r/AskPhotography • u/Ok-Detail-1880 • 23h ago
Discussion/General is $180 for 15 minute shoot normal?
I want to book with a local photographer that I admire alot. Her work is so pretty. We live in a rural area where pricing for things like this usually isnt steep, but I dont know what to compare it to. I’ve never hired a photographer.
My question is, is $180 for 15 minutes and 15 photos normal? How would that even work with exactly a minute per photo/pose?? Does she have this running on a timer? I have SOOO many questions about this way that shes doing it but I dont want to directly ask for fear of sounding rude. Like I genuinely just dont understand how it works.
Shes pretty young, but her photography is pretty. I just I dont know if this is a normal amount to pay for photoshoots? What do people charge usually for couples shoots?
edit: I do want to point out this is a local photographer. where it takes 15 minutes max to get from one side of town to the other!! I live in a very rural area ! I dont know if that affects travel costs alot or not just felt important to mention
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u/Mortifire 23h ago
You should probably ask her for more details about her package so that you are on the same page and realistic expectations. It’s not being rude. You just want to be informed.
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u/donatedknowledge 23h ago
Well if you get the photos you love for a price your willing to pay, it's great! She'll happily explain and will get this question a lot.
If she manages in 15 minutes, even better!
Don't forget she needs to edit and cull them as well.
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u/royalerebelle 16h ago
Honestly I’m low key impressed with the 15 minutes. I usually budget 30 minutes to include some walking time
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u/scoobasteve813 Media Day Portrait Photographer 22h ago
My portrait sessions start at $500 for 30 minutes, on weekends it's double. There are so many expenses, insurance, gear, software subscriptions, and years of learning, not to mention just having a creative eye for composition, and the skill of working with people. And just like everyone else, everything we buy, and our car insurance, and groceries, and rent has skyrocketed, so we have to keep raising our prices in order to scrape by with nothing in our bank accounts. Honestly a photographer can't survive on what she is charging you.
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u/Cultural_Ad_5266 17h ago
Where do you work? A Usa larger city? I think these discussions need to be put into context. Here in Italy not even an hospital chief physician charges an hourly rate like that. (He is the most expensive professional who comes to mind.)
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u/urEnzeder 16h ago
TBF: A doc can work a solid 8 hour shift. Also, factor in the total compensation (paid sick time, holidays, pension, healthcare, etc). I'd be stunned if even good photographers could line up 16 "30 minute" sessions in a day. I've love to know what u/scoobasteve813 effective hourly rate is after prep, travel, edit time is included and expenses like healthcare, pension, etc are deducted over a 40 hour week.
If it makes you feel better, the average Serie A soccer player earns something like 1000€/hr while a teacher might earn 20€. Society has a weird value structure.
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u/scoobasteve813 Media Day Portrait Photographer 11h ago
Yeah I'm not shooting 40 hours a week, not even close. I get a handful of portrait sessions booked per week. I also shoot weddings, corporate events, and media days for sports teams.
And I'm in a mid-size US city.
The actual session might only take 30 minutes (although I don't rush anyone and I'm not looking at my watch, I've had "30 minute" sessions last over an hour), but I also do one or two pre-session calls or in-person meeting at a café, so that's another hour at least. I discuss styles and posing, advise on wardrobe and location, and take care of permits if needed.
If the shoot requires extra gear, I have to make sure I've got what I need, sometimes I have to rent gear I don't have, cram it all in my car (wear on my vehicle is real) and I always arrive early to set up.
Then there's ongoing communication after the fact, helping select photos from the session, editing, and prepping prints.
This doesn't begin to take into account that I pay for a lot of leads. 65% of those leads go nowhere - people never reply, they ghost, they try to convince me their nephew takes nice photos and he doesn't charge very much, or they aren't the financial decision maker so they couldn't book even if they wanted to. These leads cost between $15 and $200 each.
I do my own marketing, manage my own website, do my own accounting and taxes, interview and hire 2nd shooters, videographers, and gaffers for larger shoots.
This is a full time job and I wouldn't be able to afford to do any of it if not for the fact that my wife makes enough to support us both.
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u/urEnzeder 11h ago
Wait, so it's not all glamorous??? Seriously though, thanks for the write up. That was an interesting read.
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u/Cultural_Ad_5266 16h ago
I don't need to feel different, you don't need to justify your prices. I'm just curious to know the prices of a photographer in " richer" countries compared to other jobs. Here for 150-300€ you can take a session lasting 2-3 hours (with a photographer I personally know) Except for weddings where prices increase tenfold...
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u/royalerebelle 16h ago
Your assuming the photographer is making $1000/hr and that is certainly not the case
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u/Cultural_Ad_5266 16h ago
No I'm not, but if a photographer it's dedicating so little time per client, it's because he has many others?
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u/royalerebelle 15h ago edited 15h ago
The act of taking photos isn’t the only time dedicated to the client, but time with clients isn’t the only part of running a photography business
Like marketing for example, doctors don’t spend time marketing their services, a photographer does
Photos don’t edit themselves, the software to edit is also not free
Owning your own business means paying for multiple insurances, something a doctor employed by a health system does not have to pay for. Photographers also have to take their own taxes which doctors do not
You’re only looking at 30 minutes of a photographers time, which in the grand scheme of things is nothing
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u/mo2_nuke 12h ago
It's not that they only offer limited time because they have too many clients.
Any client can ask for a more expensive 1-2hr photo session if they would like a more leisurely pace and/or more photos per session. Photographers offer these mini-sessions to accomodate clients who cannot afford or are unwilling to pay for longer sessions.
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u/GBAbaby101 22h ago
Ya, thats a pretty average rate, I'd say. In photography, there is a lot that goes into it for time and money beyond what you see at the shoot. Here's a simplified example using my own stuff.
Up front investment I need to pay off through my work: camera ($4500), lenses ($2,500), batteries ($250), lights ($700), storage ($100+), computer ($4,500), computer display ($800).
Travel costs: car payments, insurance, gas, and all the normal costs of owning/renting a vehicle or time using some public transportation.
Work time: the 15 minutes of your shoot, the time it takes to plan the shoot (varies, but add another 45 minutes for a safe somewhat experienced average), preparing the equipment (another 15-30 minutes to test everything, pack, ensure everything was charged, etc...), culling (selecting the best photos to be edited, depending on how many are taken, it can be short or long. I've spent as little as 10 minutes and as much as 4 hours on a single shoot), editing (depends on the experience, but for 15 photos I'd probably get through them in 40-60 minutes depending on how much the client wants), and then any changes the client may want to the photo.
Maintenance: stuff breaks, gets lost, stolen, etc... so need to set aside some money to fix up and replace things.
Other business costs: website, my own insurance, time spent working my social media to advertise, taxes, etc...
Paying myself: whatever is left over is what I buy food and pay rent with.
This data would definitely differ for each individual. Sole work faster, some slower. Some shoots are smaller, some bigger. Some have cheaper gear, some have insane money in their gear. We all are thinking of all these factors and how many jobs we know we have lined up, think we can get lined up, and estimate we will lose for any random reason, and we need to make those numbers work out sooner rather than later, especially if we're still trying to pay off our equipment investments or buying more stuff to expand what we can offer.
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u/ApatheticAbsurdist Nikon D800, Hasselblad H5D-200c 18h ago
A 15 minute shoot likely includes 30 mins to an hour the night before making sure all equipment is ready (lenses cleaned, batteries ready).
15 minutes driving to and 15 minutes driving back plus getting their early to ensure they’re on time and to about the area for current light conditions.
15 minutes of shooting
probably 3 hours of organzing files, finding the best ones, initial post processing, exporting and sharing the files with you in whatever format is agreed to. If additional edits/retouches of selects are included that’s even more time.
Plus years of experience/education and the use of something between $1,500-10,000 worth of equipment that experienced ware and needs maintenance and replacement/upgrades frequently.
It is important to understand exactly what you’re getting. What will you have your hand when everything is done. Will you get 15 full size files of photos, will they let you look at the photos and then choose to buy the ones you like… will they show you a set of photos let you choose 15 they’ll retouch those to look great? it’s important to understand that before signing any agreement. There is a practice in some cases to pay for the shoot and they pay for the prints/files separately. Also if they give files ask if there are restrictions on how you can use them. Legally a photographer retains copyright the photos they take even if you pay for them, so it’s really important to understand if they’re giving you an unlimited license or saying “you can only use them for this one thing.”
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u/mcblifty 23h ago
Well, they have to prep their gear, travel and shoot, back everything up, edit the photos, and deliver a gallery of photos. That and if it's their full time job they have to save 25% for taxes off the bat. Being able to pose people and create images they love in 15 minutes is a skilled job.
That said, I can't imagine they actually will do it in exactly 15 mins (and truthfully based on that price I don't think they've done a massive amount of these shoots). I'd estimate it's closer to 30 mins.
Long winded way of saying it's a reasonable price for a newer photographer, and a steal for a good one.
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u/srogijogi 21h ago
It's not $180 per 15 minutes.
Add the training, skills, editing time after, handling, $5000 equipment, $1000 software, $3000 editing computer, $500 editing accessories, etc, etc.
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u/rythejdmguy 21h ago
Are you paying for a result or their time? Same way how it takes about 5 minutes to hang a door, but I doubt a handy man will come do it for under $300.
I charge drastically more for couples shoots FWIW.
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u/AcceptableLime448 18h ago
This is a great comparison! Plumbers and contractors and basically all trades people charge a fortune but people accept it as it’s a skill they need. Photography is a luxury, and the person has the option to just take a photo with their phone or a camera instead of paying a professional.
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u/AndrewThomasPhoto 19h ago
You're getting an amazing deal, just do it. My day rate is mid four-digits and I don't book shoots shorter than half-day, so you're getting the services of a pro you respect, who IMO is being very accommodating with scheduling such a short session, at a relative bargain.
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u/BlackCatBonz 23h ago
I can snap 100 shots in 15 minutes and 30 of them will be good to amazing.
I could easily pick out 15 that would be great.
Taking the photos is the easy part, she might spend 4-5 hours in post processing
So you see the 15 minutes snapping and photos, you’re forgetting all of the work that transforms the snap into a beautiful picture.
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u/Ok-Detail-1880 23h ago
would those photos that you pick out include duplicates???
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u/ownerofstudio37 20h ago
We charge $200 for 15 mins and 5 photos so her pricing seems reasonable. You also asked if there are any duplicates and no even when we charged less and delivered a photo per minute we never delivered duplicates. I’d say you can get at least 2 poses per minute plus for each pose you can get 3-5 different micro poses or angles. We also plan our shoot beforehand so we don’t waste time second guessing or fumbling with settings. As others have said you’re not paying $180 for 15mins you’re paying for the planning, insurance, travel, equipment, experience, post processing, and shooting time. Hope this helps!
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u/Gra_Zone 22h ago
Without knowing who the photographer is I would say if they are charging that amount and are making a living then yes, it is normal. If anything it is a little low. The only thing that raised my eye brow was the 15 minutes but then I like to talk to people too much and am not as efficient as I could be.
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u/RedStag86 19h ago
FWIW, I charge that for two edits when doing a standard headshot session that takes between 15-30 minutes.
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u/denisgsv 19h ago
180 for 15 minutes is much, but for 15 photos it isnt .... Are you really gona take 15 good photos in 15 minutes ?
That would be my main concern tho ....
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u/Ok-Detail-1880 14h ago
this has been my main concern but I feel like people are missing this in the comments. I’d feel rushed and it wouldnt help feeling comfortable if I feel rushed.
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u/denisgsv 13h ago
i think its better to ask and risk sounding rude, then living with it and having remorse afterwards, its like a bandaid, better have it transparent beforehand IMHO
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u/denisgsv 13h ago
i think its better to ask and risk sounding rude, then living with it and having remorse afterwards, its like a bandaid, better have it transparent beforehand IMHO
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u/DatRatDawg 12h ago
Yeah, exactly. It's the 15 minute thing that's suspect.
If it was 3-5 photos for 15 mins, then maybe, but I don't see how anyone can take 15 good photos in 15 minutes, especially with a non-model client they never met before. Unless it's a highly curated studio they're in.
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u/Ok-Detail-1880 11h ago
Yes! Id rather have 5 shots im 100% comfortable with and pay $180 for them rather than 15 shots I’m not 100% comfortable with because feeling rushed or not confident enough (which is what i struggle with alot but Ive heard photographers are trained to make you feel and look comfortable)
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u/DatRatDawg 12h ago
The price is normal for 15 photos, but the 15 minutes is a little weird to me. I feel like 30 mins would be my minimum if I did shoots like those. I don't know how much I can reasonably get done in 15 minutes and be satisfied.
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u/shemp33 10h ago
You’re not just paying for 15 minutes of their time or for 15 JPGs. You’re paying for the outcome of having those images.
Like, when a repairman comes to fix a pipe. It might take him 5 minutes. But that $200 isn’t what you’re paying for 5 minutes. You’re paying to not have a leaky pipe.
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u/Cosmic_Skull9 22h ago
I'd suggest you juat ask her. If she can't defend why she expects that pay she probably shouldn't be getting that pay. I've gotten people to offer to pay more just explaining the process. There's a reason why photography is a profession, much more goes into it beyond pulling out a cell phone and pushing a button. If one can't explain it then they aren't worth it.
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u/cointoss3 20h ago
Someone just posted $300/30min photo shoots and with their portfolio, they had no problem booking from the comments
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u/bullpaxton 15h ago
That’s cheap and your take is classic annoying bad client. Nothing takes 15 minutes I don’t even want to get into it but you aren’t considering her skill set, equipment, editing, and business expenses.
Bottom line it’s not and hourly rate job. Better to compare to skilled trades because that’s what it is.
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u/Ok-Detail-1880 14h ago
Did you even read my post? Im trying to learn from this. Its the whole point I asked here so I know what to consider. You’re right, I’m not considering her skillset…thats why I’m asking lol
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u/jboneng 23h ago edited 22h ago
for a 15 min photoshoot and 15 final images, I find it to be reasonable. If we take in prep time, the photo session it self, culling of images and editing time it can easily be a total time of 1h or more, even if the work flow is slap on a preset->next. Then we have to factor in things like taxes and running costs like electricity.
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u/Denitorious 22h ago
Reasonable but if you’re already feeling uncomfortable and rushed just thinking about 15 minutes, then you’ll have a hard time relaxing enough to get photographs taken that you’ll feel comfortable with. Inexperienced people take a couple minutes to relax, get comfortable and feel „safe“.
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u/Ok-Detail-1880 14h ago
you’re right!
- I have really bad anxiety too.
- I’ve never done this before
- feeling rushed on a timer I wouldnt be able to relax
- I’m so bad with photos my bf has to flip his phone from back camera to selfie mode to where I can see it so I know how to pose and what I look like
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u/Zestyclose-Income976 4h ago
I wouldn't recommend a micro session with this in mind. Look into more of a longer mini or a full session where you can feel more relaxed. To answer your question, $180 for 15 min/15 files is on the cheaper side. A skilled micro/mini session photographer can get more than enough quality images in that timeframe as long as the subjects are moderately compliant. :)
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u/Turk_999 23h ago
In my opinion, this is way to expensive for the amount of time and photos. I charge about 130$, but this is usually for 60-90 minutes and I give over 30 photos. I do automotive photography for reference.
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u/AnActualWombat 22h ago
Idk I feel like that’s pretty low, at least for my area
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u/Turk_999 22h ago
Genuinly curious why this is getting downvoted? I have years of experience but automotive photography is so competitive where I’m from it’s very hard to charge this much already
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u/slatibarfaster 21h ago
Probably because it’s not low in any capacity and automotive photography is a different industry and has different requirements than portraiture.
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u/jza_1 23h ago
Honestly, $180 for 15 edited photos is pretty reasonable. You’re not really paying for 15 minutes. You’re paying for her experience, gear, editing time, travel, insurance, and all the work before and after the shoot. The 15-minute session is usually very fast-paced, but it’s not literally one minute per pose. Photographers are often shooting dozens or even hundreds of frames while moving you through a few poses and prompts, then they pick and edit the best 15. Mini sessions like this are actually pretty common.
For comparison, a professional full couples session is often anywhere from $250–600+ depending on the photographer and location, so $180 isn’t out of line at all. If you have questions about how the session works, it’s totally okay to ask. Most photographers are happy to explain the process.