What Should Photographers Charge in 2025? (A No-BS Pricing Guide)
Figuring out what to charge for your photography can feel like a mystery. You don’t want to price yourself too low and undervalue your work, but you also don’t want to overcharge and scare away potential clients.
In this guide, I’ll break down five essential factors to help you confidently determine your rates. While I focus on portrait photography—specifically headshots, model tests, personal branding, and commercial shoots—the principles here apply across all photography genres.
I’ll also share insights into my own pricing and suggest reasonable rate ranges for photographers at various experience levels and markets.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to price your work in a way that reflects your value and expertise.
5 Keys Factors That Influence Your Rates
Factor #1: Your Skills and Experience
The more experience and skill you have, the more you can charge. But being good with a camera is just one part of the equation—clients pay for your expertise, efficiency, and ability to handle the unexpected.
For example:
Can you confidently direct talent during a commercial shoot?
Do you know the lighting setups needed for specific shots?
Are you comfortable working within tight schedules and high-pressure environments?
If you're shooting a model test, do you understand what agencies need and how to guide an inexperienced model?
Clients aren’t just buying images; they’re paying for the peace of mind that comes with hiring a seasoned professional. The more experience you gain, the more value you bring—and the higher your rates should be.
Factor #2: Your Cost of Doing Business
Being a photographer comes with a lot of expenses. Consider everything you need to operate:
Camera, lenses, memory cards
Editing software (Adobe Creative Cloud, Capture One)
Website hosting and client gallery services
Lighting gear and backdrops
Business expenses (LLC fees, taxes, marketing, insurance)
Ongoing education (workshops, courses, mentorships)
Let’s not forget outsourcing! Hiring an accountant, retoucher, or assistant can free up your time, but it comes at a cost. And taxes? If you're self-employed, you’ll likely pay 30-40% of your gross income in taxes alone.
This is why charging $1,000 for a shoot doesn’t mean you’re pocketing $1,000—after expenses and taxes, you may only be keeping $600-$700. Understanding your costs ensures you set rates that actually sustain your business.
Factor #3 Your Local Market
Where you live plays a role in pricing, but it shouldn’t be the only factor.
A photographer in New York City will have different rates than someone in a smaller town. Big cities often have clients with larger budgets, while smaller markets may require a more strategic pricing approach.
However, don’t let location limit you. Many photographers travel for work, target higher-paying clients in nearby cities, or create additional income streams through online sales, licensing, and education.
Too many photographers blame their geography for their lack of success, but the truth is, mindset matters more than location. I work with students from all over—including small towns—who are absolutely crushing it with sales because they refuse to let their surroundings limit them. They find creative ways to attract premium clients, build strong networks, and develop pricing strategies that work, regardless of where they live. Your location doesn’t define your success—your strategy does.
Factor #4 Type of Shoot
Different projects have different scopes.
Retail photography, otherwise known as consumer photography, is when you work directly with the client to take portraits for non-commercial use. This kind of photography tends to be more straightforward and formulaic.
For example, my signature headshot sessions are typically an hour long and include two retouched images. For this reason, my pricing is always the same.
On the other hand, whenever I receive an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a commercial project, there are always so many variables to consider.
The production might require that I provide the talent, rent a studio, scout a suitable outdoor location, bring in a makeup artist and wardrobe stylist, and deliver a library of images within two business days of the shoot.
(I should mention that such complex productions generally necessitate a lot of pre-production work, something you absolutely should account for in your fee.)
My rate for these commercial productions is always much higher than my retail photography gigs, and you can see why — there is a lot more time and effort involved.
For some shoots, all the logistics are planned for you— you just need to show up and shoot. For others, you have to play the producer role and take charge of planning all the logistics. Charge accordingly.
A note on image licensing: It’s standard to license images to your client in commercial photography. Licensing your images means charging a fee to grant your client permission to use your images within a defined scope.
Why is this important?
It ensures that you’re paid fairly for your work. If a company plans to use your image to advertise locally, you can charge a small fee. If, on the other hand, they want to take out a billboard in Times Square, you can charge quite a bit more.
For large commercial projects, it’s not uncommon for the photographer to earn more through image licensing than they do from their day rate!
The industry is shifting, and licensing doesn’t quite operate the same way it did twenty years ago, but you should absolutely factor it into your rate.
Factor #5 Post-Production Time
Early in my career, I spent two to three times longer editing than shooting. Now, I have a team of expert retouchers—one of the smartest investments I ever made.
When structuring your pricing, you can either build post-production costs into your overall rate or list them separately (per image, for example). Either way, don’t underestimate the value of this stage. Whether you’re handling it yourself or outsourcing, make sure you’re getting paid for the full scope of your work.
My rates, broken down by shoot type
Here’s a general range of what I charge based on the type of shoot.
Individual Headshots
💰 $400–$600 (Includes two retouched images)
Group Headshots
💰 $300 per person (One final image per individual)
For onsite headshots, I charge a $690 session fee plus a per-person rate that decreases as the group size increases:
1–4 people → $325 per headshot
5–10 people → $275 per headshot
11–19 people → $225 per headshot
20+ people → $175 per headshot
This tiered structure encourages companies to book more headshots in one session, making it more cost-effective for larger teams.
Model Tests
📸 $1,290+ for three looks
Model tests are shoots that help new models build their portfolios. A simple shoot (no hair, makeup, or wardrobe styling) starts at $1,290. The price increases with more outfits, locations, or production needs.
Personal Branding Shoots
💰 $3,500–$7,500+
Personal branding photography is all about telling a story through images. Entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners need professional images for their websites, social media, and ads.
I charge $1,690 for the session, and clients purchase images separately. Some buy 16, others buy 60—it’s entirely up to them. My pricing includes a license for unlimited use across digital platforms.
Commercial Photography
💰 $3,500–$5,500+ (Day Rate)
If a client uses my images to sell a product or service, it’s commercial photography. Because these shoots involve more planning and production, pricing reflects that.
Before sending a quote, I always ask: "Where will these images be used?" This determines licensing fees and usage rights.
My base day rate is $3,500 (typically 10 hours). This does not include post-production, which is billed per image. If I handle production (hiring models, scouting locations, etc.), my fee increases accordingly.
How Much Should You Charge?
Still not sure where to start? Here’s what I consider reasonable starting rates for photographers in small markets:
Individual Headshots – $250
Group Headshots – $150 per person
Model Tests – $600
Personal Branding – $900
Commercial (Day Rate) – $1,500
Notice there’s nothing below $100? That’s intentional. Charging less than $100 is working for free. Don’t do it.
If you can’t support yourself with photography yet, the answer isn’t lowering your prices—it’s securing a stable income while you build your business. I worked a full-time job for two years before my photography income surpassed my salary.
Final thoughts
You didn’t start this journey to struggle—you started to thrive.
Know your worth. Price accordingly. The more profitable your business, the better you can serve your clients, create work you love, and build a career on your terms.
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