How much does a fashion photoshoot cost? How to work it out

Asking about fashion photoshoot cost is a bit like asking what a renovation costs. It depends on what's in it. Some quotes cover a handful of product shots on white, others a campaign with several models, a location and a styling team. An average figure won't tell you much. What helps is knowing the line items and what each photo that reaches your store actually costs.

What goes into a quote

When you ask for a quote, check that all of these lines are there. If one is missing, ask whether it's included or billed separately.

• The photographer, by the hour, half day or full day. Lighting gear is sometimes included and sometimes rented on top.
• The model, with a day rate plus usage rights for the images. Rights usually depend on how long, which channels and which countries the photos run in.
• The studio or location, by the hour, with or without backdrops and props.
• Styling, hair and makeup. One person or several, depending on the shoot.
• Retouching, which is nearly always charged per photo. It's easy to forget and adds up fast on a big catalog.
• Logistics: shipping samples, travel, meals, and the hours your own team spends preparing and reviewing.

Always ask how many final, retouched photos the price covers. A hundred shots aren't a hundred photos ready for your store.

Working out the cost per photo

The maths is simple. Add up every line and divide by the number of final photos you'll publish.

1. Add photographer, model with rights, studio, styling, retouching and logistics.
2. Count only the final, retouched photos you'll actually use.
3. Divide the total by that number. That's your cost per photo.
4. Do it again every season. If lots of new pieces come in, the cost multiplies.

With that number you can compare quotes that look nothing alike at first. You can also compare a shoot with other ways of getting the photos.

What the invoice doesn't show

A shoot costs time as well. You wait for samples, juggle schedules, then wait for retouching. If a piece sells out or arrives late, it can go without an on-model photo until the next shoot. For a store adding new items every week, that delay matters as much as the price.

What it costs with AI on Amondu

On Amondu you pay with credits. One on-model photo at the default resolution uses about 6 credits. The Starter plan comes with 400 credits a month for US$29 (US$23 a month if you pay yearly), which is enough for about 66 photos. Every plan and pack, with current prices, is on the pricing page.

To compare, do the same sum as above: plan price divided by the photos you actually publish. Failed generations aren't charged, and you can make several versions of a garment and keep the best one.

Try it with a garment

When each option makes sense

AI doesn't always replace a shoot. A brand campaign built around a creative idea and a specific model still belongs in a studio. Where AI fits is the week-to-week work:

• On-model photos for every new item in the catalog.
• The same garment on other models, sizes or scenes.
• Big catalogs. That's where batch shoots save the most hours.
• Pieces that arrive late or need to go live the same day.

Plenty of brands do both: one shoot a year for the campaign and AI photos for the rest of the catalog. If you want to start, here's how to go from a flat lay to an on-model photo.