How much does product photography cost in Australia (or New Zealand)?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 4 minute read
The short answer
In Australia and New Zealand, product photography is quoted per image, per product or by the day, and many local studios publish their rates. The big variables are styling, models and freight: moving bulky products between cities, or across the Tasman, adds cost and time before a photo is taken. Check whether each quote includes GST, because the rate differs between the two countries.
How is product photography priced in Australia and New Zealand?
Per image for catalogue work on white, per product for a set of angles, and a half-day or day rate for styled and lifestyle shoots. Many studios in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland publish a rate card on their own site.
Rate cards are only comparable when they describe the same work. Line them up on one order: the number of products, the images of each, the backgrounds, and whether retouching is included. How much product photography costs explains each pricing model and the extras each one hides.
What adds to product photography costs in Australia and New Zealand?
Freight, mostly. The distances between cities are long, and bulky goods such as furniture, rugs and lighting have to be packed, insured, sent to the studio and sent back again.
- Freight both ways, packing and insurance
- Time away from stock: a piece at the studio is a piece you cannot sell or display
- Location hire for room scenes, and a stylist to dress the room
- Models, and a fee for how long and where their images can be used
- Travel, if the photographer comes to your warehouse or showroom
- Across the Tasman, extra transit time and paperwork on top of the freight
For small products that post easily, freight barely moves the total. For a sofa range in Perth and a studio in Sydney, it can decide where the shoot happens.
How does GST work on a product photography quote?
Check whether each price includes it, because a quote excluding GST and a quote including it are not comparable. The rate also differs between the two countries.
In Australia, GST is 10% on most goods and services. In New Zealand, GST is charged at 15%. A GST-registered business can usually claim the GST on business purchases back as a credit, so for most brands the price excluding GST is the real cost; your accountant can confirm it for your business.
Bartley Studio’s prices are in Australian dollars and exclude GST.
Can I get product photos without freighting products to a studio?
Yes. Product frames can now be made from phone photos of each product, so nothing crosses the country or the Tasman, and the biggest cost difference between cities disappears.
Bartley Studio works from a couple of phone photos of each product, taken in daylight: the front, one other angle and a close-up of the material, with a note on what it is made of and its size. Nothing needs to be posted. Each frame is made with AI and finished by hand, and the first look arrives in 2 to 3 working days.
| Order | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 product, 6 images (the smallest order) | $350 |
| 10 products, 8 images each | $2,040 |
The formula is $150 per project, plus $50 setup per product with a scale discount, plus $25 per image, falling to as low as 55% of that rate with volume. Get your price for your own range.
How do I compare quotes from studios in different cities?
Put every quote on the same basis: the same products and images, prices excluding GST, and freight, styling and retouching included. Then divide the total by the number of finished images you will use.
- The same shot list for every studio, so the totals describe the same work
- Every price either including or excluding GST, never a mix
- Freight both ways and insurance added to the studio’s price
- Retouching, colour variants and revisions written into the quote
- Who owns the images, and where you are allowed to use them
- The turnaround from the day the products arrive, not from the day you book
When is a local photoshoot the better choice?
When you want to be in the room, when the photos need real people, or when a real place is part of the brand. Swimwear on an Australian beach, clothing on real models and a founder portrait all need a camera and a local crew.
A local photographer you can work with season after season also builds a consistent look over time. If that look is the brand, it is worth paying for.
Other questions people ask about this
Do New Zealand brands pay in Australian dollars?
Bartley Studio’s prices are in Australian dollars, excluding GST. Your bank or card provider converts the payment, so check its exchange rate and fees.
How long does product photography take in Australia?
A studio shoot runs on the studio’s calendar, plus freight time each way and the editing afterwards. Bartley Studio works from phone photos, so the first look arrives in 2 to 3 working days and delivery is usually within the week.
Do I have to send my products to a studio in Sydney, Melbourne or Auckland?
Not for every kind of photo. Bartley Studio makes product frames from a couple of phone photos of each product, so nothing is posted. A studio shoot still needs the products in the room.
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