What I charge as a commercial beauty & fashion photographer

[@millicreative100]

Thanks for sharing! I struggle with usage rights... I usually don't even bother, but I feel like I should know more about this. Would love to see you explain it one day. 💕

[@KayleighJune]

It's a definitely a really tricky subject! But I'd love to explain more about it in future for sure.😊

[@brittneybyus]

Thank you soooo much Kayleigh! Can’t tell you how much the transparency is appreciated! I always value your videos !

[@KayleighJune]

No worries at all! I’m so glad to hear that! ☺️

[@itohabrave5433]

Thank you so much. We appreciate you sharing this.. Can you please make a video about reaching out to clients?

[@KayleighJune]

Thanks so much for watching! And absolutely, I’d love to do a video on pitching to clients. 😊

[@stewsview5164]

I really appreciate you being transparent about this. I live in NYC and I have small clients and they always complain about price. Some don't shoot with me because they want cheaper. Your day rate is higher than mine. LOL This gives me some perspective. For Usage Rates I use fotoQuote as a basis and adjust depending on the size of the company and client.

[@KayleighJune]

No worries at all! I know it can be so tricky, I’m always open to negotiating my rates for smaller brands, but some startups just want a ridiculous amount discounted to which I just have to say no! As I understand cost of living in New York would also be quite high like where I live near Sydney, so it’s definitely about covering your base living costs too. ☺️ Thanks as well for the recommendation of fotoQuote, I’m always interested in checking out software that can make life easier! 😁

[@TheOlandex]

I appreciate this video, even though I've come to it a year later. It is refreshing to see someone being transparent about their rates and their rationale behind them - very useful. My very first paid job was about 36 years ago and I was just so thrilled to be getting paid I happily took whatever they wanted to give me. It didn't set me on the path to a photography career though, but now I've been running a sideline business for the past 6 or 7 years. I build my rate packages in much the same way you do, based on a full day rate, or half day sometimes, then adding on processing, delivery, an equipment and software fee plus any expenses which might include mileage and meals, depending on the circumstances. All that said, I tend to roll it up into a package for personal clients like family shoots or portraits. The market is increasingly flooded with new startups and in smaller market areas it can be tough to get clients to understand the value proposition. But ultimately in my opinion it has to be worth doing financially, and if it isn't then don't bother doing it as a business.

[@GaiyaYushin]

Thank you so much for sharing. It's really helpful to have some reference points that are actually in use.

[@KayleighJune]

No worries! I’m so glad it was helpful for you ☺️

[@Dscoyii]

Thank you so much for this!! Really appreciate it! It’s so hard now to find photographers pricing to at least get a bench mark.

[@KayleighJune]

No worries at all! I hope this was able to shed a bit of light on pricing structures ☺️

[@Cebomdlovu09]

Thanks for sharing Kayleigh! As an aspiring beauty and fashion photographer in South Africa, it is hard to work out pricing since many people are discreet about their pricing, especially commercial photographers. this really helped me a lot in finding out where my range will be when I'm pricing for companies.

[@KayleighJune]

I'm so glad it helped! It's always tricky but I think it's important to be transparent with this kind of thing 😊

[@josephsy]

Thanks for the advice Kayleigh, was wondering if you work with an agent? I've heard that they usually are good at negotiating usage rates

[@nicolesquelch1519]

If your clients don't want retouching, how much do you usually charge per image? Because there is of course still time spent processing and colour grading, do you charge a flat fee for a package of images, a $ amount per image, or perhaps all your images are retouched? Thank you, I appreciate your transparency in this video! It's so so hard to price your work when everyone is so vague and you only have what your clients say yes or no to as a guide.

[@daniemyers7645]

I’ve never heard of usage rates. So interesting!

[@KayleighJune]

I think a lot of photographer's don't know about usage! Definitely something to keep in mind when quoting commercial work 😊

[@ChrisBoultonPhotography]

Thank you! I'm in a totally different genre to you but find your videos so very helpful. Would love to see how you tackle lifestyle/ documentary photography with regards to retouching.

[@KayleighJune]

Thanks so much for watching Chris! Definitely would be keen to film some videos on retouching different photography genres! ☺️

[@Damian-lu8sx]

As someone who's trying to start getting clients this info is simply invaluable and so rare to come by! Thanks!☺ I have a question though. Do you only work with brands or do you do shoots with individual clients as well? Would you use a different approach to pricing for them? Also, I guess brands expect more costs from the start since they count it as business spendings rather than a hobby/entertainment etc. like individuals would. Do you think the same? When I think of pricing my shoots I'm always afraid that the price will scare people away🤣

[@KayleighJune]

No worries at all! 😊 These days I mainly work with brands, but I do still work with some individual clients! The pricing structure definitely changes in that situation. I also have done paid testing for model agencies, so I do tend to have a more affordable option for individual portfolio tests depending on what they want. (I’ve also done paid portfolio work for makeup artists too.) ☺️ It’s always daunting sending your prices to potential clients, but try to hold firm! You’re more likely to get clients that truly appreciate your work if you do. 😊

[@Damian-lu8sx]

@@KayleighJune Thanks for the response! ☺️

[@malik_alharb]

I can not thank you enough 🙌

[@auomi8762]

Great video! What type of planner is that in the background? Need to order that myself asap! :)

[@KayleighJune]

Thanks so much! It's a yearly whiteboard wall planner, I actually got it from Aldi last year! 😂

[@snoopfroggyfrog7220]

Thanks for your transparency. I think with all work we're better off being more open about this. I honestly have so many questions but I don't want to ask anything that'd be too awkward to answer. For example had you not said it, I'd have wondered if all pushback about usage felt "legitimate", but wouldn't have known if I should ask. So if there's more videos you want to do on this on your own terms, I know from myself, and judging from the comments, there's interest.

[@KayleighJune]

No problem at all! Usage is such a tricky subject and I think a lot of photographers are unaware that they could be charging for it. In some instances with certain clients it can be difficult to get it across the line, but I’d love to do more videos on usage for sure! I definitely think there needs to be more information on the subject 🙂 Thanks for watching! 😊

[@snoopfroggyfrog7220]

​@@KayleighJune Thanks Kayleigh :) Just found your channel recently and I'm impressed. Wishing you lots of luck

[@colinjudge1261]

Thank you for making this video! I think you’re completely right that photographers can be very shy about sharing their rates, and even though I feel the same way, I also know how that can leave us all confused about whether or not we’re overcharging or undervaluing our work. I just have a question about your usage rates, when you say it’s the same as your day rate, do you mean for all images from that shoot? So if the client picks 20 images or 40 images, the usage for those images would be the same? Thanks again!

[@KayleighJune]

I appreciate that Colin! I’m so glad the video was helpful. ☺️ So it really depends with usage. Quite often a client for example who chooses 40 images will only have say 5-10 that may need extra usage requirements. So for example they may choose 30 for just social, and then 10 for digital and print. So in that case I’ll need to calculate two different usage fees. In terms of usage for social and web, I tend to do a bulk pricing for them which would be a minimum of my full day rate, and then it would be increased for those images depending on the length of time they were being used. (for example if it was more than 6 months or so.) If there are any extra usage requirements for some of the images, that’s when they will tend to be a bit pricier. But all in all, every client’s situation is so different and I think that’s why it can be so difficult to explain! I hope that all makes sense! ☺️

[@colinjudge1261]

@@KayleighJune Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I struggle a lot with usage, and have pretty much conceded usage rights for web/social as being included in my day rate. At this point, I only have discussions around usage fees for anything that goes to print (or print equivalent, such as digital displays in-store). I don't like that I'm contributing to the expectation that usage is free, but I've just had no real luck being able to convince clients that usage was something they needed to pay for, when it comes to social media use. Thankfully, when it comes to print, all of those clients are more established and are fully aware of usage fees. I actually had one of my early clients (who I shot for very cheaply, but made clear that print use was not included in our agreement) call me years later saying that their financial advisor had said that I'd basically ripped them off by not giving them full ownership of the images. All I could do was say "if you want to give me their number, I can call them myself to tell them how wrong they are" 😂

[@samsol3090]

This is amazing! Thank you so much :)))

[@AlexOnEarth777]

Thanks for the information Kayleigh! I'd love to know how you're paid? For example, do you generally do wire/bank transfers or a payment page on your website, or other? I've been charging for a few years and a lot of my clients prefer to use the mobile apps, but those have limits that are difficult to get around.

[@KayleighJune]

No worries! 😊 I actually use Xero for my invoicing/accounting software, and on my invoice I have my bank details for a wire transfer/direct deposit. Xero also has some integrated platforms that allow clients to pay the invoice directly using other methods such as card, etc. I also list my PayPal email as for some of my international clients that tends to be easier for them. 🙂

[@megancrothers]

How do you typically approach the conversation on usage with a client? Lots of my clients are small as well, and some were shocked to hear that they would not own all the images after a shoot. I know that legally I do own the images but how to I explain this to a client in a gentle way? I've even had clients take watermarked proofs and edit out the watermark and apply their own edits, and they got incredibly angry when I asked them to stop!

[@KayleighJune]

I totally understand, it’s not always easy to discuss usage! Honestly, for smaller clients I generally tend to include social/web usage in my main fee, (that’s usually all they want/need anyway!) But for those mid-larger clients, they’ll generally be expecting a conversation about usage. Some won’t though, so it’s more important to ask upfront where the images will be used, for how long & in what format. That way they’re aware of any extra usage fees from the beginning. I hope that helps! ☺️ And omg I can’t believe they removed the watermarks! I usually have my images really quite small/low res on the proof sheet so clients hopefully wouldn’t be able to use them for anything. 😅

[@jimwlouavl]

Major kudos for sharing this info.

[@KayleighJune]

Thanks Jim! 😊

[@NickDelDuca]

I'm fairly convinced Australia is one of the only places that you can make a living as a fashion photographer. Your rate seems to totally fair and I would love to charge that but I've never found a client that would pay that in the USA. Maybe if you were in NY or LA but anywhere else even $500 a day is pushing it.

[@KayleighJune]

The problem is with videos like this, is that it's hard to also communicate the cost of living figures between countries. Australia is very expensive and wages also tend to be higher in line with this, so even though these rates might sound great, they do tend to fit within the average standard of pay over here. The industry here is also pretty small compared to other countries so it can be very competitive, and it does feel that sometimes there's not enough opportunities to go around. There are definitely particular cities like you mentioned that would absolutely offer more opportunities for consistency of work, and it's the same here but probably to a lesser extent. I definitely feel your pain though, clients not wanting to pay your rates is still a regular occurrence for me too! 😩

[@efggnanwfe3451]

Thanks for sharing！I want to ask, in Australia, the income of fashion photographers looks similar to that of wedding photographers, is that so? Because in China, wedding photographers usually earn only $250 to $500 a day, while fashion photographers usually earn $1200 to $3000 a day（just for shoot）, which makes me a bit confused

[@k.561]

Thank you for this video! Very helpful. I have a question, so when clients ask for the full day shoot for example, am I supposed to provide them with all the photos I take on the day? Or do I say like “you get to choose XX (number) of photo and the retouching is extra”? If so, how many is the average? Thank you so much in advance!!

[@KayleighJune]

No problem at all! As I mentioned my full day rate and retouching is seperate. So what happens is I usually rate the best images in a session, (it’s a really basic rating system such as rating all the images that are not blurry/eyes closed etc as 5 star.) Then I create a proof sheet of those images and send them through to the client, this will be a majority of the images taken on the full day. Then it’s completely up to them how many images they choose for me to retouch, (and obviously that would be at an extra cost.) ☺️ The average for most of my mid sized clients is around 20-30 images I’d say! Some would be used for their main campaign and the rest for social media. 😊

[@k.561]

Thank you!! I’ve been curious about this for a long time, I really appreciate it🥰

[@ramonace3793]

working with a new young small clothing business practically just starting, still needing some direction. has numerous clothing items for a model to wear that will be photographing. non studio setting at least two location settings. has a budget that would cover 1 of 3 things (service shooting - retouch & usage) does your rate be unlimited clothing changes as part of your overall rate and or rate per item adjusting the total? thoughts ? create and build potential future client as first time and small business and adjust for time being or try bumping up total amount client is willing and if not deny gig for now and possibly have a future connection if they looking to revisit commercial shoot again.

[@KayleighJune]

This can be tricky to work out with smaller clients, but most of the time my day rate would include unlimited clothing changes in that confirmed period of time. (Half day or full day.) And then if they need a lot more images edited with many outfits, they need to pay for that via my retouching costs. This way I can ensure that I'm being paid appropriately for my time on both accounts. I hope this helps! 😊 *However I would also make sure that there aren't a ridiculous amount of clothing/style changes for the hours booked. So for example, if there's too many for even a full day shoot (8 hours,) I would recommend a two-day shoot be booked. 🙂

[@heredownunder]

What if the client wants all the Raw files? How do you work out a fee for that?

[@andriinosov]

Hi Kayleigh. In your video, do you quote prices in American or Australian dollars?

[@KayleighJune]

Hiya! These are all quoted in Australian dollars, so the amounts will likely be significantly less in American dollars. Having said that when I do have international clients I will alter my rates depending on the job and will generally quote in USD. ☺️

[@RotterStudios]

Thanks for the video! I don't think I could ever charge for usage unless it's a huge massive client. The way I see it, I'm getting paid to photograph their image and I will charge per image at delivery. Hard enough getting clients, then to charge usage on top of that. not saying it's wrong....just not me.

[@KayleighJune]

It's really tricky! I agree, many smaller clients do NOT want to pay for usage, in fact many of them have never even heard of the concept. So it's something I usually reserve for large clients who will be using many different channels of marketing. 🙂

[@jennacarney8012]

How do you know if clients use those images for longer than those 6 months of however long they pay for?

[@mavfan1]

You follow them and check.

[@KayleighJune]

The best way is to follow/check when the usage time is coming to an end. But it’s also important to have a written agreement with this information in case the client uses them for a longer time period without renewing usage terms. 🙂

[@cristianaplaian6872]

🤍 You go, guuurrrlll!!!

[@brandonwolf6702]

Thanks Kayleigh, this was helpful; we charge about the same.

[@KayleighJune]

No worries! Glad to hear the video was helpful 😊

[@ItsNuxFury]

To clarify, when you charge your client, you always charge them a shoot fee + editing fees + a usage fee? I've also never heard of a usage fee, but it makes sense. I'm so out of touch. D:

[@KayleighJune]

That’s correct! ☺️ Honestly usage is only something that tends to come up with images that are either being licensed or with commercial photography bookings in general. It’s also something that I don’t always get from smaller clients. (Usually only my mid-larger sized clients would pay a usage fee.) 🙂

[@GB-AK]

What are your deliverables for your ($1600.00) full day shoot?

[@KayleighJune]

There are no deliverables included in that pricing. $1600 is the fee for my time involved during the photo shoot portion of a project, I charge separately per image for my retouching. 🙂

[@GB-AK]

@@KayleighJune I see, so the client pays for the photo shoot then decides what photos they want then pay you for retouching the selected photos. Sort of like an al-la-cart . Thanks for sharing your pricing.