How Much Does Product Photography Cost?

How Much Does Product Photography Cost?

The general answer to this question is usually another question; what sort of product photography are you looking for? This is because the scope of your project drastically changes the range of pricing. There are many factors to consider when looking into pricing for photography, including location, the size and amount of items, the style in which you’re looking to achieve, as well as whether or not the images are taken inside a studio or on location. The list can get extensive, and it usually ends with the additional payment for a usage license.

Why isn’t there a set price for every photography studio?

Simply put, the experience of the studio, the scope of the project, and the country in which you’re shooting makes it incredibly difficult to develop a worldwide uniform price for this type of service. Different tax rates and service fees between locations account for some of the difference in pricing, similarly to how purchasing and shipping costs vary when placing purchase orders. This is why it’s important to keep in mind that each studio, having its own unique style and structure, will also differ in price points.

What if I need cheaper options?

It’s a common misconception that a brand can cut corners by using inexpensive studios and still garner exceptional results. Not to say that there aren’t affordable options to find, but more so that sacrificing quality for the sake of price affects not only the end goal of your images but also the representation of your brand to your audience. Doing your research and carefully considering each studio for their style and their ability to match your brand vision is key when searching for product photography. If you get really clear on how many and what types of images you need, it will translate to a more cost efficient project.

Why do I have to pay licensing fees?

I dive deeper into licensing fees and usage rights in another post, found here if you’re interested to learn more about this aspect of commercial and advertising photography. But as a quick answer to this question, licensing fees allow you temporary limited rights to display, print, or otherwise share the media you purchase from a photographer. As the photographer holds exclusive rights to the content they produce, licensing is there to protect the content and the rights of both parties when using the media. This is not exclusive to photography, as these fees are applicable to several fields of service within content creation, but it is most commonly discussed when speaking of terms with photography usage. Purchasing exclusivity grants a brand the full copyright ownership of that media indefinitely, which can be the most appealing option when looking for product photography packages, but can be costly as well, and its worth noting that full copyright may not be an option provided by all photographers.

So what can I expect in terms of price ranges and options?

Many photographers opt for day rates, in which their shooting time is set up for a number of days where the set is active. This can be a worthwhile option if you have a large collection of products. This could come at anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars per day of shooting. There are also options for some photographers that are considered price-per-image packages and can be useful if you have a limited amount of products or only require a small collection of photos. Images can range from the lower end of $40 an image to anywhere above $300; this depends a lot on the product size, shape, direction, and reflective capacity. A third option that is considered would be hourly, at which the rate is determined solely by the photographer, the session expenses, and their local employment rates. In some locations, the hourly rate in some countries can be low and affordable, and in some countries can range above $200, it’s important to speak to a variety of studios in order to get an understanding of what you’re willing to commit to for your product photography. And ask questions to find out what options are available. We as photographers pride ourselves on providing quality service, our clients are important to us, so their project and scope understanding is just as crucial.