diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index a5f3dae..248256b 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ const conciergeBotRoutes = require('./routes/conciergeBot.routes');
 const publicConciergeRoutes = require('./routes/publicConcierge.routes');
 const publicQuizPollRoutes = require('./routes/publicQuizPoll.routes');
 const staticMicrositeRoutes = require('./routes/staticMicrosite.routes');
+const eventPhotoRoutes = require('./routes/eventPhoto.routes');
 
 const createServer = async () => {
   /** Production: set CORS_ORIGIN (or FRONTEND_URL) to every origin that loads the SPA, e.g. https://console.example.com (no trailing slash). */
@@ -313,6 +314,7 @@ const createServer = async () => {
   server.route(eventTicketRoutes);
   server.route(ticketManualRoutes);
   server.route(eventTicketingManualRoutes);
+  server.route(eventPhotoRoutes);
   server.route(conciergeBotRoutes);
   server.route(attendanceRoutes);
   server.route(checkinsRoutes);
diff --git a/src/controllers/eventPhoto.controller.js b/src/controllers/eventPhoto.controller.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0dfe5e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/controllers/eventPhoto.controller.js
@@ -0,0 +1,449 @@
+const mongoose = require('mongoose');
+const EventPhoto = require('../models/EventPhoto');
+const Event = require('../models/Event');
+const { success, error } = require('../utils/response');
+const {
+  uploadEventPhotoToS3,
+  deleteEventPhotoFromS3,
+} = require('../utils/s3EventPhotos');
+const rekognitionService = require('../services/rekognitionService');
+const { userOrgId } = require('../services/acl.service');
+
+function toOid(v) {
+  if (!v) return null;
+  if (v instanceof mongoose.Types.ObjectId) return v;
+  if (!mongoose.Types.ObjectId.isValid(String(v))) return null;
+  return new mongoose.Types.ObjectId(String(v));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Extract all uploaded files from the Hapi multipart payload.
+ * Hapi can deliver either a single file object or an array of file objects
+ * for the same field name ('files').
+ */
+// function extractUploadFiles(payload) {
+//   const raw = payload.files;
+//   if (!raw) return [];
+
+//   // Normalize to array
+//   const items = Array.isArray(raw) ? raw : [raw];
+
+//   function getMime(f) {
+//     if (f.hapi?.headers?.['content-type']) return f.hapi.headers['content-type'];
+//     if (f.headers?.['content-type']) return f.headers['content-type'];
+//     if (payload.mimeType) return payload.mimeType;
+//     return 'application/octet-stream';
+//   }
+
+//   function getOrigName(f) {
+//     if (f.hapi?.filename) return f.hapi.filename;
+//     if (f.filename) return f.filename;
+//     return 'photo';
+//   }
+
+//   const results = [];
+//   for (const file of items) {
+//     let buffer = null;
+//     if (Buffer.isBuffer(file)) {
+//       buffer = file;async function streamToBuffer(stream) {
+//       const chunks = [];
+//       for await (const chunk of stream) {
+//         chunks.push(chunk);
+//       }
+//       return Buffer.concat(chunks);
+//     }
+//     } else if (file && file.payload && Buffer.isBuffer(file.payload)) {
+//       buffer = file.payload;
+//     } else if (file && file._data && Buffer.isBuffer(file._data)) {
+//       buffer = file._data;
+//     }
+//     if (buffer) {
+//       console.log("file:", file);
+//       console.log("file.hapi:", file.hapi);
+//       console.log("file.headers:", file.headers);
+//       console.log("Detected MIME:", getMime(file));
+//       console.log("Original Name:", getOrigName(file));
+//       results.push({
+//         buffer,
+//         originalName: getOrigName(file),
+//         mimeType: getMime(file),
+//       });
+//     }
+//     const buffer = await streamToBuffer(file);
+
+//     results.push({
+//         buffer,
+//         originalName: file.hapi.filename,
+//         mimeType: file.hapi.headers['content-type'],
+//     });
+//   }
+//   return results;
+// }
+
+async function streamToBuffer(stream) {
+  const chunks = [];
+
+  for await (const chunk of stream) {
+    chunks.push(chunk);
+  }
+
+  return Buffer.concat(chunks);
+}
+
+async function extractUploadFiles(payload) {
+  const raw = payload.files;
+  if (!raw) return [];
+
+  const items = Array.isArray(raw) ? raw : [raw];
+
+  const results = [];
+
+  for (const file of items) {
+    const buffer = await streamToBuffer(file);
+
+    results.push({
+      buffer,
+      originalName: file.hapi.filename,
+      mimeType: file.hapi.headers["content-type"],
+    });
+  }
+
+  return results;
+}
+
+async function assertEventOrgAccess(eventId, user) {
+  if (user.role === 'super_admin') return true;
+  const oid = user.organization?._id || user.organization;
+  const event = await Event.findById(eventId).select('organization').lean();
+  if (!event) return false;
+  return event.organization?.toString() === oid?.toString();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Run Rekognition IndexFaces for a freshly created EventPhoto (fire-and-forget).
+ *
+ * Invoked after the S3 upload and MongoDB document creation succeed, so the
+ * upload API response stays fast and unchanged. Failures are logged and the
+ * document keeps embedding_generated = false so indexing can be retried later.
+ * The uploaded image is deliberately NOT deleted on Rekognition errors.
+ *
+ * @param {import('mongoose').Model} photo - the created EventPhoto document
+ * @returns {Promise<void>} never rejects
+ */
+async function runRekognitionIndexing(photo) {
+  try {
+    await rekognitionService.indexPhoto(photo);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(
+      `[eventPhoto] Rekognition indexing failed for photo ${photo?._id} ` +
+        `(event=${photo?.event}, s3Key=${photo?.s3Key}). Image kept; ` +
+        'embedding_generated stays false; indexing can be retried later.',
+      err?.name,
+      err?.message,
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+const listEventPhotos = async (request, h) => {
+  const user = request.auth.credentials?.user;
+  const { eventId } = request.params;
+
+  if (!user) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  const orgAccess = await assertEventOrgAccess(eventId, user);
+  if (!orgAccess) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  const photos = await EventPhoto.find({ event: eventId })
+    .populate('uploadedBy', 'firstName lastName')
+    .sort({ createdAt: -1 })
+    .lean();
+
+  
+
+  const out = photos.map((p) => ({
+    _id: String(p._id),
+    event: String(p.event),
+    organization: String(p.organization),
+    uploadedBy: p.uploadedBy
+      ? (p.uploadedBy.firstName || p.uploadedBy.lastName
+          ? `${p.uploadedBy.firstName || ''} ${p.uploadedBy.lastName || ''}`.trim()
+          : String(p.uploadedBy._id || p.uploadedBy))
+      : null,
+    fileName: p.fileName,
+    originalFileName: p.originalFileName,
+    url: p.url,
+    s3Key: p.s3Key,
+    mimeType: p.mimeType,
+    size: p.size,
+    embedding_generated: p.embedding_generated,
+    uploadedAt: p.createdAt,
+  }));
+
+  return h.response(success({ photos: out }));
+};
+
+const uploadEventPhotos = async (request, h) => {
+  const user = request.auth.credentials?.user;
+  const { eventId } = request.params;
+  const payload = request.payload || {};
+
+  if (!user) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  const orgAccess = await assertEventOrgAccess(eventId, user);
+  if (!orgAccess) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  const files = await extractUploadFiles(payload);
+  if (files.length === 0) {
+    return h
+      .response(error('VALIDATION_ERROR', 'No files received. Use multipart/form-data with a binary field named "files".'))
+      .code(400);
+  }
+
+  const allowedImageTypes = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/jpg', 'image/gif', 'image/webp', 'image/bmp'];
+  const orgId = user.organization?._id || user.organization;
+
+  const uploadPromises = files.map(async (extracted) => {
+    const mime = extracted.mimeType || 'application/octet-stream';
+    if (mime !== 'application/octet-stream' && !allowedImageTypes.includes(mime)) {
+      return null; // skip unsupported types
+    }
+
+    const originalFileName = extracted.originalName;
+    const sanitizedOriginal = String(originalFileName || 'photo').replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9._-]/g, '_');
+    const storedFilename = `${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 6)}-${sanitizedOriginal}`;
+
+    const uploaded = await uploadEventPhotoToS3({
+      buffer: extracted.buffer,
+      contentType: mime,
+      eventId,
+      filename: storedFilename,
+    });
+
+    const size = extracted.buffer.length;
+
+    const photo = await EventPhoto.create({
+      event: eventId,
+      organization: orgId,
+      uploadedBy: user._id,
+      fileName: storedFilename,
+      originalFileName,
+      url: uploaded.url,
+      s3Key: uploaded.s3Key,
+      mimeType: mime,
+      size,
+      embedding_generated: false,
+    });
+
+    // Direct backend integration: index the photo with Amazon Rekognition
+    // immediately after the S3 upload and doc creation succeed. It runs without
+    // blocking the HTTP response so the API contract stays unchanged.
+    runRekognitionIndexing(photo);
+
+    return { ...photo.toObject(), _id: String(photo._id) };
+  });
+
+  const results = await Promise.all(uploadPromises);
+  console.log(results);
+  const created = results.filter(Boolean);
+
+  return h.response(success({ photos: created }, `${created.length} photo(s) uploaded`, 201)).code(201);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Search event photos by a query image using Amazon Rekognition.
+ *
+ * Flow:
+ *   1. Validate auth + org access.
+ *   2. Extract the query image from the multipart payload.
+ *   3. Upload it to a temporary S3 key.
+ *   4. Call Rekognition SearchFacesByImage (CollectionId = eventId).
+ *   5. Resolve matched faceIds to EventPhoto documents (deduped by photo).
+ *   6. Delete the temporary query image from S3 (always, in a finally block).
+ *
+ * Response:
+ *   { matchCount, matches: [{ ...photo, similarity, matchedFace }] }
+ */
+
+const searchEventPhotos = async (request, h) => {
+  console.log("===== SEARCH API CALLED =====");
+  const user = request.auth.credentials?.user;
+  const { eventId } = request.params;
+
+  if (!user) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  const orgAccess = await assertEventOrgAccess(eventId, user);
+  if (!orgAccess) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  if (!mongoose.Types.ObjectId.isValid(String(eventId))) {
+    return h.response(error('VALIDATION_ERROR', 'Invalid event id')).code(400);
+  }
+
+  const files = await extractUploadFiles(request.payload || {});
+  if (files.length === 0) {
+    return h
+      .response(error('VALIDATION_ERROR', 'No query image received. Use multipart/form-data with a binary field named "files".'))
+      .code(400);
+  }
+
+  const query = files[0];
+  const mime = query.mimeType || 'application/octet-stream';
+  const allowedImageTypes = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/jpg', 'image/gif', 'image/webp', 'image/bmp'];
+  if (mime !== 'application/octet-stream' && !allowedImageTypes.includes(mime)) {
+    return h.response(error('VALIDATION_ERROR', 'Unsupported query image type')).code(400);
+  }
+
+  // Temporary query image key (namespaced so it never collides with real photos).
+  const tempFilename = `search-${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8)}`;
+  let tempS3Key = null;
+
+  try {
+    const uploaded = await uploadEventPhotoToS3({
+      buffer: query.buffer,
+      contentType: mime,
+      eventId: `search-tmp/${eventId}`,
+      filename: tempFilename,
+    });
+    tempS3Key = uploaded.s3Key;
+
+    const { collectionExists, matches } = await rekognitionService.searchPhoto(eventId, {
+      s3Key: tempS3Key,
+      bucket: undefined,
+      faceMatchThreshold: 50,
+      maxFaces: 100,
+    });
+
+    if (!collectionExists) {
+      return h.response(success({ collectionExists: false, matchCount: 0, matches: [] }, 'No collection exists for this event yet')).code(200);
+    }
+
+    if (!matches || matches.length === 0) {
+      return h.response(success({ collectionExists: true, matchCount: 0, matches: [] }, 'No matches found')).code(200);
+    }
+
+    const faceIds = matches.map((m) => m.faceId).filter(Boolean);
+    const photos = await EventPhoto.find({
+      event: eventId,
+      'faces.faceId': { $in: faceIds },
+    }).lean();
+    console.log("FaceIds:", faceIds);
+    console.log("Photos found:", photos.length);
+
+    // Build a faceId -> photo lookup for deduplication.
+    const photoByFaceId = new Map();
+    for (const photo of photos) {
+      for (const face of photo.faces || []) {
+        if (face && face.faceId) {
+          photoByFaceId.set(face.faceId, photo);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Dedupe: keep the highest similarity per distinct photo.
+    const bestByPhoto = new Map();
+    for (const match of matches) {
+      const photo = photoByFaceId.get(match.faceId);
+      if (!photo) continue;
+      const existing = bestByPhoto.get(String(photo._id));
+      if (!existing || match.similarity > existing.similarity) {
+        bestByPhoto.set(String(photo._id), {
+          photo,
+          similarity: match.similarity,
+          matchedFace: match,
+        });
+      }
+    }
+
+    const results = Array.from(bestByPhoto.values()).map(({ photo, similarity, matchedFace }) => ({
+      _id: String(photo._id),
+      event: String(photo.event),
+      organization: String(photo.organization),
+      uploadedBy: photo.uploadedBy ? String(photo.uploadedBy) : null,
+      fileName: photo.fileName,
+      originalFileName: photo.originalFileName,
+      url: photo.url,
+      s3Key: photo.s3Key,
+      mimeType: photo.mimeType,
+      size: photo.size,
+      embedding_generated: photo.embedding_generated,
+      uploadedAt: photo.createdAt,
+      similarity,
+      matchedFace: {
+        faceId: matchedFace.faceId,
+        similarity: matchedFace.similarity,
+        boundingBox: matchedFace.boundingBox,
+      },
+    })).sort((a, b) => b.similarity - a.similarity);
+
+    return h.response(success({ collectionExists: true, matchCount: results.length, matches: results }, `${results.length} photo(s) matched`)).code(200);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('[eventPhoto] Find photos search failed:', err?.name, err?.message);
+    if (err && (err.name === 'ResourceNotFoundException' || err.code === 'ResourceNotFoundException')) {
+      return h.response(success({ collectionExists: false, matchCount: 0, matches: [] }, 'No collection exists for this event yet')).code(200);
+    }
+    return h.response(error('REKOGNITION_ERROR', 'Photo search failed. Please try again later.')).code(500);
+  } finally {
+    // Always clean up the temporary query image, even on error.
+    if (tempS3Key) {
+      try {
+        await deleteEventPhotoFromS3({ s3Key: tempS3Key });
+      } catch (cleanupErr) {
+        console.error(`[eventPhoto] Failed to delete temp query image ${tempS3Key}:`, cleanupErr?.message);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+const deleteEventPhoto = async (request, h) => {
+  const user = request.auth.credentials?.user;
+  const { eventId, photoId } = request.params;
+
+  if (!user) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  const orgAccess = await assertEventOrgAccess(eventId, user);
+  if (!orgAccess) {
+    return h.response(error('FORBIDDEN', 'Access denied')).code(403);
+  }
+
+  if (!mongoose.Types.ObjectId.isValid(String(photoId))) {
+    return h.response(error('NOT_FOUND', 'Photo not found')).code(404);
+  }
+
+  const photo = await EventPhoto.findOne({
+    _id: photoId,
+    event: eventId,
+  }).lean();
+
+  if (!photo) {
+    return h.response(error('NOT_FOUND', 'Photo not found')).code(404);
+  }
+
+  if (photo.s3Key) {
+    await deleteEventPhotoFromS3({ s3Key: photo.s3Key });
+  }
+
+  await EventPhoto.deleteOne({ _id: photoId });
+
+  return h.response(success(null, 'Photo deleted', 200));
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+  listEventPhotos,
+  uploadEventPhotos,
+  searchEventPhotos,
+  deleteEventPhoto,
+};
+
diff --git a/src/lambda/README.md b/src/lambda/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0972b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lambda/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+# Event Photo Rekognition Indexer (AWS Lambda)
+
+File: `backend/src/lambda/eventPhotoIndex.js`
+
+This is a **standalone AWS Lambda** function that is triggered by S3 `ObjectCreated`
+events on the event-photos bucket. It indexes detected faces with AWS Rekognition
+`IndexFaces` and stores the results on the matching `EventPhoto` MongoDB document.
+
+> The Hapi backend does **not** run Rekognition. It only uploads the image to S3 and
+> creates the initial `EventPhoto` document (`embedding_generated: false`). The Lambda
+> runs out-of-band and flips `embedding_generated` to `true` once processed.
+
+## Flow
+
+1. S3 `ObjectCreated` event fires for `eventbuzz-pictures`.
+2. Lambda parses the S3 key → `{eventId}/{filename}` → extracts `eventId`.
+3. Lambda finds the `EventPhoto` doc by `{ event: eventId, s3Key: key }`.
+4. If `embedding_generated === true`, it skips (already processed).
+5. Ensures a Rekognition collection exists (`CollectionId = eventId`), creating it if needed.
+6. Calls `IndexFaces` on the S3 object, storing `{ faceId, confidence, boundingBox }`
+   per detected face into the photo's `faces` array.
+7. Sets `embedding_generated: true`, `collectionId`, `indexedAt`.
+
+Because the Rekognition collection id **is the event id**, face search is scoped per
+event (e.g. use `SearchFacesByImage` with `CollectionId = eventId`).
+
+## EventPhoto schema additions
+
+- `collectionId` (String) — the Rekognition collection the photo's faces were indexed into.
+- `indexedAt` (Date) — last successful (or deterministically skipped) index time.
+- `faces` (Array of `{ faceId, confidence, boundingBox: { width, height, left, top } }`).
+
+`embedding_generated` (Boolean) is reused as the "processed" flag:
+
+- `true` + faces populated → faces were detected and indexed.
+- `true` + `faces: []` → no faces found, or image was not indexable (marked processed so it
+  is never reprocessed).
+
+## Deployment
+
+The handler must be a standalone Node.js bundle that includes the backend source and the
+required `node_modules` (at minimum `mongoose` and `@aws-sdk/client-rekognition`). The
+easiest approach is to zip the `backend` directory (or build a Lambda package from it).
+
+```
+cd backend
+zip -r ../eventPhotoIndex-lambda.zip . -x "node_modules/.cache/*"
+```
+
+Runtime: **Node.js 20.x** (matches `engines.node` in `backend/package.json`).
+
+### Required environment variables
+
+| Variable | Purpose |
+|----------|----------|
+| `MONGODB_URI` | MongoDB connection string (same as the backend). |
+| `AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET` | S3 bucket (default `eventbuzz-pictures`). |
+| `AWS_DEFAULT_REGION` | Region (default `ap-south-1`). |
+| `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID` / `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | Optional if using a Lambda execution role. |
+
+> Prefer assigning an IAM **execution role** to the Lambda over static keys.
+
+### IAM role permissions
+
+The Lambda's execution role needs at least:
+
+```json
+{
+  "Version": "2012-10-17",
+  "Statement": [
+    {
+      "Effect": "Allow",
+      "Action": [
+        "s3:GetObject",
+        "s3:GetBucketLocation"
+      ],
+      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::eventbuzz-pictures/*"
+    },
+    {
+      "Effect": "Allow",
+      "Action": [
+        "rekognition:IndexFaces",
+        "rekognition:CreateCollection",
+        "rekognition:DescribeCollection"
+      ],
+      "Resource": "*"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+### S3 trigger
+
+Create an S3 bucket notification on **`eventbuzz-pictures`**:
+
+- Event type: `s3:ObjectCreated:*`
+- Destination: the Lambda function.
+
+## Local testing
+
+The handler is a normal Node module. To sanity-check it loads:
+
+```bash
+cd backend
+node -e "const m=require('./src/lambda/eventPhotoIndex.js'); console.log(typeof m.handler)"
+```
+
+To invoke locally with a mock S3 event, construct an event like:
+
+```js
+{
+  Records: [
+    {
+      s3: {
+        bucket: { name: 'eventbuzz-pictures' },
+        object: { key: '641f1a2b3c4d5e6f7a8b9c0d/1720000000000-abcd-photo.jpg' },
+      },
+    },
+  ],
+}
+```
+
+and call `handler(event, { callbackWaitsForEmptyEventLoop: false })`.
+
+## Retry / error handling
+
+- **Transient errors** (Rekognition throttling, Mongo timeouts, etc.) are rethrown so
+  Lambda returns an error and S3 retries the invocation.
+- **Deterministic errors** (`InvalidImageFormatException`, `InvalidParameterException`,
+  `ImageTooLargeException`, `InvalidS3ObjectException`, `AccessDeniedException`) are
+  swallowed and the photo is marked `embedding_generated: true` with `faces: []` so it
+  is never retried.
diff --git a/src/lambda/eventPhotoIndex.js b/src/lambda/eventPhotoIndex.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9d8e6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lambda/eventPhotoIndex.js
@@ -0,0 +1,305 @@
+/**
+ * EventBuzz Event Photo Rekognition Indexer (AWS Lambda)
+ *
+ * Trigger: S3 ObjectCreated (e.g. s3:ObjectCreated:*)
+ * Bucket:  AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET (default: eventbuzz-pictures)
+ *
+ * Responsibilities:
+ *   1. Parse the S3 event -> bucket + key.
+ *   2. Extract the eventId from the photo key. Keys are built by
+ *      backend/src/utils/s3EventPhotos.js using the pattern {eventId}/{filename}.
+ *   3. Look up the EventPhoto doc in MongoDB by s3Key.
+ *   4. Skip images already processed (embedding_generated === true).
+ *   5. Ensure a Rekognition collection exists (CollectionId = eventId).
+ *   6. Run IndexFaces on the S3 object and store detected faces
+ *      ({ faceId, confidence, boundingBox }) on the EventPhoto doc.
+ *   7. Set embedding_generated = true (both when faces are detected AND when
+ *      no faces are found or the image is unsupported, so it is never reprocessed).
+ *
+ * Deployment note:
+ *   This handler must be bundled together with the backend source and the
+ *   backend `node_modules` (at minimum: mongoose and @aws-sdk/client-rekognition).
+ *   See README.md in this directory for IAM/S3-trigger setup.
+ *
+ * Runtime: Node.js 20.x (use the same AWS SDK v3 "@aws-sdk/*" packages as backend).
+ */
+
+const mongoose = require('mongoose');
+const {
+  RekognitionClient,
+  IndexFacesCommand,
+  CreateCollectionCommand,
+  DescribeCollectionCommand,
+} = require('@aws-sdk/client-rekognition');
+
+const EventPhoto = require('../models/EventPhoto');
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Env helpers (kept consistent with backend/src/utils/s3EventPhotos.js)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+function getEnv(name, fallback) {
+  const v = process.env[name];
+  if (v == null || String(v).trim() === '') return fallback;
+  return String(v).trim();
+}
+
+function getMongoUri() {
+  const uri = getEnv('MONGODB_URI');
+  if (!uri) throw new Error('MONGODB_URI is not configured');
+  return uri;
+}
+
+let connectPromise = null;
+function connectDB() {
+  if (mongoose.connection.readyState === 1) {
+    return Promise.resolve(mongoose.connection);
+  }
+  if (connectPromise) {
+    return connectPromise;
+  }
+  connectPromise = mongoose
+    .connect(getMongoUri(), {
+      maxPoolSize: 2,
+      serverSelectionTimeoutMS: 15000,
+      socketTimeoutMS: 30000,
+    })
+    .then((conn) => {
+      console.log(`[eventPhotoIndex] MongoDB connected: ${conn.connection.host}`);
+      return conn;
+    })
+    .catch((err) => {
+      connectPromise = null;
+      throw err;
+    });
+  return connectPromise;
+}
+
+let cachedRekognitionClient = null;
+function getRekognitionClient() {
+  if (cachedRekognitionClient) return cachedRekognitionClient;
+
+  const region = getEnv('AWS_DEFAULT_REGION', 'ap-south-1');
+  const accessKeyId = getEnv('AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID');
+  const secretAccessKey = getEnv('AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY');
+
+  cachedRekognitionClient = new RekognitionClient({
+    region,
+    credentials: accessKeyId && secretAccessKey ? { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } : undefined,
+    maxAttempts: 4,
+  });
+
+  return cachedRekognitionClient;
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Rekognition helpers
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/**
+ * Collection id is the event id (extracted from the S3 key). Rekognition
+ * collection ids accept [a-zA-Z0-9_.\-], so a Mongo ObjectId is safe.
+ */
+function ensureCollection(collectionId) {
+  const client = getRekognitionClient();
+
+  return client
+    .send(new DescribeCollectionCommand({ CollectionId: collectionId }))
+    .then(() => collectionId)
+    .catch(async (err) => {
+      if (err && (err.name === 'ResourceNotFoundException' || err.code === 'ResourceNotFoundException')) {
+        console.log(`[eventPhotoIndex] Creating collection ${collectionId}`);
+        await client.send(new CreateCollectionCommand({ CollectionId: collectionId }));
+        return collectionId;
+      }
+      throw err;
+    });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Map a Rekognition IndexFaces response into the shape stored on EventPhoto:
+ *   [{ faceId, confidence, boundingBox: { width, height, left, top } }]
+ */
+function mapFaceRecords(faceRecords) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(faceRecords)) return [];
+  return faceRecords
+    .filter((face) => face && face.Face && face.Face.FaceId)
+    .map((face) => {
+      const b = (face.Face.BoundingBox || {});
+      return {
+        faceId: face.Face.FaceId,
+        confidence: face.Face.Confidence != null ? face.Face.Confidence : null,
+        boundingBox: {
+          width: b.Width != null ? b.Width : null,
+          height: b.Height != null ? b.Height : null,
+          left: b.Left != null ? b.Left : null,
+          top: b.Top != null ? b.Top : null,
+        },
+      };
+    });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Errors that are deterministic (image will never be indexable). Mark the photo
+ * as processed so the S3 event never retries it.
+ */
+function isDeterministicIndexError(err) {
+  if (!err || !err.name) return false;
+  return [
+    'InvalidImageFormatException',
+    'InvalidParameterException',
+    'ImageTooLargeException',
+    'AccessDeniedException',
+    'InvalidS3ObjectException',
+  ].includes(err.name);
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// S3 event parsing
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+function extractS3Records(event) {
+  const records = [];
+  const raw = event && event.Records;
+  if (!Array.isArray(raw)) return records;
+
+  for (const record of raw) {
+    const s3 = record && record.s3;
+    const bucket = s3 && s3.bucket && s3.bucket.name;
+    const key = s3 && s3.object && s3.object.key;
+    if (bucket && key) {
+      records.push({
+        bucket,
+        key: decodeURIComponent(key.replace(/\+/g, ' ')),
+      });
+    }
+  }
+  return records;
+}
+
+function extractEventIdFromKey(key) {
+  // Pattern: {eventId}/{filename}
+  const parts = String(key || '').split('/');
+  return parts[0] || null;
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Core indexing logic
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+async function indexPhoto({ bucket, key }) {
+  const eventId = extractEventIdFromKey(key);
+
+  if (!eventId || !mongoose.Types.ObjectId.isValid(eventId)) {
+    console.log(`[eventPhotoIndex] Skipping key "${key}" — no valid event id / not an event photo key.`);
+    return { skipped: true, reason: 'invalid_key' };
+  }
+
+  await connectDB();
+
+  const photo = await EventPhoto.findOne({ event: eventId, s3Key: key }).lean();
+  if (!photo) {
+    console.log(`[eventPhotoIndex] No EventPhoto doc found for s3Key "${key}". Skipping.`);
+    return { skipped: true, reason: 'no_document' };
+  }
+
+  if (photo.embedding_generated === true) {
+    console.log(`[eventPhotoIndex] Photo ${photo._id} already processed. Skipping.`);
+    return { skipped: true, reason: 'already_processed' };
+  }
+
+  const collectionId = eventId;
+  await ensureCollection(collectionId);
+
+  const externalImageId = String(photo._id); // Mongo ObjectId: valid ExternalImageId (hex)
+
+  const response = await getRekognitionClient().send(
+    new IndexFacesCommand({
+      CollectionId: collectionId,
+      Image: {
+        S3Object: {
+          Bucket: bucket,
+          Name: key,
+        },
+      },
+      ExternalImageId: externalImageId,
+      MaxFaces: 100,
+      QualityFilter: 'AUTO',
+      DetectionAttributes: [],
+    }),
+  );
+
+  const faces = mapFaceRecords(response.FaceRecords || []);
+  // IndexFaces registers the faces in the collection, and the collection id is
+  // the event id, so face matching (SearchFacesByImage) is scoped per event.
+
+  await EventPhoto.findByIdAndUpdate(
+    photo._id,
+    {
+      $set: {
+        embedding_generated: true,
+        collectionId,
+        faces,
+        // record when the index was last completed
+        indexedAt: new Date(),
+      },
+    },
+    { new: true },
+  );
+
+  console.log(
+    `[eventPhotoIndex] Indexed photo ${photo._id} (faces: ${faces.length}) collection=${collectionId}`,
+  );
+
+  return { indexed: true, photoId: String(photo._id), facesFound: faces.length };
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Lambda handler
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+exports.handler = async (event, context) => {
+  // Give the handler enough time to finish when processing a single photo
+  // before Lambda freezes the runtime.
+  if (context && typeof context.callbackWaitsForEmptyEventLoop === 'boolean') {
+    context.callbackWaitsForEmptyEventLoop = false;
+  }
+
+  console.log('[eventPhotoIndex] event', JSON.stringify({ records: event && event.Records ? event.Records.length : 0 }));
+
+  const records = extractS3Records(event);
+  if (records.length === 0) {
+    console.log('[eventPhotoIndex] No valid S3 records. Skipping.');
+    return { processed: 0 };
+  }
+
+  const results = [];
+  for (const record of records) {
+    try {
+      results.push(await indexPhoto(record));
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (isDeterministicIndexError(err)) {
+        console.error(`[eventPhotoIndex] Deterministic error for ${record.key}:`, err.name, err.message);
+        // Mark as processed so S3 never retries an unprocessable image.
+        try {
+          await connectDB();
+          const eventId = extractEventIdFromKey(record.key);
+          if (eventId && mongoose.Types.ObjectId.isValid(eventId)) {
+            await EventPhoto.updateOne(
+              { event: eventId, s3Key: record.key, embedding_generated: { $ne: true } },
+              { $set: { embedding_generated: true, faces: [], indexedAt: new Date() } },
+            );
+          }
+        } catch (dbErr) {
+          console.error('[eventPhotoIndex] Failed to mark deterministic error as processed:', dbErr.message);
+        }
+        results.push({ skipped: true, reason: 'deterministic_error', key: record.key });
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      // Transient error (throttling, Mongo timeout, etc.) -> rethrow so Lambda
+      // returns an error and the S3 trigger retries the invocation.
+      console.error(`[eventPhotoIndex] Transient error for ${record.key}:`, err.name, err.message);
+      throw err;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { processed: results.length, results };
+};
+
diff --git a/src/models/EventPhoto.js b/src/models/EventPhoto.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57d9ae9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/models/EventPhoto.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+const mongoose = require('mongoose');
+
+const EventPhotoSchema = new mongoose.Schema(
+  {
+    event: { type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Event', required: true },
+    organization: { type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Organization', required: true },
+    uploadedBy: { type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'User', required: false },
+    fileName: { type: String, required: true },
+    originalFileName: { type: String, required: true },
+    url: { type: String, required: true },
+    s3Key: { type: String, required: true },
+    mimeType: { type: String, required: false },
+    size: { type: Number, required: false },
+    embedding_generated: { type: Boolean, default: false },
+    // Rekognition collection id (the event id) that this photo's faces were indexed into.
+    collectionId: { type: String, required: false },
+    // Timestamp of the last successful (or deterministically skipped) index attempt.
+    indexedAt: { type: Date, required: false },
+    // Detected faces stored after Rekognition IndexFaces runs (via the Lambda).
+    faces: {
+      type: [
+        {
+          faceId: { type: String, required: false },
+          confidence: { type: Number, required: false },
+          boundingBox: {
+            type: {
+              width: { type: Number, required: false },
+              height: { type: Number, required: false },
+              left: { type: Number, required: false },
+              top: { type: Number, required: false },
+            },
+            default: undefined,
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+      default: [],
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    timestamps: true,
+  },
+);
+
+EventPhotoSchema.index({ event: 1, createdAt: -1 });
+
+module.exports = mongoose.model('EventPhoto', EventPhotoSchema);
+
diff --git a/src/routes/eventPhoto.routes.js b/src/routes/eventPhoto.routes.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a40664
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/eventPhoto.routes.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+const Joi = require('joi');
+const controller = require('../controllers/eventPhoto.controller');
+
+const searchPayload = Joi.object({
+  files: Joi.any().required(),
+}).required();
+
+const uploadPayload = Joi.object({
+  files: Joi.any().required(),
+  mimeType: Joi.string().allow('', null),
+}).required();
+
+module.exports = [
+  {
+    method: 'GET',
+    path: '/api/events/{eventId}/photos',
+    options: {
+      auth: 'jwt',
+      handler: controller.listEventPhotos,
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    method: 'POST',
+    path: '/api/events/{eventId}/photos',
+    options: {
+      auth: 'jwt',
+      validate: {
+        payload: uploadPayload,
+      },
+      payload: {
+        maxBytes: 100 * 1024 * 1024,
+        output: 'stream',
+        parse: true,
+        multipart: true,
+        allow: 'multipart/form-data',
+      },
+      handler: controller.uploadEventPhotos,
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    method: 'POST',
+    path: '/api/events/{eventId}/photos/search',
+    options: {
+      auth: 'jwt',
+      validate: {
+        payload: searchPayload,
+      },
+      payload: {
+        maxBytes: 100 * 1024 * 1024,
+        output: 'stream',
+        parse: true,
+        multipart: true,
+        allow: 'multipart/form-data',
+      },
+      handler: controller.searchEventPhotos,
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    method: 'DELETE',
+    path: '/api/events/{eventId}/photos/{photoId}',
+    options: {
+      auth: 'jwt',
+      handler: controller.deleteEventPhoto,
+    },
+  },
+];
+
diff --git a/src/services/rekognitionService.js b/src/services/rekognitionService.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66c16f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/rekognitionService.js
@@ -0,0 +1,299 @@
+/**
+ * EventBuzz — Amazon Rekognition face-indexing service for event photos.
+ *
+ * Replaces the standalone AWS Lambda path (backend/src/lambda/eventPhotoIndex.js).
+ * The Hapi backend now calls Rekognition directly, immediately after an event
+ * photo is uploaded to S3 and persisted in MongoDB.
+ *
+ * Collection strategy:
+ *   - CollectionId = eventId (the Mongo ObjectId of the Event).
+ *   - Faces are scoped per event, so later face matching (e.g. SearchFacesByImage
+ *     with CollectionId = eventId) is naturally scoped to a single event.
+ *
+ * Environment variables (kept consistent with backend/src/utils/s3EventPhotos.js):
+ *   - AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET   S3 bucket (default: eventbuzz-pictures)
+ *   - AWS_DEFAULT_REGION          AWS region (default: ap-south-1)
+ *   - AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID           optional, assumes an IAM role/permissions in prod
+ *   - AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY       optional, assumes an IAM role/permissions in prod
+ *   - AWS_SESSION_TOKEN           optional, for temporary credentials
+ */
+
+const {
+  RekognitionClient,
+  IndexFacesCommand,
+  CreateCollectionCommand,
+  DescribeCollectionCommand,
+  SearchFacesByImageCommand,
+} = require('@aws-sdk/client-rekognition');
+const EventPhoto = require('../models/EventPhoto');
+
+const DEFAULT_BUCKET = 'eventbuzz-pictures';
+const DEFAULT_REGION = 'ap-south-1';
+
+function getEnv(name, fallback) {
+  const v = process.env[name];
+  if (v == null || String(v).trim() === '') return fallback;
+  return String(v).trim();
+}
+
+let cachedRekognitionClient = null;
+
+/**
+ * Lazily build (and cache) the AWS SDK v3 Rekognition client.
+ *
+ * @returns {RekognitionClient}
+ */
+function getRekognitionClient() {
+  if (cachedRekognitionClient) return cachedRekognitionClient;
+
+  const region = getEnv('AWS_DEFAULT_REGION', DEFAULT_REGION);
+  const accessKeyId = getEnv('AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID');
+  const secretAccessKey = getEnv('AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY');
+  const sessionToken = getEnv('AWS_SESSION_TOKEN');
+
+  cachedRekognitionClient = new RekognitionClient({
+    region,
+    credentials:
+      accessKeyId && secretAccessKey
+        ? { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey, ...(sessionToken ? { sessionToken } : {}) }
+        : undefined,
+    maxAttempts: 4,
+  });
+
+  return cachedRekognitionClient;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Map a Rekognition IndexFaces response into the shape persisted on EventPhoto:
+ *   [{ faceId, confidence, boundingBox: { width, height, left, top } }]
+ */
+function mapFaceRecords(faceRecords) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(faceRecords)) return [];
+  return faceRecords
+    .filter((face) => face && face.Face && face.Face.FaceId)
+    .map((face) => {
+      const b = face.Face.BoundingBox || {};
+      return {
+        faceId: face.Face.FaceId,
+        confidence: face.Face.Confidence != null ? face.Face.Confidence : null,
+        boundingBox: {
+          width: b.Width != null ? b.Width : null,
+          height: b.Height != null ? b.Height : null,
+          left: b.Left != null ? b.Left : null,
+          top: b.Top != null ? b.Top : null,
+        },
+      };
+    });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ensure a Rekognition face collection exists for an event.
+ *
+ * If the collection already exists it is reused — it is NOT recreated.
+ *
+ * @param {string} eventId - Mongo ObjectId of the Event (used as CollectionId)
+ * @returns {Promise<string>} the collection id
+ */
+async function ensureCollection(eventId) {
+  const collectionId = String(eventId || '').trim();
+  if (!collectionId) throw new Error('eventId is required to ensure a Rekognition collection');
+
+  const client = getRekognitionClient();
+
+  try {
+    await client.send(new DescribeCollectionCommand({ CollectionId: collectionId }));
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err && (err.name === 'ResourceNotFoundException' || err.code === 'ResourceNotFoundException')) {
+      console.log(`[rekognitionService] Rekognition collection ${collectionId} not found — creating it`);
+      await client.send(new CreateCollectionCommand({ CollectionId: collectionId }));
+    } else {
+      throw err;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return collectionId;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Index a freshly uploaded event photo with Amazon Rekognition IndexFaces and
+ * persist the results on the corresponding EventPhoto MongoDB document.
+ *
+ * On success the document is updated with:
+ *   - embedding_generated = true
+ *   - collectionId        = event id
+ *   - indexedAt           = current timestamp
+ *   - faces               = [{ faceId, confidence, boundingBox }] ([] when no faces detected)
+ *
+ * On error this function THROWS. It does NOT delete the uploaded image and does
+ * NOT flip embedding_generated, so the photo's document remains available for a
+ * later re-index retry.
+ *
+ * @param {import('mongoose').Model} eventPhotoDocument - created EventPhoto doc (requires _id, event, s3Key)
+ * @param {object} [options]
+ * @param {string} [options.bucket] - S3 bucket override (defaults to AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET)
+ * @returns {Promise<{indexed: boolean, photoId: string, facesFound: number, document: object}>}
+ */
+async function indexPhoto(eventPhotoDocument, options = {}) {
+  if (!eventPhotoDocument || !eventPhotoDocument._id) {
+    throw new Error('indexPhoto requires an EventPhoto document with an _id');
+  }
+
+  const photoId = String(eventPhotoDocument._id);
+  const eventId = String(eventPhotoDocument.event || '').trim();
+  const s3Key = eventPhotoDocument.s3Key;
+
+  if (!eventId) throw new Error(`EventPhoto ${photoId} has no event id; cannot index`);
+  if (!s3Key) throw new Error(`EventPhoto ${photoId} has no s3Key; cannot index`);
+
+  const bucket = options.bucket || getEnv('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET', DEFAULT_BUCKET);
+  const collectionId = await ensureCollection(eventId);
+
+  const response = await getRekognitionClient().send(
+    new IndexFacesCommand({
+      CollectionId: collectionId,
+      Image: {
+        S3Object: {
+          Bucket: bucket,
+          Name: s3Key,
+        },
+      },
+      ExternalImageId: photoId,
+      MaxFaces: 100,
+      QualityFilter: 'AUTO',
+      DetectionAttributes: [],
+    }),
+  );
+
+  const faces = mapFaceRecords(response.FaceRecords || []);
+
+  const updated = await EventPhoto.findByIdAndUpdate(
+    photoId,
+    {
+      $set: {
+        embedding_generated: true,
+        collectionId,
+        faces,
+        indexedAt: new Date(),
+      },
+    },
+    { new: true },
+  );
+
+  console.log(
+    `[rekognitionService] Indexed photo ${photoId} (faces: ${faces.length}) collection=${collectionId} bucket=${bucket}`,
+  );
+
+  return { indexed: true, photoId, facesFound: faces.length, document: updated };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Map a Rekognition SearchFacesByImage response into a normalized list:
+ *   [{ faceId, similarity, boundingBox: { width, height, left, top } }]
+ */
+function mapFaceMatches(faceMatches) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(faceMatches)) return [];
+  return faceMatches
+    .filter((match) => match && match.Face && match.Face.FaceId)
+    .map((match) => {
+      const b = match.Face.BoundingBox || {};
+      return {
+        faceId: match.Face.FaceId,
+        similarity: match.Similarity != null ? match.Similarity : null,
+        boundingBox: {
+          width: b.Width != null ? b.Width : null,
+          height: b.Height != null ? b.Height : null,
+          left: b.Left != null ? b.Left : null,
+          top: b.Top != null ? b.Top : null,
+        },
+      };
+    });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Search an event's Rekognition collection for faces matching a query image.
+ *
+ * Returns the raw matched face ids + similarity scores + bounding boxes. The
+ * caller is responsible for resolving those face ids to EventPhoto documents
+ * and for deleting the temporary query image from S3.
+ *
+ * Collection handling:
+ *   - If the collection does not exist, this returns `{ collectionExists: false,
+ *     matches: [] }` rather than throwing, so the caller can respond gracefully.
+ *   - If the query image contains no faces, Rekognition throws
+ *     InvalidParameterException; we normalize that to an empty match set.
+ *
+ * @param {string} eventId - Mongo ObjectId of the Event (used as CollectionId)
+ * @param {object} options
+ * @param {string} options.s3Key - S3 key of the uploaded query image
+ * @param {string} [options.bucket] - S3 bucket override (defaults to AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET)
+ * @param {number} [options.faceMatchThreshold] - similarity threshold (default 80)
+ * @param {number} [options.maxFaces] - max faces to return (default 100)
+ * @returns {Promise<{collectionExists: boolean, matches: Array}>}
+ */
+async function searchPhoto(eventId, options = {}) {
+  const collectionId = String(eventId || '').trim();
+  const s3Key = options.s3Key;
+  if (!collectionId) throw new Error('eventId is required to search a Rekognition collection');
+  if (!s3Key) throw new Error('s3Key is required to search a Rekognition collection');
+
+  const bucket = options.bucket || getEnv('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET', DEFAULT_BUCKET);
+  const faceMatchThreshold = options.faceMatchThreshold != null ? options.faceMatchThreshold : 80;
+  const maxFaces = options.maxFaces != null ? options.maxFaces : 100;
+
+  const client = getRekognitionClient();
+
+  // Verify the collection exists first. Do NOT auto-create on search.
+  try {
+    await client.send(new DescribeCollectionCommand({ CollectionId: collectionId }));
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err && (err.name === 'ResourceNotFoundException' || err.code === 'ResourceNotFoundException')) {
+      console.log(`[rekognitionService] Collection ${collectionId} does not exist for search`);
+      return { collectionExists: false, matches: [] };
+    }
+    throw err;
+  }
+
+  let response;
+  try {
+    response = await client.send(
+      new SearchFacesByImageCommand({
+        CollectionId: collectionId,
+        Image: {
+          S3Object: {
+            Bucket: bucket,
+            Name: s3Key,
+          },
+        },
+        FaceMatchThreshold: faceMatchThreshold,
+        MaxFaces: maxFaces,
+      }),
+    );
+  } catch (err) {
+    // Rekognition reports "no face detected in the image" as InvalidParameterException.
+    if (
+      err &&
+      (err.name === 'InvalidParameterException' ||
+        err.code === 'InvalidParameterException' ||
+        /no face|face.*detect/i.test(String(err.message || '')))
+    ) {
+      console.log(`[rekognitionService] No face detected in query image for collection ${collectionId}`);
+      return { collectionExists: true, matches: [] };
+    }
+    throw err;
+  }
+
+  const matches = mapFaceMatches(response.FaceMatches || []);
+  console.log("Face matches:", JSON.stringify(matches, null, 2));
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(response.FaceMatches, null, 2));
+  console.log(`[rekognitionService] SearchFacesByImage collection=${collectionId} matches=${matches.length}`);
+
+  return { collectionExists: true, matches };
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  getRekognitionClient,
+  ensureCollection,
+  indexPhoto,
+  searchPhoto,
+};
+
diff --git a/src/utils/s3EventPhotos.js b/src/utils/s3EventPhotos.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a21f376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/s3EventPhotos.js
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+const { S3Client, PutObjectCommand, DeleteObjectCommand, GetObjectCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-s3');
+
+function getEnv(name, fallback) {
+  const v = process.env[name];
+  if (v == null || String(v).trim() === '') return fallback;
+  return String(v).trim();
+}
+
+function sanitizeKeySegment(segment) {
+  const s = String(segment).trim();
+  return s.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9._-]/g, '_');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build S3 key for event photos under eventbuzz-pictures bucket.
+ * Pattern: {eventId}/{filename}
+ */
+function buildEventPhotoKey({ eventId, filename }) {
+  const safeEventId = sanitizeKeySegment(eventId || 'unknown-event');
+  const safeFilename = sanitizeKeySegment(filename || 'file');
+  return `${safeEventId}/${safeFilename}`;
+}
+
+function cloudfrontUrlForKey(key) {
+  const base = getEnv('AWS_URL_PICTURES', '').replace(/\/+$/, '');
+  if (!base) return key;
+  return `${base}/${key}`;     
+}
+  
+let cachedS3Client = null;
+function getS3Client() {
+  if (cachedS3Client) return cachedS3Client;
+
+  const region = getEnv('AWS_DEFAULT_REGION', 'ap-south-1');
+  const accessKeyId = getEnv('AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID');
+  const secretAccessKey = getEnv('AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY');
+
+  cachedS3Client = new S3Client({
+    region,
+    credentials: accessKeyId && secretAccessKey ? { accessKeyId, secretAccessKey } : undefined,
+  });
+
+  return cachedS3Client;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Upload a photo buffer to the eventbuzz-pictures S3 bucket.
+ * Returns { s3Key, url }.
+ */
+async function uploadEventPhotoToS3({ buffer, contentType, eventId, filename }) {
+  const bucket = getEnv('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET', 'eventbuzz-pictures');
+  if (!bucket) throw new Error('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET is not configured');
+
+  const key = buildEventPhotoKey({ eventId, filename });
+
+  await getS3Client().send(
+    new PutObjectCommand({
+      Bucket: bucket,
+      Key: key,
+      Body: buffer,
+      ContentType: contentType || 'application/octet-stream',
+    }),
+  );
+
+  return { s3Key: key, url: cloudfrontUrlForKey(key) };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Delete a photo from eventbuzz-pictures S3 bucket by key.
+ */
+async function deleteEventPhotoFromS3({ s3Key }) {
+  const bucket = getEnv('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET', 'eventbuzz-pictures');
+  if (!bucket) return;
+  if (!s3Key) return;
+
+  await getS3Client().send(
+    new DeleteObjectCommand({
+      Bucket: bucket,
+      Key: s3Key,
+    }),
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get a photo buffer from eventbuzz-pictures S3 bucket by key.
+ */
+async function getEventPhotoBufferFromS3(s3Key) {
+  const bucket = getEnv('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET', 'eventbuzz-pictures');
+  if (!bucket) throw new Error('AWS_EVENT_PICTURES_BUCKET is not configured');
+  if (!s3Key) throw new Error('s3Key required');
+
+  const response = await getS3Client().send(
+    new GetObjectCommand({
+      Bucket: bucket,
+      Key: s3Key,
+    }),
+  );
+  const chunks = [];
+  for await (const chunk of response.Body) {
+    chunks.push(chunk);
+  }
+  return Buffer.concat(chunks);
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  uploadEventPhotoToS3,
+  deleteEventPhotoFromS3,
+  getEventPhotoBufferFromS3,
+  buildEventPhotoKey,
+};
+