Understanding how to price your food photography projects is key to running a sustainable business. It’s not just about the time spent shooting; a lot more goes into each job than you might initially think.
Coming to you from Joanie Simon of The Bite Shot, this helpful video tackles how to break down pricing for food and product photography projects. Simon emphasizes that the time spent behind the camera is only a small fraction of the total work involved. From planning and communication to editing and file delivery, each step needs to be accounted for when estimating project costs. To start, Simon suggests calculating a base hourly rate for your time, a number that reflects all aspects of the job, not just the shooting itself. This approach ensures you’re not underestimating the effort required.
Simon provides a detailed example using a small restaurant shoot as a scenario. In this case, the restaurant provides the food and dishes, keeping things simple without elaborate styling or props. The shooting itself might take three to four hours, but when you add in travel, setup, teardown, editing, and other administrative tasks, the total project time can balloon to 12-15 hours. Multiplying this by your hourly rate gives you a solid foundation for your photography fee. For instance, at $150 per hour, a project like this would cost around $1,800. This example demonstrates why pricing must go beyond just “time on set.”
Simon also discusses how to present these numbers to clients. You can list a single photography fee or break it into categories like pre-production, shoot day, and post-production. Flexibility in formatting your estimates helps cater to different clients and project types. Simon stresses the importance of having a clear discovery call with potential clients to gather details about their needs. Asking questions about the shoot location, who will prepare the food, and the number of dishes or products helps ensure your estimate is accurate and avoids surprises later.
Expanding on this idea, Simon points out how different projects can vary widely in complexity. A shoot with ten dishes on the same white background is far less time-intensive than one requiring ten unique setups with different props and lighting. These differences must be reflected in your pricing. Simon shares her method of using a comprehensive script of questions tailored to various types of clients, from food bloggers to cookbook publishers. This preparation not only saves time but also shows professionalism. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Simon.
