Why Charging £50 For A Photoshoot Isn’t Sustainable

When I first started my photography business, I completely understood why charging £50 felt appealing.

After all, it seems affordable to clients, easier to secure bookings and a good way to compete with other photographers in your area. However, the real problem is that many photographers never stop to calculate what that £50 is actually worth once the session is over.

Let’s imagine you’ve photographed a family session for £50.

At first glance, it looks like you’ve earned £50. However, have you really?

By the time you’ve:

• Answered enquiries
• Sent contracts
• Scheduled the session
• Travelled to the location
• Photographed the session
• Backed up the images
• Edited the gallery
• Delivered the photographs
• Paid your software subscriptions
• Paid insurance
• Paid tax

that £50 quickly becomes far less than minimum wage.

In fact, some photographers are effectively paying themselves just a few pounds per hour once everything is taken into account.

The Hidden Cost Of Cheap Photography

One of the biggest mistakes photographers make is believing that booking more sessions will automatically solve their income problems.

Unfortunately, the opposite is often true.

More sessions usually mean more editing, more admin, more client communication and, ultimately, more stress.

For example, if you’re photographing four £50 sessions to earn £200, you’ve probably worked significantly harder than someone photographing one well-priced session for the same amount.

As a result, many photographers find themselves exhausted, overwhelmed and wondering why their business isn’t growing despite being busier than ever.

A Sustainable Business Needs Profit

Of course, there is nothing wrong with being affordable.

Likewise, there is nothing wrong with offering great value to your clients.

However, there is a huge difference between being affordable and being unprofitable.

A sustainable pricing structure needs to cover:

• Your time
• Your equipment
• Your software
• Your insurance
• Your education
• Your marketing
• Your taxes
• Your future growth

Most importantly, your business needs to generate enough profit to survive long term.

Otherwise, it simply won’t be around to serve clients in five years’ time.

Clients Don’t Buy Photographs Because They’re Cheap

This was one of the hardest lessons I learned in my own business.

The clients who truly value photography are rarely making their decision based purely on price.

Instead, they’re choosing based on:

• Trust
• Experience
• Quality
• Service
• How you make them feel

For instance, a parent isn’t investing in newborn photographs because they need more digital files.

Rather, they’re investing because they never want to forget this stage of their baby’s life.

Ultimately, that’s an emotional purchase, not a price-driven one.

So What Should You Charge?

Unfortunately, there isn’t one magic number that works for every photographer.

Every business has different costs, different goals and different financial responsibilities.

Therefore, before setting your prices, sit down and calculate:

• Your monthly expenses
• How many sessions you realistically want to photograph
• How much income you need to earn
• How much time each session actually takes

Once you know those figures, you’ll often discover that £50 simply isn’t enough to build a sustainable photography business.

Final Thoughts

If you’re currently charging £50, this isn’t criticism.

After all, many of us started there.

The important thing to understand is that low prices are often a stepping stone, not a destination.

Your photography business should support your life, your family and your future.

Because being busy isn’t the goal.

Instead, the goal is to build a business that is profitable, sustainable and genuinely enjoyable to run.

See how to get started here