How to price corporate headshots (day rates, per-person pricing and add-ons)
A practical way to price on-site corporate headshot days, with worked examples for per-person, day-rate and hybrid pricing, and the costs photographers forget.
Pricing corporate headshots is where many good photographers lose money. The shoot itself looks short, so the quote is short, and then the selection emails, retouching and re-sends eat the next two weeks. Here's how we think about it.
Start with your real cost per day
Before any per-head number, work out what a headshot day actually costs you. Count everything, not just the hours with a camera in your hand:
- Prep: emails with the client, a schedule, a sitter list, a prep note for employees.
- Travel and setup: getting there, loading in, lighting, testing the tether. Usually 60 to 90 minutes before the first sitter.
- Shooting: the booked hours.
- Teardown and travel home.
- Post-production: culling, getting selections, retouching, delivery, re-sends and the "can I have a different one?" emails.
- Assistant, parking, insurance, gear wear and software.
Add it up honestly. A "three-hour shoot" is often a two-day job once post-production is included. Your price has to cover all of it.
Three ways to price
Per person
You charge a fixed fee per employee photographed, often with a minimum. Clients like it because it's easy to budget and maps to headcount.
- Works well when: headcount is known and you can photograph quickly.
- Watch out for: no-shows. Set a minimum number of people or a minimum fee, and charge for booked slots, not just people who turned up.
Day or half-day rate
You charge for your time on site, with a stated number of people included and a per-person fee beyond that.
- Works well when: headcount is uncertain, or the client wants you on standby.
- Watch out for: scope creep, like "can you also do a few team shots and the CEO in the boardroom?" Write down what's included.
Hybrid
A setup fee (covers travel, setup, prep) plus a per-person fee. In our experience this is the fairest structure for both sides, and it makes small groups viable.
A worked example
Say a client wants 40 employees photographed at their office.
| Line | Example |
|---|---|
| Setup and session fee | Covers travel, lighting, tether, prep and two hours on site |
| Per-person fee × 40 | Includes one selected, retouched image per person |
| Extra retouched images | Per image, chosen on the day |
| Rush delivery | Same-day or next-day, as a flat add-on |
| Usage | Internal and marketing use stated clearly in the quote |
Plug in your own numbers based on your market and your cost per day. Then sanity-check it: if the day stretched to twice the time, would you still be glad you took it?
Add-ons that clients happily pay for
- Extra selected images per person.
- Advanced retouching beyond your standard clean-up.
- Same-day delivery. When sitters choose on the spot, this costs you almost nothing extra and clients love it.
- Backgrounds and branding: brand-colored backdrops, or a branded frame on delivered images for events.
- Multiple setups: a second background or an environmental shot.
- Make-up artist on site, billed through you.
The hidden cost: chasing selections
The biggest leak in headshot pricing is the time between the shoot and delivery. A typical flow is: upload a proofing gallery, email the client, remind people, remind them again, collect choices in a spreadsheet, retouch, deliver, fix mix-ups. For 40 people, that's easily a day or two of admin you aren't billing for.
Two fixes:
- Price the admin in if you work this way. It's real work.
- Remove it: have each person choose their favorite before they leave the room. That's what ShootPick does. It also makes "delivered by the end of the day" an add-on you can sell.
Quote checklist
- Number of people, minimum fee and no-show policy
- What's included per person (images, retouching level, delivery time)
- Setup, travel and parking
- Usage rights
- Payment terms and deposit
- What happens if the shoot runs over
FAQ
How much should I charge for corporate headshots?
There's no single right number. It depends on your market, your experience and what's included. Work out your real cost per day including post-production, decide your target profit, then price per person, per day or as a hybrid so a full day comfortably covers both.
Should I charge per person or per day?
Per-person pricing is easiest for clients with a known headcount. Day rates protect you when numbers are uncertain. A setup fee plus a per-person fee is a good middle ground and makes small groups worthwhile.
How do I handle no-shows on a headshot day?
Set a minimum fee or a minimum number of people in the quote, and charge per booked slot. Sending reminders the day before and booking people into specific times also cuts no-shows sharply.
