The cost for a professional photoshoot can vary, from €60/hr to €40,000 + a day. It really depends on what you’re shooting and the type/number of images you would like to end up with. But it’s pretty easy to work out which bracket you should be looking at for your business.
From model to food photography, and even within those categories, the costs vary a lot which means finding a Berlin based photographer who can do what you need for your budget isn’t always fit. That’s why berlinphotographer.de put this guide together, to make finding what you’re looking for easier and to help you understand the costs involved in a professional photoshoot around here.
The information below will help you find the right photographer as well as make sure you are paying a fair price.
As Berlin photographer ourself, we have a good idea of what photography costs in Berlin should be and so this article is going to be most helpful for those of you in the capital.
However, that’s not to say it won’t be a useful starting point for others too.
So, let’s get started…
What affects the cost of a professional photoshoot?
There are a number of factors that will affect photoshoot costs: the photographer’s experience, the equipment needed on the day, the level of editing needed in post-production, the location and the need for models/stylists.
If you’re a hotel or restaurant looking for food and drink photography, it’s likely you’ll be able to shoot at your venue. This therefore negates any need for a studio and reduces the costs for you. If, however, you are an online food business who needs to shoot both product and lifestyle images for your website/social media, you will need a suitable location to shoot in. This could be a photography studio in Berlin or somewhere else such as an Booking, Airbnb or rental place.
Your brand will play a big part in how much your photography is going to cost too. If you’re a fashion brand and you’re looking at of this world for inspiration you’re going to need stylists, make-up artists, models, lighting/set designers etc., which all cost. However, if you’re a smaller brand who wants to shoot mostly outside using natural light and you’re going to style yourself and have friends who will model for you, then your extra costs are likely to be a lot less.
Before you approach any photographer it’s a good idea to get a mood board of images together so that you can give them a visual representation of what you’re hoping to achieve.
Don’t forget this…
One very important factor to keep in mind is that some photographers will purely quote for the photography itself and not get involved in other areas, others will consider the cost of location hire, models, set design etc. and include that in their quote as well as managing it for you.
Some photographers will include retouching as part of their daily rate and others will charge additional fees for editing days. It all depends on how they structure their business but it’s important to know what you’re getting upfront.
What you as a marketer or business owner need to do is have a very clear idea of what you need from your photoshoot and therefore know the questions to ask when compiling quotes.
For example, if you have everything else already arranged and you just need a photographer in Berlin, be up front about that so the photographer you’re speaking to can quote accordingly. If you need someone to manage the entire project, then be very clear about that and clear about your in-house skills and where you need additional support.
How to compare photographer quotes
Each photographer will have their own way of costing a job. There is no right or wrong but what’s most important is making sure you are comparing like for like. Some photographers will charge for the day and then give you all the images they shot, some will charge per image that you want to edit/use, some will charge extra for editing days and some will include it in the overall cost of the shoot. When comparing quotes, make sure you understand the breakdown of costs and therefore what you can expect to be delivered.
A good way to compare quotes is to write out a list of what you need and then go through the quotes you have and make sure they tick all of the boxes. Once you have a short list of the ones that do you can compare prices and other attributes that may affect your decision.
How to make sure you pay the right amount for photography
If a photographer just gives you a price without asking any questions you should make sure you know what’s included and what’s not. It might be that what you wanted isn’t actually achievable at the price they’ve given you OR that there are a lot of additional costs that will be added later on.
Having a good idea of what you want to achieve from your photoshoot is the best way to make sure there won’t be any surprises further down the line. By speaking to a couple of photographers you will start to get a good idea of what you should be spending to achieve your desired results.
How much does a Berlin photographer cost?
If we’re looking just at the photography itself rather than any additional services that may or may not be included, we have a good idea of what you can come across in Berlin.
There will be photographers on sites such as Fiverr who will charge £100 for a day and give you all the images they shoot. Whilst that sounds appealing it’s very unlikely that they know what they’re doing on a professional level and will probably lack significant experience. Think carefully about what you need and whether someone with little experience will be able to help you achieve your goals.
Taking a step up, there are photographers who will charge 500€ – 800€ for the day and typically limit the number of images they will deliver. These photographers will have more experience but will mostly shoot with natural light. Again, it’s tempting and for brands just starting out it can be a good entry point, especially if you can find someone who already has the style you’re looking for.
The only issue with only using natural light is it hugely shortens the hours you can shoot in during the winter months.
Next, we have photographers who charge anywhere between 1000€ and 5000€ for a day. Generally other factors start to play a role at this level and they typically have a good understanding of technical lighting.
Beyond that, you’re looking at 10,000€ + a day and most likely to be high end fashion photographers who are very well known for their work as artists rather than solely their commercial portfolio — Rankin will charge up to 30,000€ for a day in his studio.
We would recommend starting with the 500€ – 3000€ bracket if you can but if that’s too much of a stretch then drop down a level to £600 – £800 and find someone who already has a similar style to what you’re looking for, this way you know they can achieve the results you need.
How to find a photographer?
There are a number of ways to find a good photographer that’s right for your project but here are a few good places to start:
Instagram: use the hashtag #berlinphotographer or be more industry specific such as #berlinfoodphotographer
LinkedIn: search for photographer in Berlin or food photographer in Berlin
Google: be a bit more specific about your search here e.g. hotel photographer Berlin, fashion photographer Berlin or portrait photography Berlin
We hope all of the above is helpful but if there’s anything else you’d like to know and finding a Berlin photographer, please do feel free to use contact form to ask any question and we will help you!
