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Finding the Right Photography Pricing Model for You
103 Plays3 months ago
In this powerful episode, I’m breaking down one of the most emotionally charged and commonly misunderstood topics in the photography industry: pricing models. There’s a myth floating around that there’s only one right way to price your services—and it’s just not true. Whether you're all-inclusive, sales-based, or somewhere in between, profitability has less to do with how you price and more to do with what works for you, your time, and your ideal client. I'm walking you through the mindset shifts, real math, and client-focused strategies that help you stop guessing and start owning your pricing with confidence.
Key Takeaways:
- There’s no one-size-fits-all pricing model—profitability is about knowing your numbers.
- Selling digital files is not “less than.” They’re a high-value product that clients want and need.
- Time is your most valuable currency if your pricing model doesn't honor it, it's not sustainable.
- Your pricing structure must align with the lifestyle, needs, and expectations of your ideal client.
- Before copying someone else’s model, understand your actual cost per session and profit margin.
Final Thoughts:
It’s time to ditch the pressure to price like someone else. Your pricing should reflect your strengths, your lifestyle, your client base, and your actual time investment. You don’t need a trendy model—you need a sustainable one. Remember: confident pricing leads to a thriving business.
Links & Resources:
📄 Download the FREE Pricing Worksheet to calculate your real profit per session
💬 DM me on Instagram @elenasblair_photography to tell me what pricing model is working for you
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Transcript
Choosing a Pricing Model for Photographers
00:00:01
Elena Blair
What's up, empowered photographer? I am coming at you today with something that I could probably talk about over and over again from every different angle because it is such a, I would say, emotionally charged and difficult task for photographers.
00:00:20
Elena Blair
And this task is choosing the right pricing model for your photography business.
Debunking Pricing Model Myths
00:00:27
Elena Blair
Now, I want to clear up one of the biggest myths in our world, in our photography world.
00:00:36
Elena Blair
People want you to believe that the only way to be profitable is to adopt their pricing and sales model. And they want you to believe that because they're selling you a class.
00:00:49
Elena Blair
And one thing that I will never do, even though I do teach about these things, is I will never say that there is one way to price your photography business or that there is a correct way to price your photography business.
Value of Digital Files in Profitability
00:01:03
Elena Blair
That is actually a myth. What you need to pay attention to when it comes to pricing is if you are making a profit. And the truth is profitability truly has nothing to do with the right pricing model.
00:01:17
Elena Blair
I know plenty of people who will tell me that the only way to do it is if you have a sales-based model, for example, or a package-based model. But when you look at their numbers, they actually aren't profiting.
00:01:30
Elena Blair
um There's a lot of people who like to throw the word around or the phrase around shoot and burn when talking about somebody who is all inclusive and selling digital files. But the truth is even people who do packages or print, you know, focused pricing models, or even in-person sales pricing models, even though they are pushing,
00:01:49
Elena Blair
a product, they're still selling digital files as well. Because the truth is, is that digital files are the highest value um of what we give from a tangible standpoint because they are archivable and they are something that, digital files are something that last forever, right? You can print however many you want,
00:02:09
Elena Blair
whenever you want. So even though there is a lot of stigma around digital files, it's not wrong to sell digital files. And I actually, i don't care what you sell.
Tailoring Pricing to Business Needs
00:02:19
Elena Blair
If you feel like you are the type of photographer that has the type of client base that really values big wall displays or albums or whatever, fine, you should totally do that.
00:02:29
Elena Blair
What you really need to know is what pricing model is right for you, right for your business. And if the only thing you take from this episode is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer, well, then I have done my job here.
00:02:46
Elena Blair
So the very first step in figuring out what your pricing model is, is to know your real profit per session.
Understanding True Profitability
00:02:56
Elena Blair
So before you start worrying about the structure, like if you're going to do the psychological,
00:03:02
Elena Blair
um psychological I would say, trick of using a package-based model, which it's not wrong, but you're basically...
00:03:13
Elena Blair
wanting your clients to choose the middle package, right? um Before you worry about that, about your structure, i want you to ask yourself one simple question. What do you actually need to make per session to be profitable?
00:03:28
Elena Blair
You have to take into account every minute that you're spending on that session from inquiry to doing the actual session to editing the session. If you are doing products ah to designing those products, the cost of those products, if you're doing a package but based model,
00:03:45
Elena Blair
then you have to take into account the time that it takes to sell that to them. All of that has to come into play when it comes to profits. So you can say that you're charging or making $3,000 per shoot.
00:03:56
Elena Blair
That's great. But if your expenses and time commitment are too high, if you're spending hours on consults, ordering emails, all of that, then you aren't actually making $3,000. Your hourly wage may not even meet minimum standards.
00:04:12
Elena Blair
You have to remember when you come up with your pricing model that time is your most valuable currency. A photography pricing model only works if it also respects your time.
00:04:23
Elena Blair
So you really need to know your actual profit per session.
Aligning Pricing with Client Preferences
00:04:27
Elena Blair
The next thing that I want you to consider is your ideal client. Not every client wants the same experience, which is why your photography pricing model and really needs to match what Your people that you're trying to attract, it really needs to match their needs.
00:04:46
Elena Blair
So for example, my ideal client is a busy mom. I know her very well. um And she does not have time for back and forth emails. She doesn't want to do a sales call. She doesn't want to do an in-person sales ah appointment. That would be something she couldn't make time for.
00:05:01
Elena Blair
She doesn't want to do a pre-session consult. She doesn't want complicated package packages. She wants to know exactly what she's getting and she wants it to be easy and clear. This is why I am all inclusive. Now that doesn't mean that you have to be all inclusive.
00:05:16
Elena Blair
Perhaps your ideal client is the opposite of that. Maybe she loves a highitchitch high touch situation. Maybe she's the kind of person that gets her hair blown out twice a week, you know? She maybe wants a hands-on experience. She wants custom product ordering, design consultations, full sales session.
00:05:34
Elena Blair
If that was the case, then a package-based or in-person sales model might be a better fit for your business. But you need to understand that. You can't take my model and apply
Creating a Customized Pricing Structure
00:05:44
Elena Blair
it to your business. You have to know what your profits are and who your ideal client is.
00:05:49
Elena Blair
There is not one... pricing model that is going to work. You can be profitable using any type of pricing model. The real key is to choosing a structure that fits your business, fits your life, fits your talents and your strengths, and that is time effective.
00:06:11
Elena Blair
And also, of course, it needs to meet your ideal client's needs. So the best pricing model is one that allows you to work smarter, not harder, and keeps both you and your clients satisfied.
Using Tools for Informed Pricing Decisions
00:06:24
Elena Blair
So if you do not know your numbers, I am going to link a pricing worksheet in the notes here. And the pricing worksheet is going to be very important for you because before you start going to the internet and saying, this person's charging this, maybe I can charge this. You actually need to know your own numbers and then play that to your strengths and what your ideal client wants. And that is how you should decide your pricing model.
00:06:50
Elena Blair
You should not be guessing. This is the one time that you really need to take emotion out. You deserve to feel confident. You deserve to be profitable. And whatever model you choose is up to you. So don't let anyone bully you into thinking that there's one way to do this.
00:07:05
Elena Blair
There is not. So download this pricing worksheet. Think about the things that I talked about in this episode and make your pricing model something that fits your ideal client.