A few years ago, I would have charged just a few hundred dollars for this exact session—including the images.

This time, I made over ten times that amount.

The best part? This wasn’t a high-budget corporate job or a fancy commercial campaign. It was a simple branding portrait session for a local business owner who initially inquired about updating his headshot.

So, what changed?

I was about to take on a commercial shoot for a major brand. The budget was agreed upon, the details were set, and then—right before locking it in—they sent over the contract.

No big deal, right? Just a formality?

I thought so too.

Until I actually read it. And what I saw? A complete disaster.

One clause. One sneaky little detail. And if I had signed, I would’ve been screwed.

In this article, I’m going to cover, step-by-step, how to start a photography business in North Carolina. Don't worry — if you live outside of North Carolina, you'll still find this post helpful. Just be sure to check the local laws in your city and state.

Being a professional photographer is about putting one foot in front of the other. Day in and day out, you put in the work, making slow and steady progress along the way. Occasionally, if you’re lucky, you encounter a career-changing opportunity that catapults you forward. This was one of those opportunities.

In this guide, I’ll break down five essential factors to help you confidently determine your photography rates. While I’ll focus on portrait photography — specifically headshots, model tests, personal branding, and commercial shoots — the pricing principles I’ll share are adaptable to other photography genres as well.

I’ll get straight to the point: This lens is hands-down my absolute favorite that I’ve shot with on my Fujifilm X-T2. Hell, it may even be my favorite lens ever, but I want to give it some time before I make such a bold claim.