Product photography prices: what the cost depends on

Product photography prices depend mainly on three things: how many product codes you have, how many photos you want per product code and what kind of shot you need. At THPAUL Studio, a packshot on a clean background starts from an indicative €10.50 per product code for large catalogues, with a minimum charge of €160 excluding VAT. The product category, retouching, styling and express delivery change the final amount.

Below you will find each factor separately, with the indicative prices from our estimator, and a step-by-step example calculation. All amounts exclude VAT and do not constitute a binding quote.

Product codes and photos per product code

The basic unit is the product code (SKU): each different product, and each colour or variant photographed separately. For each product code you pay for the first photo, and for each additional angle at a lower price, because the setup has already been done. The more product codes, the lower the price per product code.

For E-shop / Packshot, with a clean background and basic colour correction, the indicative prices are:

• 1 to 9 product codes: €18 for the first photo, €9 for each additional one.
• 10 to 29 product codes: €15 for the first, €8 for each additional one.
• 30 to 79 product codes: €12.50 for the first, €7 for each additional one.
• 80 product codes or more: €10.50 for the first, €6 for each additional one.

You get up to 4 photos per product code, with a minimum charge of €160 and delivery in 3 to 5 working days. The tier is set by the total number of product codes in the order, not by each category separately.

Type of shot and product category

Creative Still Life has a styled set, creative composition and lighting, with no model. Indicatively, it costs €49 for the first photo and €21 for each additional one for 1 to 9 product codes, €39 and €17 for 10 to 29, €34 and €15 for 30 to 79, and €30 and €14 from 80 product codes upwards. It has a minimum charge of €350, up to 6 photos per product code and delivery in 5 to 8 working days. Campaign / Art Direction productions, with models and special sets, start from €650 with a tailored quote.

The category adds difficulty to the lighting, the setup and the editing. In the estimator, cosmetics and packaging are the baseline, and the other categories carry a surcharge on the price per product code:

• Homeware and small objects: +8%.
• Clothing and flat lay: +15%.
• Footwear and bags: +18%.
• Food and drink: +30%.
• Glass and reflective items: +45%.
• Jewellery and watches: +55%.
• Large or special items: with a tailored quote.

Jewellery, glass, food and large items also add one working day to the delivery time.

Retouching, styling and express delivery

Three extras change the amount, and it is worth deciding in advance whether you need them:

• Enhanced retouching: €8 per image. Basic colour correction is already included. Enhanced retouching is for more detailed clean-up on each image.
• Props and styling: €125 for the production, when the set needs extra items and styling.
• Express delivery: +30% on the total, subject to availability. It cuts the time by one to two working days.

The estimate does not include VAT, shipping, fees for models or other third parties, or special set design. Timings count from receipt of the products and approval of the brief.

Example: the cost of product photography step by step

Say you have a cosmetics e-shop and want 25 product codes shot as packshots, with 3 photos per product code: front, back and detail.

1. Tier: the 25 product codes fall into the 10 to 29 tier, so €15 for the first photo and €8 for each additional one.
2. Per product code: 15 + 8 + 8 = €31.
3. Category: cosmetics carry no surcharge, so 25 × 31 = €775 for 75 images. The €160 minimum charge does not come into play.
4. Time: 4 to 6 working days, because more than 20 product codes adds one day.
5. Extras: with enhanced retouching, 75 × 8 = €600, the total becomes €1,375 and delivery 5 to 7 working days.

If the same 25 product codes were jewellery, the price per product code would be €31 × 1.55 = €48.05 and the shoot €1,201.25, with delivery in 5 to 7 working days. By contrast, 5 cosmetics product codes with 2 photos each come to €135, so the €160 minimum charge applies.

How to keep the cost reasonable

A few decisions reduce the amount without losing quality:

• Group your product codes into one order. The tier counts the total, so 30 product codes together cost less per product code than three orders of 10.
• Keep a full set of shots only for the products that need it, and use fewer angles for simple variants.
• Discuss whether enhanced retouching is needed on all images or only for difficult categories, such as glossy products.
• Book early if you have a launch date, so you do not need express delivery with its 30% surcharge.

The cost estimator on the Studio page does the same calculation automatically. You enter categories, product codes, photos per product code and extras, you see an indicative total excluding VAT and an estimated delivery time, and with one click the estimate goes into the form for a detailed quote. The prices are indicative and the final quote is confirmed in writing by THPAUL.