What Should You Charge for a Product Photoshoot?
“How much should I charge?”
It's probably one of the most difficult questions for a new photographer.
And unfortunately, there isn't one magic number.
The answer depends on your costs, experience, market, deliverables, complexity and the value of the work to your client.
But there is one mistake you should avoid:
Don't calculate your price based only on the time your camera is switched on.
A “one-hour photoshoot” might actually take five hours.
Consider everything involved:
- client communication
- planning
- sourcing props
- styling
- travel
- setup
- shooting
- file management
- editing
- exporting
- uploading
- delivery
- invoicing
- follow-up
If the shoot itself takes one hour but everything else takes four, you've worked for five hours.
Don't forget your business costs
Your camera might be paid off.
But that doesn't mean it's free.
You have:
- equipment
- software
- storage
- website costs
- insurance
- electricity
- internet
- transport
- marketing
- accounting
- subscriptions
- props
- backdrops
- packaging
- tax
These costs have to be covered by your income.
Then consider your expertise
Clients aren't paying you simply to press a button.
They're paying for your ability to make decisions.
You decide how to light the subject.
You decide how to style it.
You decide what angle works.
You decide what should be removed.
You decide how to edit the final image.
That's expertise.
Price the job, not just the photograph
A useful way to structure your pricing is to think in packages.
For example:
Starter Package
A small number of products, a defined number of final photographs and simple styling.
Content Package
More products, more photographs and multiple compositions.
Campaign Package
More extensive styling, creative direction and a larger image library.
This makes your pricing easier for customers to understand.
And it makes it much easier for you to calculate your time.
The goal isn't to be the cheapest photographer.
It's to build a business where the work you accept is actually worth doing.
Because there's nothing particularly entrepreneurial about being incredibly busy and barely making money.
