If you ever reach out to a product photographer for a quote, chances are they’ll come back with a bunch of questions you may not have considered.
Pricing out a project isn’t as easy just saying “I run a supplement business and I need some new photos for my website”.
There are a ton of factors that go into planning and implementing a shoot, like the number of images you need, the number of different scenes required, and the amount of styling and editing involved to bring your vision to life.
These nitty gritty details will determine whether your shoot takes five hours or five days, so it’s best to know the answers upfront before reaching out to a photographer for a quote.
Here are the questions I ask potential clients before sending over a proposal.
1 | Why Type of Images Are You Looking For?
Is it simple e-commerce photos? Minimally styled photos with a couple of props? Lifestyle imagery more suited for advertising or marketing campaigns?
All of the above?
How you plan to use the images plays a huge part in how you style the products in photos. So list out all the different ways you’d like to use the images. Then factor in your brand style as well as what resonates with your customers to get an idea for the level of styling required.
2 | How Many Different Products Would You Like Photographed?
If you’re re-branding, maybe you’d like updated photos for your entire product line. Or maybe you just need photos of new products you’ll be launching in the coming months.
Either way, make a list of all the products you’ll need photos of.
It’s also helpful to consider which products you might like photographed together and which ones should never be photographed together.
3 | What’s the Total Number of Photos You Need?
How many photos of each product do you need?
For product detail pages, I recommend having at least 4 photos of each product. For website home pages, email marketing and social media, you can get by with less.
4 | Where Will You Be Using the Images?
Different platforms have different image requirements, so you might need a few extra photos to accommodate all the different lay outs and dimensions.
Some of the most common options are:
- Website home page
- Website product pages
- Organic social media
- Paid social media
- Paid advertising
5 | What’s Your Budget?
Some people feel weird talking about their budget right off the bat. They’re afraid that if they over- or under-shoot the mark, it’ll affect the price they’re quoted. So instead they reach out to photographers and get a variety of different quotes. Then choose one that fits within their budget.
That’s fine. But you can save both yourself and your photographer time if you simply let them know up front what your price range is before ever hopping on a call.
If you’re not even sure where to begin coming up with a price range, send an email asking the photographer what their starting rates are. That’ll give you an idea of the bare minimum you’ll need for a shoot. Then go from there.
6 | How Much Are You Willing to Spend on Props?
Props and ingredients are an added expense that’s often overlooked in the pre-planning phase.
But it’s important to know how much you can reasonably afford to pay for the branded props a photographer might need to fulfill the brief.
Make sure to factor that into your budget.
7 | What’s Your Deadline?
Standard turnaround time is usually 6-8 weeks from initial discovery call to final image delivery.
It all depends on the photographer’s availability and how detailed the shoot is. The planning phase also requires a bunch of back and forth communication to make sure everyone’s on the same page and the details are locked in.
If there’s a specific date you need the images by, it’s best to let your photographer know up front.
Need product photos but not sure where to start? Learn more about how I can help elevate and refresh your brand images.
