Headshot Photography Pricing for Individuals and Teams
Per person, per hour or per team: pricing models for professional headshots, with example rates and volume discounts.
In this article
There are three common ways to price headshots: per individual session, per person on a team day, or by the hour with a minimum. Pick the one that matches how the client buys, set a retouching rule and offer a sensible volume rate. Examples below use a generic currency; replace them with your own numbers.
Pricing models
Individual session. A fixed fee for a short slot, such as 30 minutes, with a set number of retouched images. Best for freelancers, job seekers and professionals who book alone.
Per person on a team day. You shoot many people in one location, with a set time for each, such as 10 or 15 minutes. The price per head falls as numbers rise.
Hourly or half day rate. Useful when the number of people is not known, or when the company wants varied shots as well as portraits.
Package with extras. A day rate that includes setup, a fixed number of people and a gallery. Extra people are charged at a set rate.
Pick one as your default and describe it clearly. Our general guide on how to price photography packages works for any type of job.
Individual sessions
Individual clients usually want a few good images for a profile, a website or a CV. They are less sensitive to price than they are to results and ease.
A simple structure:
- Session of 30 to 45 minutes
- One or two outfits
- One backdrop or location
- 2 to 3 retouched images delivered within a few days
- Extra images as add-ons
Example (illustrative): 90 for the session, plus 20 for each extra retouched image. Calculate your real costs including studio or travel, editing time and a share of overheads.
Offer a small discount for returning clients or for couples who book together, if you wish, but keep the main price steady. Our post on lead follow-up helps you stay in touch with enquiries that do not book at first.
Team days
Companies value consistency and ease. The coordinator wants a clean schedule, everyone photographed in the same style and an invoice that the finance team can process.
Quote with these parts:
- Setup fee, covering travel, kit and arrival time.
- Per person rate, with a minimum number of people.
- Time per person, such as 10 minutes.
- Maximum hours on site.
- Overtime or additional people at a stated rate.
- Delivery date and format.
Example (illustrative): setup 150, per person 45 for 10 to 19 people, 38 for 20 to 39, 32 for 40 and above. Twenty people: 150 plus 20 times 38, which is 910.
Ask the company to name one contact who will schedule people. Include a line about no-shows: "Booked time is charged in full."
Retouching charges
Be clear about what retouching covers. Common approach:
- Included: basic colour, exposure and minor blemish clean-up on the selected images.
- Add-on: heavy retouching, background changes, body or hair edits, per image.
- Not offered: anything you do not feel comfortable doing.
Show an example of a standard retouch so clients know what to expect. Think about the time it takes: a team of 40 with two images each means 80 images, and editing hours rise fast. Build that time into your rate. For a related cost view, see our guide to Wedding photography pricing in India as a contrast in how different work is structured.
Example rates
These are examples; change them for your area and costs.
| Item | Example price |
|---|---|
| Individual session, 30 min, 2 retouched images | 90 |
| Extra retouched image | 20 |
| Team day setup | 150 |
| Per person, 10 to 19 people | 45 |
| Per person, 20 to 39 people | 38 |
| Per person, 40 and above | 32 |
| Overtime per hour | 80 |
| Rush delivery within 48 hours | 25 percent extra |
Check the numbers against your hourly target. If a team of 20 takes four hours on site, one hour travel and five hours editing, that is ten hours. At 910, that is 91 an hour before costs. Is that acceptable? If not, adjust.
Taxes such as GST, VAT or sales tax may apply to business invoices. Ask a local accountant how to show them.
How ClickBook helps
ClickBook helps you quote team bookings quickly: build the packages and add-ons, send a proposal from the lead and let the client sign and choose a payment plan on their phone from one private link. Invoices can carry sales tax, VAT or GST set up your way. Book a demo.
A final note
Keep your quote to one page. Include the date, location, number of people, time per person, deliverables, price, payment terms and the next step. Companies like quotes they can approve without a meeting.
Running a smooth team day
The quote is only half the job. Send the coordinator a schedule with ten minute slots, a list of what people should wear and where to wait. Set up before the first person arrives and keep the lighting identical for everyone, so the finished set looks consistent. Show each person one image on the back of the camera if time allows. Afterwards, share a single gallery and let people choose their favourites within a deadline. Clear instructions cut delays, which protects your hourly return.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge per person or per hour for team headshots?
Per person is easier for the client to compare, while per hour protects you if people run late. Many photographers quote per person with a minimum booking and a time cap.
How many images should an individual headshot include?
Commonly one to three retouched images chosen from a larger set. State the number clearly and price extra images separately.
Do I charge extra for retouching?
Light retouching is usually included. Heavy retouching is often an add-on, per image or per hour. Say which is which.
How do I handle no-shows on a team day?
State in the quote that the booked time is charged whether or not every person attends, and ask the company to name a coordinator.