How Are Commercial Product Photography Fees Structured?
Creative eyewear hero shot by commercial product photographer Brian Rodgers Jr at Digital Art That Rocks.
If you're looking for commercial product photography services, pricing can sometimes feel unclear. And that's completely understandable, because there’s a lot to unpack and a lot to consider. The numbers that you see online never reflect the level of work actually required to create creative, unique, compelling images for marketing and advertising campaigns. So, what really goes into calculating the price tag for a shoot? Let's talk about it.
Why Hire A Commercial Product Photographer?
Before we discuss rate structures, it's important to remember why you're hiring a professional product photographer in the first place. Anyone with a camera can snap a picture of a product. Crafting powerful product imagery that ignites desire and demands a second glance on the other hand, is truly an art form. It requires a blend of imaginative perspective, technical mastery, creative solving abilities and meticulous attention to those little nuances that most people often miss.
Visuals That Position Your Brand As A Leader & Influence Your Ideal Demographic
When you hire a commercial product photographer, you're paying for more than just a picture of a product. You're paying for the power to:
✅ Influence how your ideal demographic sees and values your offering.
✅ Position your brand as a dominant force within your respective industry.
✅ Build a foundation of trust and inspire confidence in your customers.
✅ Create a resonant and unforgettable brand experience.
Now that we've discussed why you're really hiring a commercial product photographer, let's talk about what goes into structuring fees for a commercial product shoot.
Creative still life product photography of a boutique staining solution product in a studio environment with custom built set and styled props.
Components of A Commercial Product Shoot
Creative Brief & Creative Direction
Every commercial photo shoot begins well before the camera comes out. It's important for clients to have a creative brief in place; preferably ahead of time. This can save on consult costs. I've written extensively about the importance of creative briefs in another article, so check that out if you're interested in learning more. Essentially, creative briefs (or decks as they're sometimes called) are usually PDF documents that outline things like visual references, mockups, product specs, demographic information, color themes, retouching expectations, intended usage, timelines, deadlines and ultimately, the expected outcomes of the photo shoot.
Shot List
Alongside the creative brief or contained within it is a list outlining each shot needed; a shot list. In its most basic form, a shot list is simply a numbered list with a brief description of each image to be photographed.
Scope of Work
Access to a creative brief and shot list are essential in helping a product photographer understand the needs of the client and scope of work for any given product shoot. The number of products and shots needed alongside the types of product photography images needed set the baseline for any commercial shoot.
It's important for clients to understand that there's a difference between creating E-commerce shots on white seamless background vs product images that required building out an entire set with custom design or spending an entire day creating compositing assets for a complex hero shot. Depending on the complexity of a shoot, product photographers often need a day or two to test or find a creative solve for a complex ask. All of these things help determine expenses and shape the outcome of the final images.
Expenses
Expenses involve any and all expenses related to producing a given job. If you're building a custom set, you need building materials. Those materials have to come from somewhere right? Most likely this means that someone (usually the photographer or crew) is sourcing materials online or traveling to local retailers to purchase props or set building materials.
Most people think of product photography being photographed in a studio. Sure, that's a large part of the work we do, but sometimes clients want products photographed in an outdoor environment. This translates to time spent doing virtual or physical location scouting. Then there's the logistics of it all. Depending on the location, there might be a permit or special insurance required. Does the product actually need to be photographed on location or is the photographer shooting custom backplates in which the product will be composited into?
Sometimes product photographers need specialized equipment to complete a job. If it's something that a photographer doesn't already own and would rarely use again, those items are often rented and billed to the client.
Creative, well executed product still life photo of a luxury watch surrounded by drift wood with dark and dramatic lighting
Pre-Production
"Pre-production" is considered to be anything that takes place prior to the photo shoot. This includes things like discussions between a client and a product photographer regarding the creative brief, shot list, scope of work, expenses and usage.
Production
"Production" is considered to be the actual photo shoot. Professional level product photography can take a couple of days to two weeks to two months depending on the complexity, scope and logistics of your project.
Post-Production & Retouching
"Post-Production" is what happens after the product shoot has taken place and is an essential part of any commercial product photography workflow. It is not uncommon for the post-production work like high end compositing and retouching to consume more time than the photoshoot itself. These are highly specialized skills that include but are not limited to organizing and backing up files onto multiple hard drives, developing RAW image files, color correction, exposure blending, compositing, retouching and preparing files for final delivery.
Licensing
While creative fees, post-production fees and other expenses cover the creation of the product photography, licensing covers how you can use the images after the photo shoot is complete. A usage license is a separate fee that outlines the usage and defines how, where, and for how long a brand can use an image. A usage license for commercial photography are flexible and shapes the value based on how an image is used.
A lot of companies seem to think that a simple “day rate” is fair compensation for a photoshoot. I can assure you that it is not. Commercial photography can provide far more value than a day rate can account for. That value extends far beyond the physical process of a photoshoot. Commercial photographers are not in the business of selling widgets, we are in the business of licensing intellectual property. That’s why it’s standard practice for artists in any industry to charge a separate fee for usage rights, which again, is based on value and is separate from the creative fee and any production expenses. Usage rights are part of our business model in commercial photography.
Admin Work
I can't stress enough how much time is actually spent writing estimates, revising contracts, scheduling, invoicing, waiting on revisions etc. Just like any business, this is all time that a product photographer has to account for when pricing work.
Time & Rate Calculations
I'm going to be real honest here. There are no "half days" in this industry. Each and every one of the items mentioned in this article represent time. Commercial product photographers are not charging an hourly rate, they're typically charging a day rate or creative fee for their services. Within all of the items mentioned in this article, they take into consideration the scope of work, expenses, production, post-production, usage, admin work and of course the amount of time all of this is going to take.
Other Considerations
Here are some other important factors that commercial product photographers have to take into consider when structuring fees and determining rates for their services. Just like any other business, the goal is to be profitable; not to just break even. It's important to remember that commercial photographers have varying amounts of overhead that include things like studio space, cameras, lenses, lights, business insurance, health insurance and more. Additionally, commercial product photographers are typically self employed. That means they don't get a 401K match from their employer. Assuming they'd like to retire someday, it's important that they price accordingly.
Rate Structure
With the aforementioned, the basic rate structure for a commercial product photographer (in it's simplest form) should look something like this: Creative Fee + Post-Production + Expenses + Licensing Fee = Project Total. There are certainly variations, but this structure is pretty much standard for photographers working commercially.
Creative high end still life product photography for brands, marketing firms and ad agencies
Conclusion - Transparent Pricing, Not Templates
Clear and transparent pricing doesn't stem from a one size fits all template as some websites would have you believe. Instead, it’s based on value. It's a purpose driven process crafted to translate your goals and objectives into powerful visual assets for your brand.
Next Steps: Learn About Actual Costs
Now that we've talked about how commercial product photography rates are structured, you're probably wondering how much professional, commercial product photography services cost. You're in luck, I covered that in an article called How much does Commercial Product Photography Cost?
Contact Digital Art That Rocks
At Digital Art That Rocks, I craft visual answers for the toughest briefs. If you're looking for commercial photographer who specializes in product photography, helps brands explore powerful visual narratives that showcase their products and services with exceptional clarity, I'd love to work with you! Don’t let my home base in South Bend throw you off, I work with clients all over the united states. Whether you've developed new innovative products, improved on an old design or discovered new use cases, Digital Art That Rocks™ can help you reimagine and explore interesting ways to visualize your products.
