Photography Package Pricing Calculator
A framework for calculating package pricing that covers your cost of doing business plus a sustainable margin.
Add up your true cost per shoot — time spent shooting and editing, equipment and software costs, and a share of fixed overheads — then add a margin on top rather than pricing from instinct alone.
What actually goes into 'cost per shoot'
Costs most photographers underestimate
- Editing time — often longer than the shoot itself, and rarely costed in
- Software and subscriptions — editing tools, gallery delivery, insurance
- Equipment depreciation — a share of what the kit cost, spread across its working life
- Travel time to and from the shoot, not just mileage
- A share of fixed overheads — studio space, website, marketing spend
A worked example
Say a portrait session takes 2 hours to shoot and 3 hours to edit, at a target rate of £30/hour for your time — that's £150 in time alone. Add £15 for a share of software and equipment costs, and a 40% margin on top of the £165 total gives a package price of roughly £231, before checking it against what similar studios in your area actually charge.
Cross-check the result against local market rates for your niche and experience level, and structure it as a service in lemon.gallery with its own duration, deposit and terms, ready for instant online booking.
Frequently asked questions
How often should pricing be reviewed?
At least annually, and sooner if costs change meaningfully or local market rates shift.
What margin should I actually be aiming for?
It varies by niche and market, but many studios use somewhere between 30–50% on top of true cost as a starting point, then adjust based on demand.
Should I price below market rate to win more bookings early on?
Underpricing tends to attract price-sensitive clients and makes raising rates later harder — building in a genuinely useful add-on or faster turnaround is usually a better lever than cutting price.
Do I need a different formula for every package tier?
No — the same cost-plus-margin logic applies at every tier; only the hours, deliverables and overhead share going into the calculation change.
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