Those looking for professional headshot portraits are often boggled by the task of how much is too much or too little a price for a professional headshot portrait.

While there is definite value to having your headshot portrait expertly photographed by a photographer with the skill, artistry and experience to make you look your effective best, that still leaves open the question of what is an appropriate amount you might expect to invest?

In Pricing Your Work, Tip #5: How Much Can You Charge for Different Corporate Assignments?, there are guidelines for what the going rates to charge are for professional corporate headshots.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY HEADSHOT RATES

• $150 – $300/hour for shooting time
• $100 – $150/hour for post-processing/photoshop time
• up charges for
  • assistants and stylists
  • expendables like: seamless paper
  • specialized optional photographic equipment rentals
  • expenses like: , mileage, parking, tolls, and meals
  • travel and rushes
  • special licensing like:  advertising, annual reports, exclusive use periods

Pricing scales also include certain licensing rights and may have separately negotiated additional rights.  For example, advertising use is typically negotiated separately and may include a flat rate or may include a % of the advertising buy in the licensing terms.  Licenses may also be perpetual non terminating or may be of a limited period, with or without renewal options.

Be sure to know what rights you need and what rights you have negotiated and have agreed are included with your fees paid.

Copyright law holds that your photographer retains all rights of creation not specifically transferred.

While a part time photographer moonlighting with headshots for friends and relatives may include all rights, advertising use is expensive and complicated. It is rare these rights are included by qualified professional photographers in a standard package.

Why?  If advertising use were included, the base package price would be substantially higher and so would be overpriced.  Thus, certain complex uses like annual reports and advertising are left off the table unless requested and, they command much higher fees, as needed.

For the average corporate executive or business person seeking a headshot, only non exclusive print and web use licenses are typically needed.

These typically give rights for printing on business cards or small articles and web use on social media and public and private websites.

Print use does not mean the right to print ego prints and wall portraits.  Portrait printing uses are another important revenue stream for professional photographers.

For a quick headshot in an office of a qualified professional photographer, expect to invest according to these levels will help you with your budgeting.

Once you have your budget, look at the work of photographers you are considering.  Is their work up to your quality standard?

If yes, try booking those photographers whose work most looks like the work you’d like to have done within your budget constraints.