Pet photography pricing guide.
Learn more about the costs associated with capturing creative shots of pets on the move.
Pet portraits are a fun way to capture your pet's unique personality. Like people portraits, they can vary in style and price, so you may be wondering how much pet photography costs. Or perhaps you're a beginning photographer, and you want to know how much to charge to capture a few photos of your friend's pet. Let's take a closer look at the price ranges you can expect within this niche.
What is the average cost of pet photography?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to a few thousand dollars for pet photography, depending on a few factors. These factors include the time spent on a session, overhead costs, the photographer's skill and reputation, whether or not you want prints included, and possible additional fees.
As with any niche, most professional pet photographers will provide a breakdown of the costs and fees associated with your session. If not, make sure you ask questions to fully understand what you're paying for and the fees your payment covers.
Some of the most common fees will likely include:
- Sitting session
- Travel fees (if applicable)
- Studio fees (if applicable)
- Costume or prop fees
- Editing/post-processing fees
- Print costs, including types of materials and sizes, sometimes with a minimum print number
- Any administrative fees, such as cancellation or rescheduling fees
If you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to display your furry friend, consider working with a student or beginning photographer. These photographers may charge closer to the $200–500 range for a pet session.
Similarly, if you want to practice your own pet photography skills, this price range is a good starting place. You’ll want a basic setup — just like you would for portrait photography — including a camera, tripod, lighting, and a place to shoot the photos. If you don’t already have pets of your own, make sure you’re comfortable enough around them to know what to expect during an actual session.
For more inspiration for your next photo session, discover photography tips and techniques to try.
Explore what more you can do with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom as you begin experimenting with pet photography.