05/15/2026
People see “$550 photoshoot” and think photographers pocket $550 dollars. 🤯
Here’s a realistic breakdown of where that actually goes 👇
Client pays: $550
• Put away 25% for taxes
$550 → $412.50
• Payment processing / transaction fee
$412.50 → $395.55
• SD cards (1–2 cards for a session, average cost)
~$65–$130
$395.55 → $330.55–$265.55
• Monthly business expenses split across sessions
(storage, gallery delivery, website, subscriptions, editing software, etc.)
~$50
$330.55–$265.55 → $280.55–$215.55
• Gas + travel to and from session
~$20–$40+ depending on location
$280.55–$215.55 → $260.55–$175.55
And that’s before:
• equipment upgrades/repairs 🛠
• camera bodies + lenses 📷
• computer + hard drives 💾
• insurance ✔️
• props/client closet 👗
• education 📚
• advertising 📢
• time spent shooting 🕑
• hours of editing 💻
• emailing, planning, culling, delivering galleries, bookkeeping, & a dozen other payless hours 💸
Photography is a business, not just “showing up and taking pictures.” I appreciate those who know the iceberg of backwork that goes on behind the scenes. ❤️🫶
