Photography and Images - Prices and Fees

Basic Rates for High Resolution Packshots, for Press and Similar Usage.

After looking at many photographers price lists, I've determined my basic fee, working without assistants, should be a pound a minute. At that point, I'm very competitive, at the low end of the spectrum of time related fees, and offering my clients a great deal. That multiplies up to

£60 per hour
£240 per 4 hour half day
£480 per 8 hour day.

For years I've been running a timer as I work and since it takes me about 15 minutes on average to do a packshot (5 minutes shooting and 10 minutes computer work), about 10 minutes on average to draw a clipping path, 5 minutes on average to put in a drop shadow after the clipping path has been drawn, and about 5 minutes on average to make up a CDRom or DVD disk, the fees for this work are:

£15 per simple packshot
£4 to £15 per clipping path, depending on the complexity
£5 per drop shadow
£1 per minute for extra retouching, beyond the free removal of dust spots and minor
     blemishes
£5 per CD or DVD recording.

If I'm given a quantity of very similar items, such as, for example, bottles with minor changes to the labelling, then I can use the same lighting set up for all the bottles probably saving 4 minutes per bottle on the shooting time. This saving will be passed on to the client reducing the price, in this case, to £11 per packshot for the second, and more, similar packs.

Groups of items in a single image normally take longer, as the items have to be arranged relative to each other, to present a pleasing composition, and I have to achieve good lighting across the group, so a fee can be expected of at least

£25 plus per group image

Click here for prices of Low Resolution Packshots for Web and E-Mail Usage

Location shooting is similarly priced, at a pound a minute, calculated from the time I'm called away from my studio, until the time I return. At this stage I'm not charging extra for mileage, but that may have to change in the future as the cost of fuel goes up.

I collect and deliver in the Southampton area, free of charge, but deliveries further afield, and insurance, will be charged for, when these services are requested.

Contact sheet prices (thumbnail images) and print prices are on the printing page

Turnaround depends on the workload already in the studio when the photography is requested, and on the complications of the photography itself. From experience I can handle about twenty normal packshots per day for any particular client. I don't charge any extra for a fast turnaround and I do work after hours, weekends and holidays when needed, without extra charge.

Payment is normally made within 30 days of the date of invoice, but new clients should expect to pay when the photography is delivered, unless we have specifically agreed on another arrangement, prior to the photography being done.

At this stage I am not registered for, and you will not be charged, VAT.