Many family photographers are great at documenting memories but when it comes to pricing our photography services, we can agree that at one point or another pricing our family photography services was a struggle. 

If you’re struggling with pricing your photography services just know you’re not alone. That’s right, *exhale*, many photographers have admitted that their biggest struggle was pricing their services appropriately.

Here are a few things you should consider when developing your family photography pricing guide!

So, how much should you charge as a family photographer? 

Well, there’s a lot of factors to consider. The average cost of a family photographer in the US is around $100-$400 an hour. However, family photographers in bigger cities tend to make more than those living in smaller areas. 

There are also other factors to consider such as equipment, location, travel fees and distance, and what you plan to offer for your packages. 

Not sure where to start? Here are 4 steps to pricing your photography services that will help you determine how you should price your family photos.

Step 1: Understand your market

Photographers working in a big city won’t charge the same as a photographer working in a rural area. The best thing for you to do is look up other photographers in your area and determine the average cost they charge for their services. Do people want a digital download option or expect physically printed photos?

Now I’m not saying you should price yourself at the average cost you found, but I do believe you should know the market well in order to determine how much you will charge. Once you have an idea of the average family photography price in your area, you should consider that information along with other aspects to setting the price.

Step 2: Know your cost of doing business

Once you understand the average cost of photographers in your area, you’ll need to determine your cost of doing business. When determining your cost of doing business, you should consider your living expenses as well as equipment and the education you’ve invested into your business. 

The idea here is to make a healthy income while also considering the expenses it takes to run your business. You don’t want to lowball yourself if you won’t be covering the majority of what it costs to even run your business to begin with. 

Step 3: Determine your services 

Now that you know what your cost of doing business is, you’ll want to convert that into packages you’ll offer to your clients. Some photographers charge based on the number of images, others charge based on their time, and others will price based on experience. 

Here’s an example of a family photography package: A one-hour session with a minimum of 25 edited digital files available via an online gallery for $500.

That $500 will include at minimum the shoot time, the number of hours you took to edit the 25 photos, and a portion of what you pay to host their photos in an online gallery, like ShootProof. Post-production needs to always be factored into your price!

Another common practice some family photographers do, is charge a flat rate for their services and then include prices for each individual photo they took at that session. 

Step 4: Know your worth and then add tax

There will be many photographers who photograph families in your area but what sets you apart from them? Know your worth, what you bring to the table, and then add tax.

If you are offering a unique experience, for example, be confident enough to price yourself for what you’re worth. You know that those clients won’t find the same experience working with other photographers in your area. 

Pricing your family photography business services won’t be something you do overnight. As you grow as a professional your business and prices will also evolve. Price yourself appropriately when you first start, so that when you’re ready to charge more you’ll continue to charge what you are worth.

These tips can also apply to you as a portrait photographer, product photographer or even a wedding photographer! It’s all about knowing your market!

Always remember, you got this!