Knowing how much to charge for photography plays a crucial role when you live off your photography life. Many are having a hard time knowing how much should a photographer charge for their services. Photography isn’t a business like a grocery, groceries have suggested retail price so that the prices are regulated, and to avoid overpricing.
That’s why knowing how much to charge for photography will be the key to having a wide number of clients. If you charge them good and your services are quite about right, then they’ll come for sure. But when you charge a hefty amount of price, they will most likely not be returning for sure. In this article, we’ll be discussing how much should a photographer charge and what are the things that you need to consider before charging them with the appropriate amount.
How Much Should a Photographer Charge?
The average cost that photographers charge is roughly around $25 to $500 and with most spending around $90 to $260 an hour. Prices highly depend on their skill level and what kind of event they are shooting.
Additional costs vary from the place of shooting, the event taking place, digital images, and extra files. Here’s the list of prices that vary from skill levels to know how much to charge for photography.
Hobbyist
Usually less than 50 dollars an hour, or $25 to 55$ per image. These types of photographers are only doing it for fun. Additional cash incentives from their happy are considered a bonus for them. They are people who haven’t studies about professional photography nor practice their craft. They only have a good piece of a camera, and themselves to work with.
Amateur
$25 to $110 an hour, or $20 to $100 per image. These type of photographers are only starting their way onto the world of photography. In most cases, they have built themselves a nice portfolio to show off to various clients and potential buyers. Still, they don’t have the appropriate professional expertise, but offers are much lower.
Student
$60 to $110 per hour / $25 to $100 per image. They may have enough experience because they work with professional photographers. Student means that they are having basic education with regards to photography and know the basics of it.
Aside from that, they are a little bit an upgrade compared to amateurs, but it can also be either way. Some students may give you bad quality images, and some amateurs might give you good quality images. It’s quite not the level you want.
Semi-Professional
$80 to $150 per hour / $50 to $150 per image. In most cases, these types of photographers are a part-time photographer. Or they do it casually, and it’s like their way of making another living. For the most part, these are also professionals who want to add cash while not at work.
But semi-professional photographers have a year or two experiences in photography. They can give you high-quality outputs as well that can be compared to a professional one.
Professional
$120 to $300 per hour / $90 to $350 per image. These type of photographers make their living out of their careers. Professional photographers are full-time photographers that have vast knowledge and education when you talk about photography. They make a living out of it; that’s why they have plenty of experience to show for.
Top Professional
$250 to $500+ per hour / $500 to $1,000+ per image. These types of photographers are exclusive. It means that they cater to magazines, publications, advertising companies, and many more. They are called top-of-the-line photographers.
They may take roughly 10+ experience in this business. And they know all the different ins and outs of photography. So, if you want to know how much to charge for photography at this level, it is quite expensive, to say the least.
Event Photography Pricing
Most event photographers have an hourly rate. It may also vary on the number of hours you are going to need them. Depending on which type of photographer you choose, an event photographer varies from $200 to $1000. However – take note that each price from the type of photographer you are getting.
The higher the skill level they offer, the more pricey it will be. In most cases, event photographers require a minimum number of hours for a certain session. This is because if the client doesn’t meet the allowable minimum number of hours, then most likely, they’ll be charging you for more. This is to help ensure that they are not taking an event job at a lower price.
When it comes to the prices, one another factor is the skill level, location, and type of event. They may also charge you with additional fees if you exceed the number of hours or if there are any special requests from clients.
From weddings, engagements, special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, there’s a lot of factors to consider on how much to charge for photography. As I’ve mentioned earlier, as the higher level of skill goes up, expect that the prices will go up as well.
Another thing to consider for pricing is the number of photos you are going to include. Some event photographers send all the best pictures available from that event, whereas some photographers include in their package the entire photographs. Additional costs will also be bestowed if you want hard copies. Find out more about charging for photography.
Conclusion
It isn’t easy to be too specific on how much to charge for photography. It varies from time to time, and there are a lot of things to consider before the final pricing is achieved. But. It is important for photographers that your rates should be and will sustain your work and life.
So, do your research, and it would be wise to ask a professional’s advice when it comes to this. They have the right knowledge for the task. Always remember never to be satisfied with your rates as your business grows. In this way, you make out of living sustainably.