Matthew Ian Welch

RATES - 2026

The prices and descriptions below are intended to be current/accurate and are provided for reference and transparency, but these are not quotes and this is not a contract or an agreement from me to provide you with services at any time, at any rate.

​

Please feel free to reach out with any questions Contact Me

​

CURRENT SERVICES

Please Note - All weekend reservations require a $325 deposit

This amount is applied to your final bill as a credit.

If you cancel after I receive your deposit, I still keep your deposit.

No Exceptions

------------------------

​

Student Audition Package

$325, Flat (minors and qualifying adult students)

Economy Location Recording

$375, Flat (no customizations)

Full Quality Location Recording

begins at $500 for 2-camera coverage of up to 90 minutes

Headshots

$333, Flat (3 hours, 3 looks, 3 retouches)

Basic Event Coverage – Photo/Video Journalism

$325 (First 2 hours, $125/hr thereafter)

​

​

​

NEW SERVICES IN 2026

Steadicam Rig and Operator

$175 (upgrade to existing package, first 30 minutes.

$44 per half hour after that)

Cinema/Film, TV, and Commercial

Contact for Rates

Livestreaming

Contact for Rates

Weddings

Contact for Rates

​

MAIN DETAILS

Student Audition Package - $325 FLAT RATE

For minors and adult students actively enrolled in a qualifying program, the following is included for up to 5 musical selections / 25 minutes of finished material

• Single Camera (24MP sensor, 4K/UHD files in CLOG3/Extended Play Quality)

• 5 Schoeps microphones (Stereo Room, Stereo Piano, Mono Vocal/Instrument Spot)

• Audio Mixing and Mastering; Video Color Grading, Sync, Export to .mov and YouTube.

• A title introducing the artist and piece at the beginning of the video (optional)

• One key light and soft box

You will receive an mp3 and a .mov file of the session with the audio synced to the color-corrected video. The videos can have introductory titles or not.

Economy Location Recording for Adults and Organizations - $375 FLAT RATE

For the budget conscious, I continue to offer this low, flat rate. It offers exceptional quality for value.

• Single Camera (24MP sensor, 4K/UHD files in CLOG3/Extended Play Quality)

• Up to 6 Schoeps microphones (Stereo Room, Stereo Piano, Mono Vocal/Instrument Spot)

• Mixing, Mastering, Color, Sync, Export to .mov and YouTube.

You will receive an mp3 and a .mov file of the session with the audio synced to the color-corrected video. This has all the editing necessary for archival and other purposes, but no additional discretionary work, like titles.

As there is only one camera, there is no multi-camera switching. Musical selections should be performed in a single, continuous take, since there will be no way to edit it seamlessly otherwise (cutting between the same angle is always noticeable in this context. Hard edits create a “jump” cut. Transitions create a ghosting effect).

Full Quality Location Recording for Adults and Organizations – Starting at $500

For professionals and others seeking a no-compromise approach to quality, this option provides a visual/resolution upgrade over the economy package, two cameras, and additional upgrade options.

• 2x High Resolution 8K (45MP) cameras in CLOG2 on fluid head tripods. These replace the single 6K camera in CLOG3 referenced above. CLOG2 offers more dynamic contrast.

  • Second camera can be a manned zoom at no additional charge.

  • Additional static 6K cameras available for $100/camera rig.

• Additional audio channels beyond 6 are +$25/channel, up to 16 channels.

• Key light addition for $75, Full 3-point Lighting setup $125

Delivery is similar to the options above, except that you will get multiple videos. Each video will be synced to the same audio mix/master and aligned. These “clean versions” can be edited by you or others freely. If you want me to add titles or switch between the cameras, it is a separate, hourly charge. Please note, ANY AN ALL REVISION REQUESTS will incur additional costs. No exceptions.

Hourly Rate – Revision Requests, Post-Production & Miscellaneous

(beyond what is offered in each package): $44.00/hour, payable via $500 deposit/retainer

If a service I offer is not part of your package and you have authorized it, it will be billed hourly at $44/hr. Hourly work requires a $500 retainer. The difference, if there is a difference, is returned to the client after the work is done.

​

Steadicam Operation

$175 setup upgrade to any qualifying package for first 30 minutes. $75/hr after that.

Stabilized rigs offer smooth camera motion and allow a DP/Videographer to walk around, closer to the subjects, and get more cinematic shots than are possible with a tripod. Tripods can only pan (/rotate on a fixed axis left and right) and tilt (up and down from a fixed axis), smoothly (and cheap ones are not very smooth). Some lenses Zoom in or out, although that’s less common in film (usually, people use primes/anamorphic lenses that do not zoom)

Stabilized rigs, like Glidecam HD4000 or DJI Pro 4 + body suit, sliders, etc. actually allow the camera to track (move its physical location in the room, left, right, side to side, and up and down). The results are visually impressive, but the rigs are complicated and can take 20ish minutes to set up. Steadicam operators are also very conspicuous, so it’s not always best for concerts/live events with an audience.

Headshots - $333 FLAT RATE for up to 3 hours and 3 looks

• Shoot for up to 3 hours, Up to 3 looks, with portrait lighting and light diffusion tools.

• Natural light or Interior shooting, (or both!)

• High Resolution (45MP) Stills Camera. 12-bit RAW originals.

• Industry leading, purpose-made f/1.2 Canon prime, portrait lens with “background de-smoothing” for maximum separation and gorgeous creamy background.

• Basic Color settings on all photos from the session; download 100 of the best, web-friendly JPEGs.

• Full color and photo retouching on your top 3 picks an export to print quality.

• Additional retouching for $30/photo. After 3 hours, an hourly rate of $150/hr kicks in for more photography ($500 for 4 hours, $650 for 5 hours).

Basic Event Coverage – Photo/Video Journalism - $325 (FIRST 2 HOURS – NOT FOR PERFORMANCES)

Ideal when you need a photographer or videographer to cover an event like a reception, fundraiser, or community event. High quality stills, -OR- “field audio,” and “guerilla filmmaking” video coverage. Video and stills can be used for grant applications, marketing, and social media.

• Minimal setup time / gear - Minimal setup – usually just 2 cameras (neck strap/handheld) and one tripod.

• Basic audio setups (stereo room pair optional, Schoeps MK41/CMIT5 or premium handheld)

This service and rate are not available for performances. Please see those options, above.

OTHER COMMON CONSIDERATIONS AND COSTS

​

Recording Venue – Acoustic Performances (Sanctuary) - $100 Donation to the Church

Most clients secure their own recording location and we come to them. If you do not have a suitable acoustic environment in which to record, La Canada Congregational Church, where I am the bass section leader, currently permits their sanctuary to be used for recordings of classical music. The church asks a modest $100 flat rental fee for the duration of the session.

Recording Venue – Home Studio – Treated ISO Sound Both (No additional charge)

I also have a sound treated recording booth suitable for audiobook narration, voice acting, and studio style recording / multi-tracking. Recordings made in living rooms or other non-treated environments often have undesirable attributes that are either difficult or impossible to remove during post-production without noticeable artefacts. I do not charge extra for recordings made my studio. It’s a little Bohemian looking, but the quality is uncompromised.

Accompanist – Piano or Organ ($80/hr)

If you require an accompanist (piano), one can be provided for you. Our accompanists charge    $80/hr during the session. Some pieces require advanced preparation due to the difficulty of the orchestral reduction. That preparation time is also billed at the same hourly rate. All accompanists have either a Doctor of Music Arts (DMA) in piano performance or collaborative keyboard arts from a major music program/university, or equivalent credentials, and are well established professionals in the highly competitive Los Angeles classical music scene. Performers should provide their music to the accompanist no less than one week in advance of the session. Accompanists may be included in the video or not, depending on the preference of the performer.

FILM/CINEMA AND OTHER, LARGER, MORE AMBITIOUS PROJECTS

Larger Crew / Additional Personnel

​

Subject to availability. $55 per work hour, including setup and breakdown, but not necessarily the event itself. Most gigs are between 4 and 5 hours including setup/breakdown and bill between 3 and 4 hours for additional crew,

Additional personnel is not required for most projects, but they help to speed up setup and load-out times considerably. They also help with more complicated projects. Sometimes, you just need another person/set of hands, and the performers should not be the ones responsible for any production-related activities.

Additional crew is A REQUIRED UPGRADE if I tell you on the phone that the time you are budgeting for the setup and breakdown is insufficient.

Livestreaming – YES, I OFFER THIS TOO.

Clients may stream up to 4 separate video feeds and 1 stereo audio feed for an additional charge. Higher video channel counts possible with sufficient notice. Streaming is done via the Blackmagic ATEM system. ​

Contact me for rates.

Weddings – YES I AM OFFERING THESE NOW

Contact me for rates

Just so y’all know, wedding photography and videography is crazy expensive. Please click on this JPEG for recent data on rates. The professional average in LA is $3,500 to $7,000. I will charge less than $3,500, and you better believe I’m a pro. Specific rates will be determined by how much coverage is needed. For example, covering the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and reception and doing separate wedding photos and engagement photos is a lot more than just the wedding, right?.

​

Here are the rates I've found 

​