Amateur product photographers can charge between $50-$100 per hour, while experienced professionals can charge between $300-$500 per hour. These prices vary depending on the photographer’s experience.
On average, product photography prices range from $20-$300 per product.
Quick Facts:
- Engaging images and video content inspire 3/4 of consumers to make a purchasing decision.
- However, this result can only be achieved with professional product photography.
- But before you hire someone, you need to have a good idea about product photography prices.
Product Photography and Pricing
The typical cost for hiring a product photographer ranges from $50 to $500 per hour, or $10 to $150 per image, depending on their expertise and experience.
Product Photography Pricing Table
| Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Per Day | $300 – $3,000 |
| Per Hour | $50 – $500 |
| Per Product | $20 – $300 |
| Per Image | $10 – $150 |
Please note that prices can vary based on numerous factors; the table above is just to give you an idea.
The main factors that can vary product photography costs are:
- The photographer’s experience
- The type of photography (basic, Amazon or lifestyle photography)
- Their pricing requirements (per image, per hour or per day)
- Below, we will analyze each of them in detail.
First, let’s look at how the price of product photography varies depending on your needs.
One of the first things you should ask yourself is:
Should you purchase professional photography services by the hour, by the day, per image or per product?
Pricing Models for Product Photography
Daily Rate
Opting for a daily rate provides a clearer picture of the total investment required for a photographer’s time. You can expect to pay between $300 and $3,000 per day, depending on the photographer’s expertise and the scope of the project.
Per-Image Pricing
Another approach is to hire a photographer on a per-image basis. Note that you might need multiple images per product to effectively showcase it. Prices for this option can range from $10 to over $400 per image, with an average cost between $35 and $170.
Hourly Rate
If you prefer paying by the hour, anticipate a range of $50 to $500 per hour. However, hourly rates can be unpredictable since it’s difficult to estimate the exact time required to complete a project. This might result in higher costs if the project takes longer than anticipated or if there’s a budget cap.
Per-Product Pricing
Paying per product is another pricing model, ideal for projects involving similar items. This method allows the photographer to estimate the time and effort more accurately and apply consistent techniques and equipment. Generally, the cost per product decreases with a higher number of products. Rates typically range from $20 to $300 per product.
How much does product photography cost?
Product photographers typically charge between $50 and $500 per hour. Amateur and beginner photographers charge between $10 and $25 per product image or around $50 per hour; professionals can charge upwards of $100 per image or up to $500 per hour.
How much you charge for product photography depends on many factors. The most important ones are experience and portfolio.
Let’s look at each level of experience in detail.
Amateur and beginner photographers. The cheapest options are for amateur and beginner photographers who want to get more exposure. You can go for these if you’re on a budget, but in most cases the quality is average.
Amateur or beginner photographers can charge between $10 and $25 per product image, or around $50 per hour.
Amateur photographers. You have some experience but no formal training as a photographer.
You can expect to pay an amateur photographer around $50 per image.
Their hourly rate could be around $100.
Experienced or semi-professionals. This would probably be the best compromise between price and quality.
Semi-professionals work part-time, so even though you get quality services, the investment is reasonable.
Expect to pay a semi-professional an hourly rate of $150.
Professional (expert) product photographers. If you have the budget, consider hiring one of these.
They are usually full-time photographers with lots of experience and solid training.
Full-time professional product photographers can cost you upwards of $100 per image or up to $500 per hour.
Remember that your focus is product photography, not photography in general.
So you are looking for someone who has the right experience.
For example, an amateur with experience in product photography would be a better choice than a semi-professional with no experience in product photography.
If you are thinking of hiring a graphic designer to edit photos, you can also check out their prices.
Ecommerce Photography Pricing
Product photography with a plain white background is the most common professional photography service used in ecommerce.
It can cost around $50 per image. But again, it depends on the experience and knowledge of the photographer or company.
In addition, the price of ecommerce product photography can vary depending on the number of images needed.
Generally, the larger the number of images, the less you have to pay per image.
The type of product photography is another factor that determines your total cost.
Lifestyle Product Photography Pricing
In lifestyle product photography, you place your product in a selected environment.
It helps your potential customers associate your product with a certain lifestyle, which ultimately aids the conversion process.
Because in lifestyle product photography, people can imagine themselves using your product.
So how much should it cost?
Lifestyle product photography can cost you more than traditional ecommerce product photography with a plain white background.
This is because it involves creating a set, hiring a model, and renting props, so you’ll pay the standard rate plus any additional costs.
Per day, a lifestyle product photography session can cost between $2,000 and $5,000.
Amazon Product Photography Pricing
For Amazon products, you’d pay standard ecommerce product photography prices.
Amazon is by far the most popular ecommerce platform out there.
So every professional photographer should know how to take product photos for the platform.
The ecommerce giant has its own requirements for product images, including:
Choosing the Right Image Format
- Color Mode: Decide between CMYK and RGB based on your needs. RGB is ideal for digital use, while CMYK is better for print.
- Focus on the Product: Ensure your product images feature only the product itself, free from distractions or additional elements.
- Background: Use a white background for primary images to maintain a clean and professional appearance.
…and more.
Make sure to review all the details if you’re preparing for a product photoshoot, especially for platforms like Amazon.
What should you consider when hiring a product photographer?
We’ve talked about what variables can affect the price of product photography. But what qualities should you look for in a product photographer?
Experience
While an experienced photographer costs more than an amateur, they are always a better choice.
You don’t have to go to a top-notch professional, though; someone with decent experience in product photography will suffice.
However, make sure you’re working with someone who has experience in product photography, not photography in general.
Equipment
Of course, professional photography requires sophisticated equipment. Additional equipment is one of the main reasons why lifestyle photography tends to be more expensive.
You want to hire someone with the right camera and equipment.
For example, if you hire someone to take photos of your properties, the cost of drone photography can vary.
Lighting
Lighting is a crucial aspect of product photography. And it’s about more than just placing a product in a well-lit environment.
A good product photographer knows how to adjust lighting based on the size, color, shape, and reflection of the product.
Editing Skills
Many photographers have experience in image editing; Working with someone like him will help you minimize your costs and streamline the process.
And if your photographer has image editing skills, he will also take the images with the editing process in mind.
For example, adjusting the lighting and exposure on the camera can make the editing process easier.
Reasons for Additional Charges
We’ve discussed the typical costs for a professional product photographer based on:
- Experience: The photographer’s level of expertise and skill.
- Type of Product Photography: The specific style and complexity of the shoot.
- Your Requirements: Any special needs or customizations for the project.
However, there may be other factors that can affect the overall cost of your project.
This includes:
Size, weight, and complexity of your product. In general, heavy and complex products cost more than smaller and simpler ones.
Difficult post-processing. Your project is not always limited to camera work. Product photos may need to be retouched and edited before they can be uploaded to your e-commerce store.
And of course, this increases the overall cost of your project.
Time: Generally, professional photographers charge per image, per product, or per hour.
Let’s say you hired someone for a few hours. Going over this predetermined time would increase costs.
Studio or freelance photographer. Product photography studios have a full team of professionals who usually handle large projects, so of course they cost more.
On the other hand, freelance photographers offer their services at different prices depending on their experience and expertise.
