Photography Pricing Guide: Hourly Rates vs. Per-Project

Image Source: Adobe Stock

You’ve been grinding to build your skills, find your niche, and even attract paying clients. But understanding how to price your photography services isn’t always easy. It often comes down to choosing between two different approaches: hourly rates versus per-project pricing. This photography pricing guide is designed to help you understand the pair, when to use each, and how to price your work with confidence!

In short...

Hourly Rates for Photographers: Best for undefined or time-variable tasks like events or consultations.

Per Project Photography Pricing: Use for clearly defined deliverables and scope like product shoots and weddings.

How to Build Your Rates: Calculate your costs, research market rates, and embrace value-based pricing.

For expert guidance on photography pricing strategies, explore The Photography Institute's courses. Study online at your own pace, balancing your current commitments with career growth for long-term success.

Understanding Hourly Rates

So, what exactly are hourly rates for photographers? This is when you charge your clients based on your time, covering everything from planning to post-production. You set a rate per hour, and that's what they pay for your time on the job.

The Upsides of Charging Hourly

• Flexibility & Transparency: Great for projects with variable scopes, offering clear pricing that clients can easily understand.
• Fair Compensation: You're paid for all your time, even if unforeseen delays occur.
• Easy for Short Gigs: Ideal for quick tasks or when clients need you for a specific duration.

The Downsides of Charging Hourly

• Undervalues Expertise: Clients might focus on hours, not the quality or speed of your work.
• Client Budget Concerns: Open-ended time can make clients nervous about the final cost.
• Punishes Efficiency: The faster you work, the less you earn if you're solely billing by time.

When to Use Hourly Rates

Hourly rates for photographers are often best when the project scope is vague, likely to change, or for time-based services.

• Events: Perfect for corporate events or parties where the end time might shift.
• Behind-the-Scenes: When providing support or capturing candid moments for a set duration.
• Consultations: Standard for offering advice or coaching.

Examples Where Hourly Rates Make Sense

• Headshot Sessions: Quick, defined sessions where a client needs a few polished images.
• Short Brand Shoots: A company needs you for a couple of hours to capture specific office moments, not a large set of deliverables.
• Event Assistance: Helping another photographer at a wedding for peak hours, where your contribution is time-based.

Image Source: Adobe Stock

Understanding Per Project Pricing

Per project photography pricing (or flat-rate) means charging a single, all-inclusive fee for a complete job, shifting the focus from your time to the specific outcome or deliverables.

The Upsides of Per Project Pricing

• Predictable Income: Knowing your exact earnings up front can help you manage your finances.
• Clear Scope: Clients see the total cost upfront, aligning expectations around the final result.
• Rewards Efficiency: Your expertise and speed mean more profit for you.
• Easy Bundling: It can make it easier to create different packages, services, and levels of value.

The Downsides of Per-Project Pricing

• Challenging Estimates: It can be hard to accurately predict all your time and costs upfront. Undercutting this means less pay for you.
• Risk of Scope Creep: Undefined projects often expand in size and create unpaid work.
• Less Flexible: Major changes mid-project often require tricky renegotiations.

When to Use Per-Project Pricing

We recommend this photography pricing strategy when deliverables and scope are clearly defined.

• Product Photography: Delivering a set number of images for specific products.
• Brand Shoots: Creating a clear list of images for a business's marketing.
• Weddings: Offering comprehensive packages (hours, deliverables, second photographer).
• Editorial Spreads: Producing a series of images for a publication with a strict brief.

Examples of Successful Per-Project Scenarios

• eCommerce Product Shoots: With a flat fee for 10 high-resolution images per product.
• Full-Day Wedding Package: Including coverage and a digital gallery, all for one upfront price.
• Personal Branding Package: For a business owner, covering headshots and lifestyle images for a set fee.

Image Source: tethertools.com & Jason Leung - Unsplash

Hourly vs Per-Project Rates at a Glance

Still wondering exactly how much to charge? Use this handy guide to match your rates with experience level and get paid what you deserve.

How to Choose the Right Pricing Model

Selecting the right photography pricing strategy is essential to your income and business growth. This section of our photography pricing guide helps you make that call.

5 Factors to Consider

When deciding how to price your photography services, weigh these points:

• Project Length & Complexity: Simple, short jobs might suit hourly. Longer, intricate ones, per-project.
• Scope Clarity: Clear deliverables lean towards per-project. Vague or evolving scopes favour hourly.
• Client Expectations: Do clients need a fixed budget, or are they okay with flexible time-based costs?
• Your Efficiency: Experienced, fast pros often benefit more from per-project rates. Beginners might find hourly safer initially.
• Risk of Scope Creep: Hourly covers unforeseen time. Per-project needs strong contracts to protect you.

Top Tips for Beginners

Freelance photographer pricing can be tough when starting out. Here's some practical advice to get you on the right track.

• Start Simple: Pick projects with clear scopes to test both models.
• Always Track Time: Even for flat fees, track your hours to improve future estimates.
• Ask Questions: Clarify every detail upfront to avoid surprises.
• Prioritise Portfolio: Focus on building a strong portfolio initially, even if it means flexible pricing.

The Hybrid Approach

Sometimes, mixing models is the best way to approach your photography pricing strategy. A hybrid approach offers flexibility and fairness.

• Fixed Fee + Hourly Overages: Charge a flat fee for the core, then an hourly rate for extra time or revisions.
• Hourly for Prep + Per Project for Deliverables: Bill initial consultations hourly, then switch to a per-project fee once the scope is clear for large jobs.

Client Communication is Key

No matter your model, clear and confident client communication is vital.

• Be Transparent: Explain your chosen model and why it fits their project.
• Outline Clearly: Detail what's included (and excluded) for both models.
• Set Expectations: Discuss potential additional costs from the start.
• Emphasise Value: Shift focus from just cost to the expertise and quality you bring.

Tools and Resources

Don't go it alone! The Photography Institute offers a range of resources and courses to help build your business.

• Photographer Earnings Guide: Understand industry benchmarks, salary expectations, and how to price your photography services for success.
• Time Management for Photographers: Learn productivity tips for successful shoots and streamlined post-production, directly impacting your profitability.
• Finding Your First Photography Client: Get practical strategies to confidently secure your initial clients and kickstart your career.
• Photography Institute Courses: Our Diploma of Photography course offers a dedicated module on Commercial Photographic Services, including how to interpret briefs, prepare estimates, apply creative fees, and master the business of photography.

Image Source: Adobe Stock

How to Set Your Photography Prices

Confidently setting your rates is key to the success of your photography business. Here's how to build your own photography pricing strategy.

Calculate Your True Costs

Knowing your expenses is about more than just your equipment. Here’s how to take a smart approach to your freelance photographer pricing.

• Equipment: Account for depreciation, maintenance, and upgrades.
• Software & Subscriptions: Editing tools, galleries, CRM, hosting – these add up.
• Business Overhead: Insurance, marketing, courses, studio, admin time, transport.
• Your Time: Include shooting, editing, planning, communication, and admin.

Do Your Market Research

Find your sweet spot by researching industry rates, ensuring you to position your photography pricing strategies effectively.

• Local Competitors: See what others with similar experience in your area charge.
• Niche-Specific Rates: Rates vary by specialisation (like weddings vs. commercial).
• Industry Surveys: Use broader benchmarks from photography associations.

Embrace Value-Based Pricing

Move beyond just time or cost. Focus on value to justify higher rates and attract quality clients.

• Problem Solving: Are you creating memories, boosting sales, or enhancing a brand?
• Your USP: Highlight your unique style, service, or speed.
• Client Perception: What's the outcome of your work truly worth to the client?

Adjust Rates Over Time

Your photography pricing guide isn't static. As you grow, your value increases too. Don't be afraid to raise prices; it shows confidence and a growing business.

• Review Annually: Reassess costs, market rates, and demand at least once a year.
• Skill & Portfolio Growth: Stronger work and new skills justify rate increases.
• Efficiency Gains: Faster work means higher effective earnings, especially with per-project pricing.

Tips by PI Tutor George Seper

Money is always a vexed subject, but all businesses must determine suitable prices for their goods and services. Goods are typically easier to price due to the known cost of either production or importation, and all that needs to be decided is the markup percentage to arrive at a sale price.

Photographic businesses are normally considered to be a service industry, and services are always more difficult to price than goods, since the service provider is essentially selling time and expertise, both of which are somewhat intangible and can be difficult to value. For photographers, there is no clear-cut answer as to how to structure fees and charges, since the range of customers can vary widely and each has their own requirements, budgets and preferences.

Magazines always set their own rates, which are typically a page rate, and the photographer must either accept it or look elsewhere for work. Advertising agency rates are somewhat more flexible, but since they are essentially a media factory, they have broad experience in terms of the going rates for local photographers. Private individuals and small business clients present the widest array of possible fee structures, and below is a list of some factors to consider when engaged in fee negotiations.

Image Source: PI Tutor George Seper – georgeseper.com

Establishing a Cost Basis

Even if you work from home, it is essential to treat your paid photographic work as a business.

• Make a spreadsheet of your monthly expenses, including rent, car payments, equipment leases, phone, electricity, etc., to establish your monthly fixed expenses.
• Take this monthly fixed cost and divide by the number of working days in a month, let’s say 20 days, to arrive at an approximate break-even amount on a per working day basis. Note that this assumes that you will work every day, which is a very big assumption, especially early in your career. If you are currently working only 5 days a month, for example, you should divide your monthly fixed costs by 5 instead of 20.
• Many businesses use a 100% markup to arrive at a minimum wholesale price, but I suggest that this is an absolute minimum to determine a photographer's “Basic Daily Rate”.
• If this “Basic Daily Rate” is in line with other photographers in your area, you’re all set. If it is considerably higher, you will need to either reduce expenses somehow or risk being more expensive than your competition.
• This “Basic Daily Rate” can now be subdivided to determine a “Basic Hourly Rate”. For a “Per-Project Rate” you will need to accurately estimate the hours required to complete the project.

Image Source: PI Tutor George Seper – georgeseper.com

Considerations for Hourly Rates vs. Daily Rates vs. Per-Project Rates

It is important to be flexible if clients prefer one payment system over another, be it by the hour, day, or project. Here, some negotiation skills are very useful to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all.

Hourly Rates are often the most problematic for clients, who will often crack the whip to get their money’s worth, and this can foster the most stressful working environment, depending on the client. Hourly Rates often ignore the time spent in pre-production, or setting up lights and sets, and can therefore be the least favourable payment method for the photographer. If using an Hourly Rate, most photographers use more than the 100% markup to compensate for the many disadvantages of the Hourly Rate payment system. Considerations should also be made for small jobs and whether you will be able to take on other clients during the day, since you have established a daily Break-Even amount, which at a bare minimum must be achieved.

Daily Rates are often the easiest payment system since your “Basic Day Rate” has been determined. Remember that this is a minimum amount, and here I would be guided by considering your client as well as your competition to negotiate the highest rate possible for yourself. It is essential that you and your client agree on the scope of the job and that you are confident that the work can be completed within the given time frame. Clients may sometimes add to the job on the day, so be clear that extra work comes at an added cost.

Per-Project Rates are quite like Daily Rates, but the difference lies in your ability to estimate the time required to complete the project. Here again, I suggest that you give yourself some leeway by overestimating the time required to complete the project. It is important that if the assignment was more difficult than you originally thought and you have underestimated the time needed, that you remain gracious and do your utmost to satisfy your client. A happy client who knows that they are getting good value will likely return, and return business is essential if you hope to remain in business for the long haul.

PI TUTOR

George Seper

Photography Tutor at The Photography Institute

Internationally respected, George Seper has been photographing food for over 30 years. He is the longest continuous contributor to Vogue Entertaining and Travel, who recently commissioned him to photograph their 30th Anniversary cover among other features.

Read Full Bio

Published: August 21 2025

Mastering Your Photography Pricing Strategy

Navigating photography pricing is a common challenge for early-career professionals. The struggle between undervaluing your work (and your bank balance) or overpricing against a market full of hobbyists is real. But here’s the truth. Confidently pricing your services starts with believing in your skills and showcasing them with a standout portfolio.

The Photography Institute is here to help. Our courses, led by expert tutors, arm you with creative, technical and business skills, making your journey from student to paid professional seamless. To back your photography pricing strategies with industry-leading expertise, explore our courses and download the prospectus now.