Pricing is a frequent topic for photographers, especially those new to the business. Setting rates can feel overwhelming, but creating a strategic pricing plan is critical if you want to build a sustainable photography business.

Unfortunately many beginners set themselves up for failure by charging impossibly low rates, often with the intention of raising them at some undefined point in the future, but without understanding business it’s not possible to know what to raise them to and when to do it.

As an experienced photographer myself, I have been there. When I started I had no idea what to charge or how to figure it out so I’m hoping this blog will save you wasted time and set you on the right path to success!

Here are some essential tips to help you set your photography prices with purpose, so you can work toward a profitable business that meets your income goals.

1: Avoid Asking Other Beginner Photographers for Pricing Advice

When you ask a group of beginner photographers what to charge, you’ll get a wide range of answers, often based on guesswork rather than business fundamentals. Many starting photographers struggle with pricing themselves, and following their lead may lead to underpricing, making it harder for you to achieve your business goals.

2. Don’t Copy Competitor Prices for Your Photography Business

It may be tempting to look at other photographers’ prices in your area and base your rates on theirs, but this approach can be risky. You don’t know if those businesses are actually profitable or sustainable. Just because someone charges a certain amount doesn’t mean it’s the right price for you. Your prices should reflect the unique costs and goals of your business, not someone else’s.

3. Remember: Profit Is Essential for a Photography Business

If you want to stay in business, profit is essential. Profit is not about greed—it’s about survival and growth. Running a photography business means managing expenses, paying yourself, and setting aside funds to reinvest in equipment, education, and marketing. To put it bluntly, businesses must make profit, or they will fail. If you’re uncomfortable with the concept of making a profit, you’ll face an uphill battle in building a sustainable photography career.

4. Photography Business Income: What You Should Know

Did you know that the average income for photographers in the U.S. is around $50,000? That’s relatively low when you consider the stress, time, and effort involved in running a photography business. Many jobs pay $50,000 or more with far less responsibility and fewer hours. So, if you’re building a business, why settle for the average? Think carefully about what income level is worth the risk and demands of owning a photography business.

5. Half of Your Photography Revenue Will Go to Expenses

A good rule of thumb is that about half of what your business earns will go toward overhead costs. If you want to pay yourself $50,000, your business needs to generate at least $100,000. These expenses include taxes, equipment, software, business insurance, product samples, hard goods (prints, albums, wall art), travel, marketing, and more. Without these investments, it’s difficult to maintain or grow a professional photography business.

Following this simple rule of thumb helps you get a basic idea of what it takes to run a successful business, but it’s still a guess. To find a more precise figure on what it takes to run your business, calculate your CODB (Cost of Doing Business).

You can search for free CODB calculators online like this one from NPPA. But there are others, so find one that feels right to you, or simply make a list of all your expenses on spreadsheet or piece of paper. The real cost of running a business may surprise you.

It takes more consideration and effort to determine your CODB, but knowing your numbers is an essential part of running a successful business and helps you make more informed decisions instead of emotional ones.

6. Set an Income Goal and Work Backward to Determine Photography Prices

The most effective way to set your photography prices is to start with your income goal and work backward to see what you need to charge per session to reach it. Here’s an example:

Let’s say you want to make $80,000 per year.

  • Your business revenue target would need to be $80,000 x 2 = $160,000 to account for expenses.
  • Divided over 12 months, you’d need $13,400 per month.
  • If you can handle 16 sessions per month (about 4 per week), you’d need to charge at least $838 per session to hit your goal.

$838 Per Session

How often do you see people in beginner’s groups recommending you charge $838?

Now, imagine booking and delivering 192 sessions a year to reach this target. That’s a lot of sessions, which means your marketing efforts will need to be consistent and effective to keep a full calendar.

7. Raising Your Average Sale Can Help You Achieve Your Income Goal with Fewer Sessions

Think of your photography pricing like balancing exposure—different combinations can reach the same goal. For example:

  • Average Sale of $1,000: You’d only need 160 sessions per year.
  • Average Sale of $2,000: Now you only need 80 sessions.
  • Average Sale of $4,000: Just 40 sessions would hit your target, leaving you time for vacation or other projects.

As you raise your average sale, you can reduce the number of sessions you need, potentially increasing your income while creating more flexibility and balance in your schedule.

8. Low Prices Mean More Work with Less Pay in Photography

Many beginner photographers hesitate to charge higher rates and may feel pressured to keep prices low. But think about this: at $250 per session, you’d need 640 sessions a year to make $80,000. At $100 per session, you’d need 1,600 sessions, and at $75, over 2,100. That’s nearly six sessions every day, including weekends and holidays, to reach an income goal of $80,000. Without proper pricing, it’s easy to see how burnout or financial struggle can set in.

Photography Pricing Strategy: Start with Your Income Goals, Not Your Prices

This is the key to setting sustainable prices—don’t start with an arbitrary number. Start with the income goal that reflects your desired lifestyle, then calculate how much your business needs to earn to support that. By working backward, you can create a pricing strategy that helps you reach your goals without sacrificing quality of life.

Starting and running a photography business is more than just taking photos; it’s about planning, understanding your value, and making decisions that will keep your business thriving. Pricing with intention is the first step in that journey.