When you’re building a career in photography, one of the first things you need to understand is whether you are operating as a freelance photographer or as a solo-agency. This distinction affects how you price projects, manage clients, and structure your business.

When clients receive a photography estimate, one line item that often raises questions is the production fee. Unlike the creative fee, which compensates the photographer for their vision, skill, and licensing of images, the production fee accounts for the tangible costs of bringing a project to life. It’s the backbone of any shoot — the logistical and financial structure that ensures everything runs smoothly.

When you’re building a quote for a client, one of the most important pieces to define is your creative fee. This number represents far more than just the time you spend taking photos—it’s the heart of your value as a professional. Understanding what goes into a creative fee not only helps you communicate with clients but also ensures you’re compensated fairly for the work you bring to the table.

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.

When you start the conversation with a potential client, your first goal is to get a feel for their budget. This helps you understand how big of a production you can realistically create. Just as important, you need to know whether you are acting as a photographer or as a solo-agency. That distinction has a major impact on pricing.

If you’re waiting for someone to give you permission to pitch sponsored projects, here it is: you can start today. You don’t need to be a world-famous photographer or have a massive following. What you do need is a strong idea, the ability to communicate that idea, and the willingness to do the work of putting yourself out there.

Sponsored projects have become one of the most rewarding and challenging parts of my career as an adventure photographer. They are a way to fund personal stories I care deeply about while also building my body of work and, in many cases, earning real money.

The short answer is yes and no. As an adventure photographer, I’ve landed over $20,000 for a single project from one sponsor, which was a fantastic win. But more often than not, sponsorships mostly help offset the cost of producing the project rather than making a big profit upfront.