What drives cost most in a product shoot?

Usually post-production rather than the shoot day, because retouching is priced per image and a productive day generates a lot of images.

Is a day rate or a per-image rate better?

Per-image is easier to budget because it maps to what you actually receive. A day rate hides how many usable finished frames come out of it.

Do colourways need separate photography?

Yes. A different colour is a different photograph, and this is the single most underestimated multiplier in a catalogue budget.

How many images does a listing need?

Enough to answer the questions that otherwise become returns — typically several angles plus a detail and a scale reference.

Why does my second shoot cost as much as the first?

Because the fixed costs recur. Studio, photographer and setup are incurred again regardless of how few new products you are adding.

Can generated imagery replace a shoot entirely?

It replaces some of it well and other parts poorly. Catalogue angles and colourway variants suit it; a flagship campaign image with a specific creative direction often still wants a photographer.

What is the cheapest way to keep a catalogue consistent?

Fix one recipe — background, framing, lighting — and apply it to everything. Inconsistency, not quality, is what makes cheap catalogues look cheap.

Is the free generation really free?

Yes. One per day, watermarked and capped at 1024px. Signing up gives you 20 credits and clean full-resolution files with full commercial rights.

How Much Does Product Photography Cost?

The line items, the per-SKU maths, and the costs that only show up after the invoice.

One free generation a day. No account, no card.

How it works

1. Count your SKUs honestly
Include colourways and variants — they are separate photographs even when they are the same shape.
2. Decide images per SKU
Most listings need several angles plus a detail and a scale shot, not one hero image.
3. Compare against generating
Try a free generation on one product and judge the output against what a shoot would give you.

Why this is worth getting right

Product photography is quoted in ways that make comparison hard, which is why so many first invoices are a surprise. A traditional shoot has four cost centres that exist whether you photograph one product or forty: the photographer day rate, the studio hire, the people in front of camera if the category needs them, and post-production. Day rates dominate the conversation but they are usually not the number that hurts. The number that hurts is post: retouching is priced per image rather than per day, so a shoot that produces four hundred frames generates a retouching bill that arrives weeks later and frequently exceeds the shoot itself. Model and styling costs behave the same way — a fit model, a stylist and a hair and makeup artist are each a separate day rate, and apparel needs all three to look credible. The per-SKU maths is where most budgets break. A catalogue of forty products at five images each is two hundred finished images, and at almost any per-image rate that is a five-figure project. Then there is the recurring nature of the problem, which is the part nobody budgets for: every new colourway, every seasonal drop and every restock needs images in the same style as the originals, which means either the same photographer and studio again or a visibly inconsistent catalogue. That recurrence, not the first invoice, is what makes photography a permanent line item rather than a launch cost.

Tips that actually help

Count variants as separate images from the start — a colourway is a different photograph even when the shape is identical.
Ask whether retouching is included and priced per image, since post is the line item that most often exceeds the shoot itself.
Budget per finished image rather than per day, because the day rate hides how many usable frames you actually receive.
Plan for recurrence: restocks and new colourways need images matching the originals, which means going back to the same setup.
Separate the images that must be perfect from the ones that only need to be clear, and spend accordingly rather than uniformly.

Who uses this

First-time sellers: A launch budget that accounts only for the shoot day and not for retouching or variants is the most common way a first catalogue runs over.
Scaling catalogues: Cost scales with SKU count, so a range that doubles doubles the photography bill unless something changes structurally.
Seasonal businesses: Several drops a year turn photography from a one-off project into a recurring operating cost.
Marketplace resellers: Thin margins per unit make a conventional per-image cost hard to justify at all on low-priced inventory.

Câu hỏi thường gặp

What drives cost most in a product shoot?: Usually post-production rather than the shoot day, because retouching is priced per image and a productive day generates a lot of images.
Is a day rate or a per-image rate better?: Per-image is easier to budget because it maps to what you actually receive. A day rate hides how many usable finished frames come out of it.
Do colourways need separate photography?: Yes. A different colour is a different photograph, and this is the single most underestimated multiplier in a catalogue budget.
How many images does a listing need?: Enough to answer the questions that otherwise become returns — typically several angles plus a detail and a scale reference.
Why does my second shoot cost as much as the first?: Because the fixed costs recur. Studio, photographer and setup are incurred again regardless of how few new products you are adding.
Can generated imagery replace a shoot entirely?: It replaces some of it well and other parts poorly. Catalogue angles and colourway variants suit it; a flagship campaign image with a specific creative direction often still wants a photographer.
What is the cheapest way to keep a catalogue consistent?: Fix one recipe — background, framing, lighting — and apply it to everything. Inconsistency, not quality, is what makes cheap catalogues look cheap.
Is the free generation really free?: Yes. One per day, watermarked and capped at 1024px. Signing up gives you 20 credits and clean full-resolution files with full commercial rights.

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