How Much Do You Charge?
A small note on photography, numbers, and the quiet panic behind pricing.
There’s always a pause when someone asks me that question.
How much do you charge?
And I wish I had a crisp, confident answer. A rate sheet in gold foil. A paragraph that ends with a number and no flicker of doubt. But instead — I hesitate. I smile. I stall. I say “it depends,” which is true, and also not the full story.
The truth is: pricing creative work is strange. It’s not just about time spent or the cost of gear. It’s about experience, responsibility, the pressure of getting it right when it matters most. It’s about everything that happens before and after the shutter clicks — the unseen hours, the edits at night, the way I show up fully for people on days that don’t repeat.
And still, I struggle. Still, I want it to feel like a gift.
But here’s the lesson I’m learning — slowly, awkwardly, one spreadsheet at a time:
How much do I actually want to make this year?
That question changes everything.
Because a gift only feels like a gift when it’s given freely. Not out of guilt. Not because I don’t know how to ask. Not because I’m afraid to name the value of my own time.
Lately, I’ve been writing things down. Expenses. Hours. The jobs I take and the ones I should have said no to. I’m teaching myself, gently, to look at it all with a clear eye — to make room for both the artist and the adult.
And you know what? It’s helping. Not to become a business machine — I’m far from that — but to feel steady. To take on the work I love and still pay the rent.
What if we started with better questions?
Instead of asking “How much should I charge?”, try asking:
• How much do I need to earn this year — not just to survive, but to live well?
• How many weekends am I willing to give away?
• How many hours do I spend before and after the shoot — editing, planning, emailing, thinking?
• What does it cost to run this business — gear, insurance, software, taxes, babysitters?
• How much does it cost me — emotionally, physically — when I undercharge?
• What do I want my life to look like between the shoots?
• What kind of clients make me feel alive, seen, trusted?
• What is my time really worth?
• How does this project align with my values or passions?
• What am I learning about myself in the process of this work?
• What’s the most important part of the experience for my clients, and how can I reflect that in my pricing?
• What do I need to let go of to make room for more sustainable work?
If you’re curious, here’s my pricing page. It’s modest, transparent, and built with both heart and sustainability in mind.
