06/23/2026
****Reposting with some editing clips: there’s a lot that goes into this business: knowing your lighting techniques, the editing process, and taking out people in the background, tweaking the colors so they are just right etc…. You’re paying for your consultation, the prep time to gather poses and visuals, scouting locations, the gas to go to and from those locations, the time for the session, and then the editing process, plus all of this —>>>
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. ❤️🫶
-Stolen from another photographer ❤️
- 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝑳𝒚𝒏𝒏 𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒚
