How much does product photography cost?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 4 minute read
The short answer
Product photography is priced per image, per product or by the half day or day, and the total depends on the frames you need. Clean shots on white cost the least; styled room scenes add props, a stylist, a location and freight. Compare quotes by the cost of each finished image you will use, with retouching and usage rights included.
How do product photographers charge?
In one of three ways: per image, per product, or a half-day or day rate. Each suits a different kind of shoot, and each hides different extras.
| Pricing model | How it works | Suits | Ask about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per image | A set price for each finished, edited image | Catalogue work on white, with a known shot list | Whether retouching and each colour variant count as separate images |
| Per product | A price per product, covering a set number of angles | Ranges of similar products | How many images one product includes |
| Half day or day rate | You pay for the photographer’s time | Styled and lifestyle shoots, models, locations | How many finished images to expect, and what editing costs on top |
| Project quote | One price for a defined set of images | Launches and campaigns | What happens to the price if the shot list changes |
What makes product photography cost more?
Everything around the camera. Styling, props, models, locations, freight and retouching are where two quotes for the same products drift furthest apart.
- Styling and props for lifestyle scenes, and a stylist to place them
- Models, hair and make-up, and a fee for how long and where the images of the model can be used
- Location hire, or a studio set built to look like a room
- Freight to and from the studio for large or fragile products, and insurance while they are away
- Retouching beyond a basic clean-up: colour matching, dust removal, combining several shots into one
- Colour variants, which are usually counted as separate images
- Usage or licence fees when the photographer keeps the copyright
- Reshoots, when the first round misses something
How do I compare product photography quotes fairly?
Work out the cost of each finished image you will actually use. Add the quote, the freight, the props you buy and your own time, then divide by the number of images that end up on the store and in ads.
Per-image pricing is the easiest to compare, because you know exactly what you are buying. A day rate can be good value for a large styled shoot, but only once you know how many finished images the day produces.
Ask each studio to quote the same order: the same products, the same number of images of each, the same backgrounds, and prices on the same basis for GST. The checklist in what a product photography quote should include covers the rest.
How much does Bartley Studio charge for product photos?
Bartley Studio prices product imagery with a published formula: $150 per project, plus $50 setup per product, plus $25 per image. The setup carries a scale discount, and the per-image rate falls to as low as 55% of $25 with volume.
| Order | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 product, 6 images | $350 | The smallest order |
| 10 products, 8 images each | $2,040 | The setup and per-image rate both fall with volume |
The calculator covers 1 to 30 products at 6 to 20 images each; get your price for your own catalogue. The work starts from a couple of phone photos of each product, so there is no freight, stylist or location fee on top.
- Made with AI and finished by hand
- Accuracy fixes unlimited: any final image that does not match the real product is re-edited until it does, at no extra cost
- One round of changes to the creative direction
- Two sets of files, web-compressed and full resolution, pre-cropped and named
- You own the delivered images on full payment, worldwide and indefinitely, with no separate licence
- A first look in 2 to 3 working days, and delivery usually within the week
When is a traditional photoshoot worth the higher cost?
When the photos need real people, real places or a photographer’s signature look. Fashion on models, food being poured or eaten, a campaign shot on location and jewellery that needs a macro lens all belong in front of a camera.
A shoot also makes sense when you need video of a real person using the product, or behind-the-scenes content of your team. Plan those for the same day, so the freight, styling and location are paid for once.
Other questions people ask about this
Is product photography priced with or without GST?
It varies from studio to studio, so check which way each quote is written before comparing. Bartley Studio’s prices are in Australian dollars and exclude GST.
Read the full answerWhy do product photography prices vary so much?
Because the quotes cover different work. A white-background photo of a mug and a styled sofa in a hired house are both product photography, but the second needs freight, a location, a stylist and far more retouching.
Do I pay extra to own the product photos?
Sometimes. Some photographers keep the copyright and license the images for set uses, charging more for wider use. With Bartley Studio, you own the delivered images on full payment, worldwide and indefinitely, with no separate licence.
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