What does a boudoir photoshoot cost in Brisbane?
(Boudoir Photography Prices Explained)
Wow, it costs how much? I have a friend that can do it way cheaper!
Why do boudoir photographer pricing varies so much?
Why do boudoir photographers charge so much?
Does paying more guarantee good quality?
How do I know I'm not getting ripped off?
Can I just buy digitals?
These are just a few very sensible questions anyone looking for a boudoir photographer is asking themselves when they are looking at a photographers price list
How much should I expect to pay for my boudoir photos?
There are many factors that boudoir photographers use to work out their price lists. The biggest factor is the amount of time the photographer has invested into your shoot. Some photographers charge by the hour and others for the whole day. But no matter how much time your boudoir shoot takes you can expect that cost to be reflected in the price of the final photos. It may only be a few digital photos but your photographer most likely invested a lot of time to create those photos. How would feel if worked your ass off for multiple hours to only, in the end, be paid pocket change? I regularly spend over 20 hours with each of my clients.
Another factor for the going rate is how many boudoir photographers are in your area. The more saturated the market is, the more the price will be driven down for all but the very best photographers.
How do I settle on my boudoir photography budget?
You might in for a shock when you first start looking for a photographer. Some of the prices can bring a tear to your eyes. Like most things whatever budget you had set, chances you are going to end up spending more than what you had in mind when you first started looking.
Where to start when budgeting for a boudoir photographer?
Google is your best friend when checking out boudoir pricing. I did a little Google research, and I found the average amount you would expect to pay for the photo shoot and a medium size luxury leather album in Australia is somewhere between $1000 to $1500 in total. Think of this as the price of entry and any extras or bigger album will cost more. Now you have a starting point you can start looking around and seeing what you can get for your money.
Does paying more mean better quality photos?
Unfortunately this, not an easy question to answer, maybe is the best answer I can give you. A good rule of thumb is the more popular a photographer, the heftier the price will be. But also keep in mind most boudoir photographers are self-employed, and they decide how they will set their prices. A photographer fresh out of photography school could start asking top dollar for their services. A very common saying my photography teachers would say to the class is “fake it till you make” and “don’t undervalue your work”. Pretty much telling the class charge as much as you think you can get away with. So keep that in mind. A photographer might be charging full price, but they don’t have much real-world experience photographing real women. Luckily this is usually fairly easy to spot. Any experienced boudoir photographer should have reviews on Google and Facebook and have extensive portfolios going back years. In extreme cases will see how their style has evolved over time. On the flip-side, if you find a great photographer who charges lower than the average thank your lucky stars and take the deal. Just keep in mind the old saying “if it looks to good to be true then it probably is”.
Here are a rough pricing guide and expectations.
Budget or inexperienced boudoir photographer - Total cost sub $1000 for shoot and products.
At this price, there is a degree of risk. I’m not saying you will be disappointed with the photos just take extra care when picking a boudoir photographer in this price range.
Mid-market the average price for an experienced boudoir photographer - Total cost $1500 to $2500 for shoot and products.
You are very unlikely to be disappointed with the photos you receive from a photographer in this price range. In this price range, you will start finding photographers that specialise in the different niches of boudoir photography. You will more easily find someone that can take the exact style you are looking for.
High end very experienced and award-winning - Total cost over $5000 for shoot and products.
When only the very best will do no matter the cost, at this price can expect a photographer that has been in business for 10+ year and is at the top of their game and can guarantee consistent high quality.
How to find the best boudoir photographer?
1. Go through their portfolio
Have a deep dive through there body of work. Not just a few highlights on their websites home page. Dig deep because anyone can take a few great looking photos. Look at their galleries and blog posts. If you don't find a large body of work ask if you can see a few client galleries.
2. Read the terms & conditions and privacy policy
One of your biggest concerns is most likely will your photos be kept private and what kind of security do they have in place, digital and physical. If you have any concerns, ask the question.
3. Meet in person before booking
Schedule a time to meet and chat in person. Remember you will be stripping off in front of this person. Get to know them and make sure you are happy with them personally
Conclusion
There’s new boudoir photographers appearing every day so the price can fluctuate throughout a year. The general rule is lower the price the more likely the photographer is less experienced. The more you pay, the more likely you are to receive higher quality photos.
While is article has only focus (pun intended) on the price. Photography is an art form, and maybe the high-end boudoir photographer doesn't take the style you want. Find the photographer whose work speaks to you. Just find someone who you are happy with.
Till next time 🙂
Matthew
Good luck trying to figure out how much you will have to spend on a boudoir photoshoot. It's like getting blood from a stone. Most boudoir photographers don't display their full pricing on their website. You will only usually find some starting at prices. The only way you find out what the actual cost will be is over a phone call. The reason for this is it's easier to persuade or convince you to book when they have you hooked on the phone. I don't do this. I have my full boudoir pricing available on my website.
But we are not here to discuss the sales tactics of photographers, are we? Let's get into why you are reading this! How much does a boudoir photoshoot cost! Continue reading, I'm breaking down all the inside pricing and hidden costs involved with boudoir photography. The pricing structure can vary greatly from photographer to photographer. I've been a full-time boudoir photographer for almost ten years, and pricing has always been one of the main things I think about and how I can make my pricing easy to understand.
Boudoir photographer terminology
Before we get into the cost of boudoir photoshoots, I should explain the terminology we photographers use.
Boudoir session: The boudoir session refers to is the photoshoot itself. Photographers use the term session and photoshoot interchangeably. The session is the time when your photographer is actively taking photographs of you. Depending on the photographer, the session may or may not include makeup and hair. The photographer might make having a makeup artist available during your session an "optional" upsell. The session does not include the final photos. The session fee is just what it will cost to have boudoir portraits taken of yourself.
What are products: This is just what we photographers call the final photos we sell to you. This could be an album, prints or digital image files.
What is À la carte: À la carte pricing model has become less popular with boudoir photographers over the last few years. It's just like ordering from a menu at a restaurant. Nothing is going to be bundled together. When you're ready to purchase, you get to hand-pick the individual products you want. The problem with this way of selling the photos to you is there can be too many choices. It's common for people to get choice paralysis when looking over all the products offered. And it's even more complicated if the photographer does not have physical samples of all the options available for you to hold and feel for yourself. Imagine looking at a restaurant menu with tons of meals to chose from but no descriptions or photos and trying to make a informed choice.
What are packages: Packages include individual products at one price. Depending on the photographer, the package may or may not also include the session. Each package will consist of the products in one price. Packages can start at, let us say, $999 and can come with a small 5"x5" album and one small 5"x7" print. As you go up in price, the album will get bigger and more and bigger prints. Usually, the way the photographer pricing goes the bigger the package, the better the value gets for you. This is because the more expensive the packages get more the photographers operating cost are covered. The lower-priced packages look costly compared to the higher ones because the hidden operating costs the photographer needs to pay are rolled up into the price. What are these operating cost? We have the same living costs you have, such as power bills, water bills, food, mortgages, etc. Added to this is the price of doing business: makeup artist, insurance, website, ads, studio rent, camera equipment, etc. All of these costs need to be covered in the cheapest package while still making a profit.
What is the average cost of a boudoir session?
In Brisbane, the average cost of a boudoir session is usually $200 to $500. The session usually does not include any images such as albums, prints, or digital files. This is where everything can get bewildering attempting to figure out if you can afford the photographer you're looking at. So, hang in there. I'm going to break everything down for you, so you to decipher the pricing code of boudoir photographers.
The session fee catch
The price of the session fee is often what you will see a boudoir photographer advertising as the cost of boudoir photography. The session's price is not a good way to determine if the photographer is a lower-priced or higher-priced one. A photographer might have a low session price, but the products (albums, prints, etc) are really expensive or vice versa.
I call the session fee a catch because a lot of the time, this is the only set price you can find on a photographer's website or Facebook ads. A lot of women don't realise that the session fee is not the total price for everything. You can only see the actual cost by contacting them or, in the worse case, after paying the non-refundable session fee. If the total pricing is not easily made available to you, this is a massive red flag that you will probably have to pay more than you expected. As an example, a photographer has a session fee of $99, but 8"x10" prints are $500 each, and 5"x5" albums start at $2500. This low-cost sounding photographer suddenly got pretty expensive. It would be shocking to find out how much it will cost to receive your beautiful boudoir photos. It makes you wonder why so many boudoir photographers offer payment plans hmmm🤔.
À la carte or packages which is better?
This is a hard one since neither one is better than the other. Although packages can be easier to understand how much the photographer is going to cost. I prefer offering packages to my clients, but each photographer has their reasons for structuring their pricing. No matter which your photographer provides, if the pricing is not made public on their website, you need to contact them. If you're lucky, they will send you a PDF or a link to a hidden page on their website with the complete pricing. One thing to look out for is if the session fee and packages are combined or not. You could pay $300+ session fee and still need to pay the cost of your chosen package on top of that.
One thing to keep in mind with photographers that use à la cart pricing, Most will have a minimum amount you will need to spend on products to receive any photos. So read the fine print when booking with a photographer. You could easily think you are only going to spend $400 on the session and an extra $100 for one print or a few digitals. But if the photographer has a minimum product spent of let's say, $800, you are now on the line for a total of $1200 instead of the $500 you first thought.
What is the total amount you can expect to spend on boudoir photos in Brisbane?
In most big cities, there are usually three price ranges boudoir photographers fit into, and Brisbane is no exception to this rule. There's going to be photographers on the low-end, mid-range, and high-end pricing scale. On the low-end the prices can be anywhere from $400 to $800, mid-range $1000 to $2000 and on the high-end $2000 to $4000+.
What about the very cheap boudoir photographers?
Price is not a good indicator of the experience level of the photographer, but when you are in this sub $400 price range. Most of the photographers are usually going to be hobbyist photographers transitioning into turning a hobby into a business. You could still get some good photos. Just do your research before committing.
Be sure to do your research
If you want a boudoir session but have a set upper limit on your budget, these are the best ways to find one that will best fit your needs. First, Google for boudoir photographers in your area and list down the ones whose work you love the most. Next, look over their website for pricing info. When you find a photographer that fits into your budget, contact them and let them know how much you want to spend, and they will help work out what will work best for you.
If you find a photographer that you really love but they are out of your price. Wait and save up the money until you can afford it. The wait will be worth it. Don't settle for second best!
How to find photographer pricing pages
Hey! you made it to the end of the article. Thanks for taking the time to read all of this! Just for you awesome people, here's a little trick you can do with Google to search photographer websites for pricing pages. Type this into Google site: and then the website address and then pricing. Here's an example using my website. "site:www.bellevousphoto.com pricing" [without quotation marks] Google will search the whole website for every page with the word pricing on it. This can be a great way to find secret pricing pages without having to take the time to contact the photographer. You can also swap the word pricing and use any word or phrase.
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