How Much Should You Pay for Hotel Photography?

How much is a hotel photoshoot? Well… how long is a piece of string? Trying to figure out how much you should be paying for a hotel photoshoot isn’t easy, largely because there is such a range available out there. Once you start comparing photographers offering hotel photography, you’ll be presented with hourly rates, day rates, package rates, and more.?

So how do you know what to pay and, more importantly, how do you know how much you need to budget to get the results you want??

Today, I’m going to guide you through everything you need to consider when it comes to hiring the right hotel photographer for your budget.?

What goes into the pricing of a hotel photoshoot??

Factors that will affect how much a photographer will charge you for your hotel photoshoot are:?

• The photographer’s skills and experience?
• How long the photographer has been specialising in hotel photography (or not)?
• Whether they have/need an assistant for your photoshoot?
• Whether your photos need retouching (this may be included, may be charged extra, or may be outsourced)?
• How long they’ve been in business?
• Your brand requirements?
• Scope of the project - length of the shoot, size of the location, additional needs, etc. will dictate pricing?
• Additional needs or charges for scope creep?

The Most Important Consideration When Hiring a Hotel Photographer?

It’s easy to focus on the cost when hiring a hotel photographer, but you need to consider the bigger picture. Unless you’re hiring a photographer to take pictures for a limited-time project, the images your hotel photoshoot produce should be one of your main revenue-drivers for years to come.?

Think about how people find you - they go online and start searching for places to stay in your area. They’re comparing your hotel with all your competitors, and maybe even other experiences, such as self-catering AirBnBs or B&Bs.?

The biggest opportunity you have to grab their attention is with your hotel photography. No copy or design will change this - if your images don’t sell the experience, nothing will.?

Okay, so how much should you pay for hotel photography??

Now let’s get into the topic you’re here for - how much you should be budgeting for a hotel photoshoot. Since there can be such a range in quotes, I’m going to break it down into low-end pricing, mid-range pricing, and high-end pricing, and what you should be seeing at each price point.?

Low-End Pricing?

Photographers pricing at the low end (less than ￡400 a day) are likely:?

• New photographers, trying to get experience?
• Photographers looking to niche in hotel photography, but don’t yet have the experience and so want to get some projects on their portfolio?
• A limited scope - you’ll likely just get a few hours of shooting, images delivered with basic editing.
• Limited equipment - they’ll likely just come with a camera, tripod, and a few lenses?
• No specialist knowledge and little knowledge of how your images will play a part in your marketing strategy?
• Limited branding - you’re likely to get the same images as everyone else?

Their work will usually look something like this:?

As you can see, there’s something “off” about the image - in this case, fairly obviously. The focus of the image is wrong, both in the angle (down toward the bed and very close to it) and the lighting balance - it’s all focused on the glow, casting the room in shadow. The lighting of this image could have been improved with editing, though all images are best taken right the first time than edited. This type of image will look okay on high-end screens but will be difficult to see on low-end tech.?

Mid-Range Pricing?

Mid-range hotel photoshoots are usually ￡600 - ￡1,200 a day, and offer:?

• Have years of experience in photography?
• Likely specialise in hotel photography, or a slightly broader niche, such as interiors and exteriors, though likely for not as long as the high-end photographers?
• Are equipped to deal with bigger projects, both in terms of equipment, skill, and ability to bring other professionals on, as necessary (such as models, stylists, etc)?
• Have good editing skills for retouches, balancing, and so on?
• Understand the purpose of your images and will likely want to know how they fit into your overall strategy?
• They have likely worked with some well-known mid-range hotels?

Their work will usually look something like this:?

This is far better than the first image, showing the room fully with good lighting. For budget-mid-range hotels, you generally don’t need to stretch the budget for a high-end photographer, as your clientele aren’t looking for a luxury experience, but a comfortable, clean, easy one. Mid-range photographers’ work will look aesthetically pleasing to you with no obvious flaws.?

High-End Pricing?

Photographers pricing at the high end often charge ￡2,500 a day, and offer:?

• Extensive photography experience?
• They exclusively offer hotel photography or specialise in it, and have been working in the niche for years?
• State-of-the-art equipment in the industry - this includes cameras, lenses, lighting, software, etc?
• They have a team - they have an assistant, plus go-to stylists, models, and other professionals they can call on for your project?
• They work with luxury hotel brands?
• They likely have a style hotels hire them for that meshes well with luxury hotel branding?
• They deeply understand how the images produced are used in marketing and promotional campaigns?
• Every final image delivered to you will make you (and more importantly, your potential guests) say “WOW!” They sell the experience.?

Their work will usually look something like this:?

This image has the “WOW” factor, doesn’t it? I know I’d be happy to stay there! It conveys a more premium feel with a real sense of peace and relaxation - and you can tell the hotel makes an effort to style the rooms in a way that attracts a more premium clientele.?

Is it ever okay to hire a low-end photographer??

The answer here is it depends. Someone who charges low-end prices does not necessarily mean they just picked up a camera and started shooting, but it does mean they likely have a lack of experience and do not specialise in what they do.?

This lack of experience may not be in photography in general, but in doing professional work. You’ll also usually get a smaller list of deliverables unless the photographer failed to understand your project and undercharged for it. It also may mean they do this as a side-hustle while they focus on building another business or working another job.?

You may choose to hire a low-end photographer if:?

• You just don’t have the budget for a mid-range or high-end photographer?
• You’re looking for something that will do “for now” that you’ll redo in the near future?
• You need “good enough” images for a single purpose - such as to get your social media account started, or for a seasonal, one-time purpose?

Low-end doesn’t always equal bad, but you shouldn’t pay ￡400 for a day and expect high-end results. Even if you don’t take skill and experience into account, professional camera equipment is expensive!?

What do I recommend you spend on a hotel photoshoot??

Unless you’ve got a very limited budget (forcing you to choose low-end for now) or need to compete with the best, most luxurious hotels in your area (in which case choosing high mid-range or high-end is a must), I recommend you start with a mid-range photographer.?

A mid-range photographer will be able to provide you with good or great images that accurately convey the experience your hotel offers, that comply with your brand standards. They’ll be images you can use for the foreseeable future and see a good return on your investment.?

How do you decide which photographer to use??

For the best ROI, hire a professional photographer that specialises in hotel photography. You can search for potential photographers on LinkedIn and Instagram.?

Once you’ve made a shortlist of possible photographers you want to work with, make a detailed list of what you need from them and then contact them for quotes. If you need to have your photoshoot within a certain time frame, make sure you let them know upfront. When you’ve received your quotes, make sure they are for the same scope - if you need to do some back and forth with a potential photographer or get on the phone to discuss the project, do so.?

If you’re eager to get your photoshoot booked it can be tempting to just go with the photographer that gives you a price and a date, but if a photographer has questions then they’re making sure they know exactly what your project entails - which means you’ll get better results.?

Some high-mid-range and high-end photographers will be able to offer you a price for the whole project rather than a day rate with additional charges, so if you want to pay a flat fee and get everything included, reach out to experienced photographers who can quote for the entire project once they fully understand the scope of your project.?

Key Takeaways?

You now understand what hotel photography pricing entails, what you’re likely to get for your money, and how to decide what price point you need to aim for.?

The most important takeaways are:?

• Know exactly what you want from your photoshoot, what you want your photographer to arrange for you and what you don’t (such as a stylist, props, models, etc), and what deliverables you need - any vagueness here will usually lead to dissatisfaction or surprise fees.??
• Unless you get lucky, you get what you pay for. Don’t try to cut corners unless you have to.?
• Your hotel photography is your marketing strategy’s primary lead (and revenue) generator, so you can’t afford to underestimate its value.?

Make the Most of Your Photoshoot with My Step-by-Step Checklist?

Whether you’ve only got the budget for a low-end photographer or you’re considering hiring a high-end photographer all your luxury competitors use, I highly recommend you download my step-by-step checklist.

I created this checklist to help you understand what needs to go into your hotel photography, how to choose the right photographer, how to plan your shot list, what you need to plan a killer lifestyle photoshoot, and how to prepare for your full hotel photoshoot. If you’re investing money in a hotel photoshoot, you need this checklist to get the most from it. Get the checklist here.?