for separate charges for travel, overtime, additional edits and optional files. Do not treat packages as equivalent until you confirm the finished work you will receive.
Should we book one provider for both photography and video?
Choose based on the proposed crew and work samples. Ask who will handle each service during the ceremony or speeches, how they will coordinate positions, and who will edit the results. Review both a complete gallery and a finished film before accepting a combined package.
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.