Documentation Photography for NYC Galleries

Carlson Art Photography is an artist-run art documentation studio in Harlem, working with NYC galleries in Chelsea, Tribeca, the Lower East Side, the Upper East Side, Soho, and Bushwick on installation shots, exhibition records, art fair booths, inventory archives, and artist-onboarding sessions. Every shoot is calibrated against a printed reference target, captured at 51 megapixels — enough resolution for full-bleed catalog spreads and museum-grade prints — and delivered as TIFF, JPEG, and web-sized files ready for press, catalogs, and online inventory.

Galleries hire the studio for two reasons: the files hold up to publication standards on the first pass, and the photographer behaves like part of the team — quiet on the floor, on-time for openings, and consistent across every show. Single show or full season, the workflow is the same — calibrated, archival, and ready to publish.

Exhibition shoots are typically scheduled the morning before opening, the morning after install, or a few days before the show goes up — whichever protects the install. The session captures wide installation views to establish the show, three-quarter relational views to show how works speak to one another, and individual piece details for press kits, gallery websites, exhibition catalogs, and grant deliverables.

Most exhibition documentation sessions take two to five hours on-site, with quick turnaround available for galleries — files typically ship within five business days, or inside 48 hours on request. For galleries running a regular program, a recurring rate keeps the cost-per-show low and ensures the visual record is consistent from one exhibition to the next — the same color science, the same crops, the same archive structure across the season.

Fair documentation runs on a different clock. The studio shoots on-location at Frieze NY, NADA, Independent, the Armory, and smaller satellite fairs, with same-day delivery available for press, social, and sales-team use. Each session captures the booth in full context, mid-range views that show how the program is hung, and individual works at sales-grade resolution for collectors who request files post-fair.

Booth shoots are quoted as a flat session rate with on-site turnaround, not by the piece. The result is a single set of files that can run the press cycle, populate the booth on the gallery website, and ship to collectors before the fair closes.

When a gallery brings on a new artist or commits to a full archive sweep, the work scales differently than a single show. Inventory and onboarding shoots run on a per-piece rate with volume pricing over twenty works, and they conform to whatever archive standards the gallery already uses — consistent crop, consistent background, consistent file naming, consistent color across multi-day sessions. Sessions can run at the studio in Harlem or on-location at the gallery or artist's studio.

For ongoing programs, the studio can hold a recurring slot — one day a month, one day a quarter, or whatever the inventory cadence requires — so new acquisitions are documented on a predictable schedule rather than batched into emergencies before fair season.

A typical exhibition shoot runs two to five hours on-site, scheduled the morning before opening, the morning after install, or a few days before the show goes up — whichever protects the install. The session opens with wide-frame installation views, moves through three-quarter relational views, and closes with individual piece details. Color targets are shot alongside the work for calibration.

After the shoot, files are calibrated against the targets, retouched for dust and wall imperfections, and packaged as TIFF (archive), JPEG (print), and web-sized files. Most galleries have edited press selects in their inbox within five business days; rush jobs in 48 hours. The process is built to require minimal project management from the gallery side — point the photographer at the show, the files arrive.

Install shoots are flat-rate, with NYC travel and setup bundled in. The Standard package is $500 for up to ten images over two hours on-site — the right scope for a single solo show or a small group hang. The Full package is $800 for up to twenty-five images over four hours, sized for a larger exhibition or a show that needs deeper coverage. Additional images run $35 each.

For standalone artwork documentation outside of an install, per-piece pricing is $50 with volume rates starting at twenty works. Recurring program rates and full-archive engagements are quoted directly — send the show count, average works per show, and the season window, and the studio will return a flat rate. Standard turnaround is three to five business days from the shoot. For art fair booths, same-day delivery is built into the session rate.