WHAT SHOULD I CHARGE?

I’M IN MY 20S AND JUST STARTING OUT AS A PHOTOGRAPHER AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I SHOULD CHARGE AS MY DAILY RATE… OR SHOULD I CHARGE BY THE HOUR?

LILIAN VIA EMAIL

A lot of people ask this question and it’s complex to answer as we don’t know what type of photography you do or what service/ product you offer. However, if we take a look at the industry most commercial photographers charge a daily rate between £500-£1,000 a day (of course there are exceptions – some charge ten times this). Lifestyle photographers tend to charge a bit less on average and their rates can vary between £200-£800 per day (again these figures are average estimates).

You can charge your fee out however you like – by the hour or day rate. Some photographers will do a half day rate as well. We would advise you to have a minimum fee for any job, for example, if charging by the hour a minimum 2-3 hour charge to make each job worthwhile. To find out what you need to charge to make your business profitable, think about what costs you need to cover, such as equipment and insurance. KNOWING WHAT TO CHARGE CAN FEEL DAUNTING BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE A PROFIT FOR YOUR BUSINESS TO SURVIVE