Product photography how much

This may sound tricky, but is actually quite simple:. Some photography studios may also charge depending on experience and specialty; this does not always equate to paying more, but it is something to take into consideration when looking at your options. These are typically related to your product and any unique requirements or difficulties involved in creating the perfect ecommerce product photos. Big, bulky products are more difficult to handle — which can mean specialist equipment is required along with an extra pair of hands to set up the shot.

As you might expect, the bigger or bulkier your product, the greater the additional charge from your photographer. These will vary from studio to studio, with most starting to charge at a set weight or size threshold.

These additional charges for product photography commonly arise when products require extensive prepping or styling beyond the norm which is typically built into regular charges. Additional charges for product preparation are directly linked to how much time it takes beyond what the studio considers basic prep. As a guideline, basic preparation is considered anything up to five minutes.

Additional charges for photography styling will also take into account any specialist supplies or even professional expertise required, along with your requirements. Lifestyle images typically show people using products to help buyers imagine themselves using that product. These often require specialist equipment, so you can expect an additional charge per image for the extra time, set up, and equipment required.

As you can see, photography studios leverage additional charges for unique situations and products that go beyond the basic pricing due to the extra work and equipment that is typically required. Many will also display this information on their websites, so be sure to check for additional product photography charges online, too. At this point, you should have a clear idea of how much you should budget for your ecommerce photography project, and how much most photographers will charge for product photography.

Some are more advantageous to the client, others to the photographer. The structure of the pricing will affect rates far more than individual differences between studios. Most reliable product photographers opt to use a product-based pricing system.

That way, prices are more transparent, and expectations are clear. Hourly or daily rates can be misleading or cost too much after the project. Pricing by-product is more transparent and clear. Usually, this is a distinction between pricing for one product or groups of products. Pricing per product, the photographer will take an unlimited amount of images for that product.

Photographers usually want to avoid this type of work, but it is certainly beneficial for clients. Each type of product has its own rate.

For example, apparel will have a different cost than jewelry or skincare products. Groups of products are charged less as the number increases.

For example:. Some photography studios have pricing calculators that can give you an accurate depiction. At last, the image pricing only places a charge on each image produced. This is a simple multiplication of the number of final images you need and the number of products. Studios prefer this structure because they are paid for each photo, edit, and formatting. Product-based pricing only reimburses photographers for the final outcome. This gives certainty to both the photographer and the client over price.

By-the-image pricing also decreases as the amount of images increases:. As you can see, when divvying up the price per image, the increments are larger. You should also take into account the weight, size, styling, layout, construction, and preparation required for your products.

Pricing can also fluctuate depending on the incorporation of lifestyle images, group images, and special images.

There are many variables for additional charges. As with all aspects of product photography, clear expectations are key.

If you and your photographer are in agreement, your photos will turn out great. Taking great product photographs also gives your customers a clear expectation of your product. The ideal result is that everyone in this process feels that they have received good value for their money.

Similarly, photography projects that happen at your place of choice will have separate price mechanisms. Product photographs are not only useful for your online store. Alternatively, you can use it for advanced marketing purposes such as high-end print ads. How the photographs of the items are edited can affect the final use of the images. If you require customized marketing pictures, expect to pay much more per image.

The price of the picture is inversely proportional to the number of products in each group of products. You may have an extensive range of items in a single category. Therefore, the photographer will set up a single product and easily film multiple products. This is equivalent to a lower per picture price. Conversely, the photographer may have to adjust the camera as well as lighting setups. This occurs if you have few items per segment.

Constant changes to the set will also slow picture-taking speed. Hence, you can expect product photography pricing to be higher per photo. A big factor impacting the product photography pricing is the type of goods that require imaging.

If the items are small and basic, photography and editing will be relatively easy. An example of this is a coffee mug. Here, the price per picture will be more affordable. They will be much more difficult and slower to photograph if the items are big and bulky.

Examples of these are furniture or sports equipment which will cost more per shot. It will take a considerable time for an expert photographer to get a product in the optimum position for shooting. This can include the time for unboxing, assembling, cleaning, positioning, adjusting lighting and more. Therefore, this extra work can contribute to why product photography can be so expensive.

It takes less time to obtain additional photographs. You see, the first successful image means the product is primed and ready for product shots. There are several pros and cons to either option, in addition to differences in price. Photographers who work independently often share the studio where they do their photoshoots with a number of other freelancers.

They do their other work — such as editing pictures — from home. Even if you live in a small city, you should be able to find multiple independent studios in your area. This will enable you to choose between a range of photographers and find someone within your budget.

You may even be able to negotiate the rate — this is much easier to do when you work with an independent photographer than a full studio. However, it could be worthwhile seeking one if you have a large or complex project.

Make sure you find a studio that specializes in product photography to receive the best quality. Another good thing about working with a studio is that they have experience receiving products. They have processes in place to store and then return your products, no matter the shape or size. However, if you will need to ship a large number of products, you may end up spending a lot. After seeing just how expensive product photography can be, you may be reconsidering hiring a photographer at all.

If you have a high-end phone, you can take professional-quality pictures yourself, right? Definitely not! Photographers have specialized equipment that goes far beyond the capabilities of the top phones on the market.

This is not something you can learn with a few online tutorials and how-to articles. Photographers also have editing software and the skills to use it. All this makes a huge difference to the end result. Although they may be expensive, professional product photos are essential.