How much does pet photography cost?
Pet photographers typically meet clients at an agreed-on location, or clients bring pets to the photographer’s studio. Most session packages include print photos as well as digital images for use on websites and social media. These pro photographers tend to be animal lovers who are skilled at capturing animals’ personalities and the relationships they share with their owners. Many pet photographers are also professional human portrait photographers. The national average cost of pet photography is $100–$230, but costs vary by location and the specifics of the photo shoot and image package.
Packages
Like portrait photographers, many pet photographers offer packages that include a photo session of a certain length and a certain number of final, edited (retouched) images for a set fee. Krystina Cowell Moran of Funny Bone Pet Photography offers two packages for pet photography, both of which include original, full-size digital images for customers to print and share:
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Standard (30-minute shoot, professional editing, 30 images to choose from): $175
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Premium (60-minute shoot, editing, 50 images to choose from): $250
Add $25 to either package to include owners in the photos.
Angelique Hazard of Roundabout Photography offers a pet photography package that includes a one- to two-hour photo session, editing and retouching, plus five to seven finished photos per pet alone for $100 or seven to 10 finished photos of pets with owners for $150.
Janice Booth, lifelong equestrienne and owner of Just Beautiful Animal Photography, charges $250 for a 90-minute photo session at clients’ homes or other location of clients’ choosing. Final images can be delivered as all digital files, regular photo prints or on other media such as canvas, slate or glass, with package pricing from $150 to $250.
Location
Photographing animals outside makes logical sense, but pet photographers also work indoors at their clients’ locations, in a studio or at another location such as a pet store or animal shelter. Most photographers charge set rates to travel a certain distance to customers, and they may charge a bit more if they have to drive more than 30–40 miles beyond their normal service area.
Pet-only or with human family
Many people want high-quality shots of their pets by themselves as well as with the rest of the family—whether that means with other pets or with human family members. Funny Bone Pet Photography charges $25 extra for each additional pet subject.
Custom art and keepsakes
Funny Bone Pet Photography and Just Beautiful Animal Photography both offer clients the option to create custom art pieces or keepsakes using photos of their four-legged friends. Funny Bone Pet Photography offers a calendar package, too.
Cost-saving strategies
Most photographers structure their packages to make the most of customers’ and their own time. Now that digital photography is so common, many photographers no longer charge extra for high-resolution digital image files, but be sure to ask before you book a shoot so you aren’t surprised by an additional cost later.
