How much to charge for photography
Updated 26 September 2026
Many photographers sell packages built from an hourly rate: hours of coverage, a set number of edited photos and extras like a second shooter or an album. Short portrait sessions sit at the bottom of the range and full wedding days at the top. Your price has to pay for the editing as well as the shoot, and the editing often takes longer.
Example photography prices
| Job | US | UK | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family portrait session, 1.5 hours, 25 edited photos | $265 | £210 | A$390 | CA$360 |
| Corporate event, 3 hours, 50 edited photos | $625 | £500 | A$930 | CA$860 |
| Wedding day, 8 hours, 100+ edited photos, second photographer and a printed album | $2,200 | £1,760 | A$3,290 | CA$3,010 |
Priced with the starting rates in our photography template, in each country's currency. They're a starting point, not a survey of local rates, so set your own from what your jobs take and what others charge near you.
How photographers set their prices
By the hour
A rate for each hour of coverage, with a minimum booking. It suits events and parties where the client decides how long you stay. Set the rate high enough to pay for the editing that each hour of shooting creates.
Packages
Set bundles, like a one-hour family session with 25 edited photos or a full wedding day with a second shooter and an album. Clients can compare them quickly, and you decide what each one includes.
Day rates for commercial work
A fixed price for a half day or a full day, common for brand and product shoots. Agree in writing how the client can use the photos, and charge more when they'll appear in advertising.
Sample photography price list
The prices in our template, as a list you can adapt. Percentages change the price of the job; fixed-price extras are added on top.
| Item | US | UK | Australia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage, per hour | $175 | £140 | A$260 | CA$240 |
| Edited photos: 50 edited photos | +$100 | +£80 | +A$150 | +CA$140 |
| Edited photos: 100+ edited photos | +$250 | +£200 | +A$380 | +CA$340 |
| Second photographer | +$300 | +£240 | +A$450 | +CA$410 |
| Printed album | +$250 | +£200 | +A$380 | +CA$340 |
| Minimum job price | $250 | £200 | A$380 | CA$340 |
Put this price list on your website
Customers answer a few questions about the job, see the price and send you their details. This is our photography quote form with the prices above. Try it as a customer would, then start from these prices and change any of them.
Golden Hour Photography
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Pricing mistakes to avoid
- Pricing only the time behind the camera. A two-hour shoot can turn into a full day once you add culling, editing, uploading and answering emails. Count those hours before you set your rate.
- Putting too many edited photos in the base price. Every extra photo is more time at your desk. Our template includes 25, then adds $100 for 50 or $250 for 100 or more in the US.
- Underpricing a second photographer. You pay them for the whole day, then edit their photos as well. Our template adds $300 in the US when the client wants one.
- Charging short sessions by the minute. A 30-minute headshot session still means travel, setting up and an edit afterwards. Our template has a $250 minimum in the US.
Not sure what your time is worth? Work out your hourly rate with the pricing calculator, then check your job prices cover it.
Questions
- Should I charge per hour or per package?
- Packages are easier to sell, because clients see one price for everything they get. An hourly rate is fairer for events that might run short or long. You can build your packages from an hourly rate, which is how our template works.
- How much deposit should I take for a wedding?
- Take enough to cover the other work you'll turn down for that date. Many wedding photographers ask for part of the fee when the contract is signed and the rest before the wedding. Say in the contract what happens to the deposit if the couple cancels, and check what your local consumer rules allow.
- Should I charge for travel to a wedding or shoot?
- Include travel within a set area in your prices, then charge by the mile or kilometre beyond it. For weddings far from home, add accommodation, since you may need to arrive the night before.
- Should I give clients the raw files?
- Many photographers don't, because raw files are unfinished and don't show your editing. If a client insists, sell them as a separate extra and say clearly that they come unedited.
- How do I put my photography prices on my website?
- Turn each package into choices on a quote form. Clients choose the hours, how many edited photos they want and extras like an album, then send you their date with the price attached. Every price in our photography template can be changed to match yours.