When you’re starting out as a professional photographer, one of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to price your work. You know you should be paid for your time, talent, and vision — but there are also hard costs that make a project happen. To simplify this, I’ve found one tool that makes pricing far more straightforward: breaking a quote into two clear parts.
Creative Fee
The creative fee is what you make as a photographer. This includes not just the hours you’re behind the camera, but also your experience, skill, and creative input. Importantly, it also includes licensing — the rights the client has to use your images. Think of the creative fee as your paycheck for bringing the project to life with your perspective and artistry.
Production Fee
The production fee is different. This is the actual cost of producing the project. It covers everything beyond your creative pay: equipment rentals, assistants, permits, travel, location fees, props, stylists, and any other expenses required to make the shoot happen. In short, it’s the logistical and financial backbone that allows your creative work to exist.
Why the Distinction Matters
Breaking your quote into these two parts does more than organize your own thinking — it creates transparency with clients. They’ll understand that one part of your fee is about your craft and licensing, and the other is about tangible costs that bring the project together. It also makes negotiations easier: if a client asks to lower the budget, you can adjust production costs without undervaluing your creative worth.
This lesson comes from The Adventure Photographer’s Playbook, and it’s one that completely changed how I approached client conversations. Once you make this separation, you’ll notice your confidence grow, your pricing feel clearer, and your clients understand exactly what they’re paying for.
This lesson comes from my ebook "The Adventure Photographer's Playbook" and it costs $10. Why so cheap? The goal is to help as many new to mid level photographers as possible go from nothing to getting booked in 18 months:
