Understanding Photography Pricing: Why Transparency Matters

Fireball loop coaster at the Howard County Fair

Many photographers structure their pricing with an initial sitting fee, which usually includes a few digital images, followed by an upsell after the gallery is delivered. For example, you might see a family session priced at $250. After receiving your gallery, you may realize that you want more than the 10 included images—you want all 40. The photographer then offers you the extra images at $10 each, adding up to $300. Now, your session cost has increased to $550.

But what if you also want a few prints? Let’s say you opt for three small 8x10" prints and a large 16x24" metal print for your wall. The photographer charges $14 for each 8x10" print (which costs them $3) and $300 for the 16x24" metal print (which costs them $120). You know you could order that metal print online yourself for around the same price, but that can be daunting if you’re not experienced with ordering large expensive pieces of art. Questions arise like, "Do I need to do color correction?" "Is the crop right?" "Does this company provide good quality?"

In the end, you’ve spent nearly $900 on your session. You have 40 digital images, three 8x10" prints, and a 16x24" metal print. After the photographer pays for your print products, they’ve made $770 from your session. This doesn’t include business expenses like software subscriptions, website hosting, marketing, equipment, etc. If the photographer serves 100 clients per year and averages this on each client, that totals $77,000. With operating expenses accounting for around 15%, they take home about $66,000 per year before taxes—without any benefits included, like health insurance.

However, serving 100 clients per year is a heavy workload, especially when you consider the seasonality of photography. The demand isn’t evenly spread out throughout the year but is heavily concentrated in the spring and fall months. This uneven distribution can lead to burnout, as trying to fit so many sessions into peak seasons can be overwhelming. A more realistic number is 35 to 50 clients per year, which brings the income down to around $33,000 or less.

In this scenario, you end up paying more than three times what you initially expected, while the photographer barely earns a livable wage in Maryland. You may feel like you’re overpaying your photographer, but the reality is that they rely on upselling to make their business sustainable.

Many of my clients don’t realize just how much work goes into each photo session behind the scenes. Beyond the hour or so we spend together during the actual shoot, I invest several more hours before the session begins. This includes tasks like the initial consultation, scouting potential locations, suggesting inspirational shots, and reviewing wardrobe choices. After the session, I dedicate additional time to culling and editing the images to ensure they’re ready for presentation. I also offer an in-home ordering session where we can discuss print products, and I help you place your order. All in all, I easily spend 8 to 10 hours on each hour long family session, sometimes more.

To offer my clients a more straightforward experience, I've decided to do things a bit differently and introduce an alternative option with my "Full Access" pricing plan. Alongside my traditional pricing plan with a $250 session fee, I’ll also be offering a “Full Access” plan where the session fee reflects what I need to earn from each client. All the images in your gallery are included in the full access plan, with no upselling afterward. Additionally, instead of marking up print products by over 200%, you can purchase them through me at my cost. The only exception will be albums, which require additional time and effort to create; I’ll add a $50 fee to cover this.

I believe my clients will appreciate this pricing plan because it provides a clear understanding of the true investment required upfront, removes the pressure of post-session upselling, and ensures they receive high-quality print products from my trusted lab rather than lower-quality options from a local drugstore.

Please note, this pricing model is tailored for portrait photographers who work solo on location with families, couples, seniors, and some headshots. Photographers with assistants, those doing weddings, commercial work, corporate headshots, or those with a studio location will have different expenses and pricing models.

My goal is to offer a straightforward, transparent pricing experience that delivers both value and peace of mind to my clients. I look forward to capturing your memories with a pricing plan that makes sense for everyone involved.