How much do senior photos cost?
I did a little research on google to find out what are the most popular questions around senior photography. Turns out that a lot of people want to know how much senior photos cost! And rightfully so! Senior year is a time to celebrate, and you want to know what to plan for.
And so…. there’s good news and bad news. Good news— I’m in the industry. I know how much my fellow photographers are charging, and I’m going to answer the question. Bad news—it’s not going to be a straight answer. It’s like buying a car — do you just need to get from point A to B? Do you want to have a little more fun than that? Or do you want a luxury ride?
Here’s the truth: You do have options.
Photographers are charging for their time and expertise, and you can expect to find the price for a senior photo session ranging from $100 to $10,000. Yes, I said $10,000. Expertise aside, the amount of time your photographer commits to your senior session generally puts them into one of two categories; Shoot and Burn or Full-Service. Allow me to explain the difference to shed some light on why these two photography business models influence the price and why they suit serve different clients in terms of quality, quantity, and budget.
THE SHOOT AND BURN PHOTOGRAPHER
The industry term “shoot and burn” refers to the basic process for a session and product delivery. You would likely just have a time and location to meet up, and you would have your shoot with the photographer. After the session, the photographer would send you the images via a USB drive or digital download. Nobody burns a disc anymore, but that’s where the term came from! This model may offer simple prints but is not likely to offer any custom-designed products.
This type of session is likely to range from $100 to $1000 depending on the photographer’s expertise, whether or not the images are retouched, and the number of images delivered. In general, shoot and burn photographers will be less expensive per session because they spend less time servicing each client. This photographer is also more likely to shoot multiple genres (i.e. families, weddings, babies, seniors, etc.) because their income relies on shooting a higher volume of sessions. Shoot and burn is a very common business model for photographers, especially beginner and part-time photographers.
THE FULL-SERVICE PHOTOGRAPHER
The full-service photographer is going to offer many more touchpoints from booking to session day to custom product design & delivery. This photographer will very likely offer a planning session of some kind to design your unique senior session that has multiple locations and outfits and include props and pets. You can also expect more communication leading up to your session to finalize specific details and coordinate professional hair and makeup for example. Following your session, your images will be fully processed and retouched and then presented in-person at your Reveal Session. Another big difference when working with a full-service photographer is having prints and products available for purchase and also custom-designed items such as albums and keepsakes. Some full-service photographers will have exclusive offerings such as a style closet, additional sessions for special events or sports, destination shoots, and senior videos. This is a creative business after all!
Having senior photos done by a full-service photographer is likely to range from $500-$5,000. Very high-end products and experiences may certainly bump the spend up to $10,000 as well! This photographer is more likely to specialize in one genre which also increases their expertise.
Neither business model is right or wrong, better or worse. Some photographers may even create a hybrid of the two. The most important factor is that you get what you want and that your expectations are met!
Did you already guess that Laura Cherock Photography is a full-service photographer?! That is just how I choose to work — I want your seniors to feel celebrated, loved and confident by creating a senior session that is as unique as them! And I want the moms, dads and family to have these images to treasure forever.
So back to pricing — I can tell you my pricing! My session fee is $450 and includes A LOT - Check it out on my DETAILS page. My Collections start at $1200 with additional add-ons available and the average investment being $2400.
I hope that you have also enjoyed seeing some of Payton’s senior photos from her gorgeous session in Downtown Pittsburgh and the Strip District. Class of 2022.
