What should I charge for photography?
Every hour a photographer shoots comes with two to four hours of culling, editing, gallery delivery, and client email — plus thousands of dollars of camera bodies, lenses, and software that quietly depreciate. Price sessions from the income you want to keep, with the invisible hours and gear costs built in.
| Gross revenue you need to bill | – |
| Business expenses | – |
| Self-employment tax (15.3%) | – |
| Federal income tax (est.) | – |
| State income tax (est.) | – |
| Retirement savings | – |
| Your take-home income | – |
For projects: estimate the hours the job will take, multiply by your hourly rate above, then add materials (with markup) and a 10–25% buffer for overruns.
Estimates use 2025 federal brackets, the standard deduction, and an approximate state rate. Local taxes, credits, and deductions beyond the standard deduction are not included. Not tax advice.
What to count as expenses
For photography, annual business expenses typically include camera body and lens replacement/repair, Lightroom/Photoshop subscriptions, gallery hosting, website, insurance, second-shooter fees, and travel. Add up a full year of these — using a rough annual total is far better than entering zero and pricing your overhead at nothing.
Be honest about billable hours
A 1-hour portrait session typically means 4–5 total working hours after editing and delivery. If you only count the hour behind the camera, you are working for a quarter of your intended rate. Enter total client-attributable hours here, not shutter time.
Photographer pricing FAQs
How do I turn my hourly rate into a session price?
Multiply your calculated hourly rate by the total hours a session consumes — consult, shoot, edit, deliver. A 1-hour session with 3 hours of post at a $60/hr target prices at about $240, before any print or album revenue.
Should gear be in my expenses if I already own it?
Yes. Gear wears out and bodies get replaced every 3–5 years. Divide replacement cost by useful life and include it as an annual expense — roughly $2,000–$5,000/year for a working pro — or its replacement will come out of your savings.
Why do wedding photographers charge so much?
A single wedding is often 30–50 working hours: consults, the 8–10 hour day, and 20+ hours of editing — plus backup gear and a second shooter, with zero margin for failure. At even a modest $50/hr all-in target, that is a $2,000–$2,500 floor before profit.