Reduce Product Photography Costs with Dynamic Imaging

By: LiquidPixels | March 8, 2022 | 5 Min Read

Don’t let product photography costs eat your entire budget.

Photography can get very expensive. 

Some photographers are professionals and do it as their full time jobs, while others treat it as a side hustle. In either case, product photography costs can be as follows:

• Brands can pay up to $250 for every photo per product.
• Professional photographers can charge $100/hour minimum, which can include photo manipulation and product designs, depending on the contract.

What do these expensive photography sessions entail? And how can companies lower their product photography costs?

Gear, Equipment, and Business Costs

For product photography on a budget, gear and equipment start at $1,000 dollars and rise quickly. Lenses are at least another $1,000. Some estimates for basic equipment costs are as follows:

But that is only for a basic photo setup. That does not include peripherals (like memory cards, batteries, soft boxes, etc.), studio rental, utilities, and more, which can bring costs up over $30,000. Photographers also need to set aside at least 30 percent of their income to pay for taxes.

Some product shoots will also need professional models. Such as products including apparel, accessories, sports gear, or footwear—as these items are often worn or held to show the product in use. The cost of hiring models plays a significant factor, as well. The average rate of a model in the U.S. is roughly $30/hour.

The Hours Unseen

The reason why product photography is important is because photographers can highlight both the beauty and the functionality of your product with the best visuals possible. But creating this ideal product environment is not easy to achieve.

Photographers do not just show up, take a picture of your product, and call it a day. There is a great deal of time and effort spent to prepare before a shoot happens.

• Research
  Photographers often prepare by researching the brands and the products they are hired to capture. They familiarize themselves with how the brand wants to look and the message they plan to convey.
• Mood Board Creation
  Professional photographers build mood boards that will guide them through the concepts that they and their clients want to execute.
• Location and Permits
  If a photographer does not have their own studio, they will have to scout for locations and secure the necessary local permits.
• Hiring Models and Crew
  Photographers will often advise on models based on the marketing concepts. Even the crew that helps with the shoot sometimes have to be vetted by the photographer. Unsurprisingly, photographers prefer to assemble a team of professionals they know and trust.
• Building Sets
  Before the set is ready, professional photographers will have sourced the materials for the shoot, shopping for or making props, and of course, the products that will be highlighted in the shoot.
• Call Sheets and Shot Lists
  These are also often vetted by photographers, as the schedules with the models and the brands they are promoting will need to be planned ahead.

Once all of these pieces are in place, often the photo shoot can take hours or days to complete. Then post-production begins where photographers choose the optimal photos, edit, and apply manipulations or product design.

Paying for the Experience

Brands do not only pay for the hours spent. The photographer’s education and experience also impact product photography costs.

While some photographers learn the craft from free courses online or while working in the field, others spend years at study. Many complete a four-year Fine Arts degree before moving to professional photography. On average, art students pay north of $30,000 a year.

Fred Levy, a professional photographer based in Littleton, MA, believes photographers should always strive to be at their best if they want to be treated as premium photographers.

“Your clients demand it and feel they are paying for it. Even people who don’t put price first expect and even demand that they are getting something special. That is what you are selling. Not only a photograph. You’re selling yourself, your experience, and your ability to keep doing your very best.”

How Can Companies Reduce Product Photography Costs?

At the end of these expensive photography sessions, thousands of product photos get rejected because only a few spots are available on a brand’s website.

But what if there was a way to take one master base image and build an entire product catalog from there? Dynamic imaging makes this possible.

LiquiFire® OS from LiquidPixels provides professionals with the right tools to save resources with the most sophisticated technology stack in the industry. LiquiFire OS enables the use of a single master image to instantly create variations with specifications pre-determined by the website.

With one master file as a reference, the rendered image maintains product consistency, as well as corporate brand integrity. At the same time, it gives the customer the ability to make something unique out of the original material. Allowing shoppers to explore patterns and textures is an important part of the buyer’s journey.

This saves time and money for both brands and product photography professionals. Photographers can cut a significant amount of time with the preparations, allowing them to take on more clients within a span of time. At the same time, brands can cut down costs by getting rid of the need for hundreds of photo variations. Just one master image, and you can unlock the potential of your product for your clients and customers.

To learn more about how dynamic imaging reduces your product photography costs, contact us here.