How Much Should a Photography Session Cost? (From $50 Gigs to a Full-Time Photography Business)
“How much should a photography session cost?” It’s one of the most common questions photographers and clients alike ask — and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Pricing varies depending on experience, location, post-production work, and the client experience. In this in-depth blog, we break it down from the perspective of both the photographer and the client. We share how Stephanie started out charging $50–$100 per gig, doing free collaborations to build her portfolio, and slowly increased her rates as her skills and confidence grew. Today, we’re more selective about what we shoot, prioritize connection over quantity, and let our work and client relationships guide our pricing.
Whether you're a new photographer figuring out how to set your rates, or someone looking to hire a professional and wondering what’s fair — this guide gives you real numbers, a full breakdown of what you're paying for, and why great photography is about more than just pictures. It’s about how you feel before, during, and after your session. As Maya Angelou said, "People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel."
Cover Image Courtesy of Justin Veenema
“How much should a photography session cost?”
It’s one of the most common questions we hear — from both clients and photographers alike.
The truth is, photography pricing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends on a number of factors like experience, location, editing style, gear, session type, and even how confident you are in your own skills. So instead of giving you just a number, let’s walk through what pricing often looks like from beginner to seasoned pro — and how our own journey shaped the way we price our sessions today.
Image Courtesy of Justin Veenema
Time is precious — and as photographers, it’s one of our most valuable investments. Whether you’re just starting out or years into your journey, pricing your work isn’t just about hours or edits — it’s about the experience you bring.
If you're a fellow creative or photographer figuring out your rates, let's connect. Share your story, your challenges, or your wins — we’re always down to network, collaborate, and grow together. Drop your IG or website below ⬇️ or DM us directly. Let’s build something real.
Wondering what goes into pricing a photoshoot or navigating the cost as a client? We've been on both sides. Whether you're booking your first session or starting your own business, we're happy to share what we've learned—and hear your story too.
👉 Let’s Connect
Starting Out: $50 to $100 Sessions (Learning & Gaining Experience)
When Stephanie first started photography, we were still dating. I’d go with her to shoots and help carry gear, hold reflectors, and set things up. Back then, she was charging anywhere from $50 to $100 per session.
It wasn’t about the money — it was about getting experience. She was still learning camera settings, experimenting with natural light, and practicing editing techniques. During this time, she also said yes to a lot of collaborations and free work. Why? Because every shoot taught her something new.
If you're just starting out:
It’s okay to charge less.
Focus on learning: exposure, posing, editing, and client communication.
Say yes to opportunities that help you build a portfolio (even if they don’t pay much at first).
Be transparent with clients about where you are in your journey.
The Growth Phase: $100 to $250 Sessions (Practice Meets Value)
As Steph practiced more, took in-person classes, and committed to refining her skills, she slowly started bumping up her prices. $100 became her base, and while sessions weren’t always consistent, people started recognizing her style and effort.
But it wasn’t always easy. There were moments we had to lower prices just to get booked — especially during slower seasons. We did what we had to do, but each time we delivered a gallery, we got a little better. We listened to client feedback. We studied what made a photo “feel right.”
Eventually, clients started referring others. That’s when we realized: consistency and client experience mattered just as much as skill.
Building Momentum: $250 to $500 Sessions (Creating Value Through Experience)
With a few years of experience under her belt, Steph’s confidence grew — and so did her portfolio. We weren’t just taking pictures anymore; we were helping people preserve memories, celebrate milestones, and document love.
This is when we really began to treat it like a business:
We invested in better gear.
We created a more professional booking experience.
We learned about SEO, branding, and how to market ourselves.
We set clear expectations and built trust with every client.
Pricing went up to $250–$500 per session depending on the type of shoot. And clients didn’t hesitate to book — because they saw the value and experience we were delivering.
Established Photographer: $500+ Sessions (When the Work Speaks for Itself)
Today, we’re more selective with what we take on. We’re not chasing every inquiry. We don’t compete on price. We focus on the experience we give, the quality of work we deliver, and the relationships we build with our clients.
People now find us through word of mouth, blog posts, and SEO. And they’re not just looking for “a photographer” — they’re booking us for our perspective, our vibe, our storytelling. That’s a major shift.
If you're in this phase or working toward it:
Know your worth and communicate it confidently.
Factor in not just shoot time, but editing, travel, planning, and gear maintenance.
Continue investing in your craft — classes, workshops, personal projects.
Protect your energy. You can’t serve everyone, and you shouldn’t try to.
So… How Much Should a Photography Session Cost?
Here’s a rough breakdown by experience level:
Beginner Photographer (0–1 years): $50–$150
Intermediate Photographer (1–3 years): $150–$300
Experienced Photographer (3–5+ years): $300–$600+
High-End or Niche Photographer: $600–$1500+
These numbers can vary wildly depending on your market, niche, and business goals. But the point is this: price your work in a way that reflects your time, talent, and the value you bring to each session.
And if you're a client reading this? Don’t just look at price — look at passion, consistency, experience, and how the photographer makes you feel.
There’s a quote we think about often in our own work:
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
That’s the kind of value you can’t always see in a portfolio — but you’ll feel it during the session and every time you look back at your photos.
Our Journey in a Nutshell
From $50 gigs and free collaborations to booking $600+ portrait sessions and full-day events — it’s been a ride. But every stage taught us something.
Today, we’re still learning, still growing. But we’re proud to say we no longer chase every dollar. Instead, we focus on crafting meaningful experiences and letting the right clients find us.
If you're in the thick of figuring out what to charge — or how to justify your rates — trust the process. You’re not just charging for photos. You’re charging for your time, your vision, your years of learning, and the irreplaceable way you see the world.
Want to Work With Us?
Whether you’re planning a last-minute photoshoot or looking to document something meaningful, we’d love to connect.
See our full list of photography packages at www.lastminutephotoshoot.com
Let’s create something timeless, together.
Start Your Journey With Us Here
What I’ve Learned in 3.5 Years of Being My Own Boss (That Retail Could Never Teach Me)
After over a decade managing teams in retail, I thought I had business figured out—until I took the leap into full-time self-employment. In this blog, I share the raw truth about what it’s really like to build a photography business from the ground up. Spoiler: it’s not all golden hour edits and client praise. We started with a failed t-shirt company, a poorly designed website, and no idea how SEO, marketing, or branding worked. After a long season of side hustles like DoorDash and Uber Eats, we launched our current brand, lastminutephotoshoot.com, and it’s only now—three and a half years later—that we’re seeing real traction. From hitting 40 monthly visitors to nearly 1,000, and getting consistent inquiries from our site’s contact form, every step has been a grind. I dive into how we learned discipline, balance, and self-respect—things I never learned while clocked into a corporate store. Whether you're a creative entrepreneur, new photographer, or side hustler trying to make the leap, this post will give you a brutally honest (and hopeful) view of what it really takes to build something sustainable.
Cover Image Courtesy of Jon Tyson
Let’s start with the truth:
Self-employment has been the hardest, most humbling, and most liberating experience of my life.
When I left retail management—where I ran teams of 6 to 20 people depending on the season—I thought I knew what hard work was. I’d worked weekends, holidays, late nights, back-to-back double shifts. I knew how to manage schedules, hit sales targets, coach underperformers, and keep my store afloat during Black Friday chaos.
But nothing in that job prepared me for the mental, emotional, and physical weight of running my own business.
After 3.5 years of building a business from the ground up, we’ve learned that success isn't a straight line—and you don’t have to figure it out alone. If you're navigating your own journey, we'd love to connect, swap stories, or just listen.
👉 Reach Out—We’re Here
1. The Learning Curve is Brutal (and Beautiful)
I’ve learned more in 3.5 years of working for myself than I did in all my years managing retail. You don’t just “wear many hats”—you are the business. Sales, marketing, taxes, SEO, social media, customer service, copywriting, networking, branding, accounting, production, logistics, and sometimes, janitor.
➡️ We’ve launched two websites now. Our first? It was called Hubfey. We spent a few hours a week on it (if that), didn’t touch SEO, had no social presence, and honestly expected it to just take off. Spoiler: it didn’t.
That failure forced us to learn.
Learn how to build a real website, how to create SEO-friendly pages, how Google actually works. We fumbled forward, made a ton of mistakes, Googled our way through it, and slowly found our rhythm.
When we launched lastminutephotoshoot.com, we started with zero traffic. I remember in January of this year, we hit 40 visitors for the month, and I was pumped. Now, we’re just shy of 1,000 a month—and it’s wild to think how far we’ve come. Weekly leads. Monthly bookings. We’re finally seeing momentum. It’s like watching a dream grow legs and start walking.
There’s no safety net. And strangely, that’s what makes the growth so real.
2. Discipline is the Real Boss
In retail, someone told me where to be and when. Clock in, clock out, repeat.
Now? No one’s watching. No one’s clapping. No one’s warning you when you’re coasting or burning out.
I had to build discipline from scratch—learning how to stay focused when money was low, when clients ghosted, when doubt crept in.
➡️ Everyone online says you need a perfect morning routine to succeed. Ours? It’s simple and sustainable. We wake up early, go for a walk to clear our heads, get errands and housework done in the morning, then spend the rest of the day either editing, working on the website, or creating content when we don’t have a schedule photoshoot.
When we need a break, we walk our three pups or hit the home gym. Once a week, we carve out time just for creativity—no client work, just us creating for the love of it. Or we’ll escape to the mountains for a hike and fresh air. It’s not glamorous—but it’s honest. And it works for us.
3. Side Hustles Aren’t Failures—They’re Chapters
Before Last Minute Photoshoot, we tried everything. Multiple side hustles, pivot after pivot. Some flopped. Some showed us what we didn’t want.
But each one taught us something.
➡️ Before Last Minute Photoshoot, we tried everything:
Food delivery with Uber Eats and DoorDash
A t-shirt design company (also named Hubfey)
A failed photography site under StephanieLePhotography
What we learned?
No one tells you to clock in when you’re self-employed. That food delivery grind taught us time management and hustle. We’d write “Thank you” notes with orders just to brighten someone’s day—and we saw it reflected in our tips.
Those “failures” taught us that a website isn’t a goldmine unless you nourish it—consistently. You have to learn sales, marketing, SEO, customer care. You can’t fake momentum.
4. You Don’t Just Work On Your Business, You Work On Yourself
This journey has forced me to face every insecurity I had around money, value, rejection, visibility, and worth. Running a business is personal development on steroids.
It’ll show you what you believe about yourself real quick.
Are you confident pitching yourself? Can you recover from setbacks? Do you know how to rest without guilt?
➡️ In my old life, I’d make promises to myself all the time—only to break them. Now? I can’t afford to. Being your own boss means if you don’t show up, you don’t eat. There’s no fall guy.
I’ve had to build self-trust from the ground up. These days, I check in with myself constantly:
What’s working?
Where are we stuck?
What needs improving?
What do I need to research today?
Whether it’s blog ideas, cold outreach, or figuring out a better client experience—if it moves the business forward, we do it. Even if it’s uncomfortable.
5. Success Isn’t a Moment. It’s a Series of Decisions
There’s no finish line where you “make it.” What you have instead are dozens of small decisions you make every week—some painful, some exciting—that shape the path forward.
Success started to look less like a number and more like:
Taking a day off without guilt
Feeling proud of how you handled a tough client
Seeing your work genuinely impact someone’s life
➡️ This one still blows my mind.
When we added a contact form to our site, it sat silent for months. Zero submissions. Then another month: zero.
Now? We average 1–2 form submissions every week. Not all of them book, but each one is a chance to get better at listening, understanding what clients actually want, and learning how to serve—not just sell.
I used to think success was followers or viral content. Now I know: it’s learning how to communicate better, connect more deeply, and build something real—one person at a time.
Closing Thoughts:
If you’re in the early stages of building something from scratch, know this: it’s okay to pivot. It’s okay to doubt yourself sometimes. And it’s okay to grow slower than others around you.
But don’t stop. This version of you—disciplined, creative, resilient—is being built for a reason.