Brand Activation Photographer

The build

Built by hand, then taken down

Fabrication, install, lighting, and the branded details that make the finished environment work. I photograph it while it’s happening, then again once the space is finished and empty. It is the version guests never see, and often the one the production team most needs documented.

Talented people design these spaces and skilled crews build them by hand. They stand for a few days and then they come down. It’s real craftsmanship, and it’s temporary art.

Across four Super Bowl weeks that has meant the Arizona Biltmore lawn in Phoenix, Marquee in Las Vegas, the Sugar Mill in New Orleans and Pier 48 in San Francisco.

Before doors

Finished, and empty

Then the room clean: lighting set, product placed, every brand mark where the designer intended it. This is the version the team spent months on, and the only time it exists without a crowd in it.

Those frames are what the build team uses afterwards. It is the only record of the thing they made. Sometimes empty is the whole assignment: the MLS All-Star retail build-outs in Minneapolis were photographed finished and unoccupied, for the people who built them.

After it comes down

Images with a job to do

Once the activation closes, the photographs are what’s left to show it happened and that it worked. Mine have gone into press coverage, same-week social, sponsor recaps, internal decks and award entries.

The standard coverage is a given, and I shoot all of it. What I’m after beyond that is the frame nobody thought to ask for, the one that feels alive.

The activations Brand Activation Services (BAS) built for Nike won Best Retail Experience and Best Professional Sports Activation at the BizBash Event Experience Awards in 2024 and again in 2025, and my photography ran with both entries. See the full Super Bowl LIX activation.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

What does a brand activation photographer do?

A brand activation photographer documents a branded experience as marketing, not just as an event. That means the environment and its details, the build and install, the finished space before guests arrive, people using it, any talent or executives who are part of it, and a set of images organized for press, social, recaps and internal use.

Can you photograph the build and install?

Yes. On my Super Bowl assignments I’ve photographed the builds while the environments were going up, then the finished spaces before doors. If your install runs over several days, tell me which days matter most and I’ll plan coverage around them.

Can you photograph an activation from the air?

Yes. I’m an FAA Part 107 licensed remote pilot. A lot of activations are built outdoors across a plaza or a forecourt, and the only frame that shows the whole thing is from above. Because I’m already your event photographer, that does not mean a second vendor, a second day rate or a separate insurance conversation. Brand USA licensed one of my aerial images for the Visit The USA national tourism campaign, and FIBA has featured my aerial basketball work.

Do you work with fabricators, agencies and production companies?

Yes. Much of my activation work comes through BAS, the company building the environments. I’m comfortable as one vendor inside a larger production and work from the run of show without needing anyone to manage me.

How quickly do we get the images?

Whatever the job needs. I’ve delivered same-day edits at the Tom Brady Make-A-Wish event and the NFLPA jersey reveal, first selects inside 24 to 48 hours on Super Bowl weeks, and a standard full gallery when there’s no rush. Tell me what the deadline is and I’ll build the timeline around it.

How is usage handled?

Usage is scoped to the assignment for brand, agency, social, press, web and other agreed commercial uses. I retain copyright and license the work non-exclusively.

Are you insured?

Yes. I carry general business liability and inland marine equipment coverage. I can provide a certificate of insurance on request, including venue-specific certificates when your location or production requires one.

Do you sign NDAs and work in confidential environments?

Yes, when a production requires one. Most of my work in sensitive rooms has never needed paperwork to stay private. Celebrities, executives, confidential builds, because discretion is how I work rather than something I bill for. If your legal team needs an NDA signed, that is never a problem.

Do you travel for activations?

Yes. I’m based in Minneapolis and work wherever the activation is. This kind of work has taken me to Phoenix, Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York, Orlando, Charlotte and Nashville.

Can you photograph an event that won’t be published?

Yes. A good share of my work is never published. I photographed a private corporate takeover of The Armory in Minneapolis where I put the camera down the moment guests arrived, because that was the brief. I also don’t race to post: unless you want the event live and want my own audience behind it, I let a long time pass before anything goes on my site, and some of it never does. Tell me your rules and I’ll work to them.

How much does brand activation photography cost?

Half-day coverage of up to four hours starts at $2,500. Multi-day activations, build coverage, restricted usage and rush delivery are quoted to the scope. Send the dates, the city and what you’re building, and I’ll put a quote together.

Who is the photographer behind Jackson Tyler Eddy?

I’m Jackson Tyler Eddy, a commercial event and brand activation photographer based in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and working nationwide. I photograph finished builds, brand activations, corporate events and the people using them.