Product photography pricing

Behind the Pricing

We intuitively know high-quality photography is good for business, we are customers ourselves, and all around us we are exposed to advertisement & product photography. We have all spent time zooming in on the sneakers looking for the image that grabbed us, or scrolling through multiple angles of handbags online or flipping through a printed brochure. To appreciate the impact that imagery has on customers, here are some figures:
¾ of online shoppers (75%!) make a purchasing decision based on the product image.
There is a 40% higher probability that your content will be shared on social media if it contains imagery.
22% of returns are made because the real product looked different from the online image.
Just those few stats allow a businessperson to appreciate the scale of impact that professional product photography can contribute to the bottom line of an online store. Online or print, it is important when advertising to give the best, as shown by Coca-Cola, and other big name brands that invest in excellent marketing.

Wenn eine Reihe von kosmetischen Produkten oder Accessoires in einem Bild platziert werden sollen, ist eine Gruppenproduktaufnahme erforderlich. Gruppenaufnahmen haben normalerweise ihre Preisliste und der Preis steigt mit der Anzahl der Produkte, die in der Aufnahme aufgestellt werden sollen. Je mehr Produkte in der gleichen Aufnahme sind, desto teurer wird das Bild. Das liegt natürlich daran, dass ein Fotograf und oder Assistent mehr Arbeit zu tun hat, was bedeutet, dass mehr Zeit

benötigt wird, um jedes der Produkte auf dem Foto auszupacken, abzustauben, zu positionieren, zu stylen und zu retuschieren.

Specific product categories require more know-how, human power, or equipment to be shot professionally, and therefore extra charges are added. Electronic equipment, larger machines, or bulky vehicles, such as bicycles, may have a surcharge due to the extra resources involved in the photoshoot.<

In the same way, there will be a higher price for multi-layered jewelry photography as it requires more work time to finished photo as opposed to a single item flat lay photo that requires less

In the bag category some models require more time, effort, and experience to best portray the item. This can be due to reflections & metals that are harder to retouch and require more time until completed; backpacks & duffle bags for example, get a surcharge per image for stuffing & styling.

The post processing of product images is necessary in all categories of product photography. Even new products received, when photographed with a macro-lens to bring out its details, also brings out imperfections and scuffs unseen to the human eye. Some items will require more retouching than others due to materials and reflections.

Speaking of set-up, when styling a backpack with the straps floating to show its form, the removal of the mono-filament used to suspend the bag has to be done as well as the removal of creases created in the fabric due to the photography technique. With jewelry or glass, retouching is necessary to clean and polish any imperfections that maybe present.

There are products that are best presented isolated on white, and there are those products that require a backdrop or an entire set to be properly constructed, displayed, and photographed. Furniture, kitchenware, and spa products, to name a few, all look better in their respective natural environments. The additional backgrounds, props and all the work involved to clean, polish, display, and set everything up, costs extra. As with a spa product, the company is not just selling a body oil or spa treatment, it is selling rest, relaxation, and the importance of your body & you to yourself. So it is worth considering such an option if your product calls for it.

Some orders are done in accordance with the brand look of a client, company’s values, and target audience which require lots of styling. In such cases an outsourced designer or stylist can be invited to assist with the photoshoot which naturally brings the rate of the photoshoot up. The cost for food photography can get very costly as a cook, a food-stylist, and one to two assistants may be required as you have very little time to get the shot before the food starts to look unappetizing.

If the images require extensive retouching, this service will usually be charged extra. The extra retouching is a reason why most Ghost Mannequin photography will be significantly higher priced. In this technique a retoucher has to Photoshop the back and front of the image together after removing the ghost mannequin from the image. With jewelry, the blemishes, scuffs, and imperfections need to be finely removed with reflections also being adjusted and worked. Often a cut-out path is created to colour the jewelry to a specific pantone colour for a series or set of jewelry being photographed.

Close up images are another favorite in product photography. The beautiful composition of patterns in a fabric or the texture from a product’s surface that can be brought out in detail with the proper lens allowing for endless compositional possibilities. The ability to show exact fit and precision thus demonstrating quality of product in some markets is a must.

Focus Stacking incurs more cost as it requires more time. When shooting with a macro (close-up) lens, the depth of field is often shallow due the close proximity of the subject to the lens, and so only a small point along the products surface is focused & sharp. Therefore, a series of 12-36 images of the product are taken, each shot focused at a different length along the product. The images are then compiled in a program and worked so that the product in the finished image is focused throughout.

Lifestyle photography is one of the more expensive types of photography as it usually requires models, makeup artists, stylists, lighting assistants as well as lots of planning, rental fees, props, location charges, transportation arrangements, and more.

Lifestyle photography is a powerful tool as it speaks directly to the target audience. It imparts to the viewer a type of lifestyle, mode, fashion, the feeling to be a part of, to identify with. This all takes lots of time and people from all parts of the advertising industry to complete.

This is also the reason why it is also one of the most expensive types of photography. A one day outdoor photoshoot with a model may cost you up 5000,- Euro. Usually this price does not include post production edits.

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