MARYLAND PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
ELLICOTT CITY, MD
PRICING
Product Stills
The table below shows the base pricing for all studio product photography. Refer to the drop menus at the bottom to determine what this price includes, and let us know if you have any questions. We will be happy to talk with you to hear more about your project and goals and then develop an estimate so that you have a better sense of what the project will cost. We readily admit that you will receive lower quotes from others, but our experience has proven that our pricing is fair market value given the high-quality product we deliver; and, while you can get an amateur or inexperienced product photographer to take on your work for less money, in the end, any money you spend on ineffective imagery will be money wasted. Please check out the credentials, experience, and even the insurance your intended photographer carries.
Please note that this pricing and the discounts pertain to single orders only, and an order is comprised of the products brought to the studio for one photography session. We do not offer discounts across sessions. For example, if you request pricing on 50 items but only bring 25 items to be photographed, intending to bring another 25 at a later date, then this constitutes 2 orders of 25 items each and will be priced at $35 per product. Please inquire if you need clarification! The reason for the discount is that we can save on time and expense because we photograph all items in an order using the same setup. When orders are broken up, then we must take extra time to reset the lighting and camera equipment for each new session.
Finally, to book a project, you must make a 50% deposit of the base price for the number of images in the order for which you request an estimate.
≤4 Images
$200 Total*
5 or more
$45 per photo
10 or more
$40 per photo
20 or more
$35 per photo
50 or more
$30 per photo
100 or more
$25 per photo
FOCUS-STACKED STILLS
As described on the Services page, focus stacking is necessary with small items (such as rings and other small jewelry) shot at very close range (what’s known as macro photography) where the depth of field (area of acceptable sharpness) is very narrow. If you need more or all of the product to be in sharp focus than can be accomplished in a single exposure, then you should consider ordering focus stacks, available at a small extra charge. Pricing reflects the amount of time required in each case: the number of exposures and the post-processing required to generate the final image.
2-9 exposures
$15 per finished image
10-19 exposures
$20 per finished image
20 or more exposures
$25 per finished image
Product Animations
Animations are products in motion. We can image products up to 16” wide and 75 pounds as they rotate on a turntable at regular intervals through 180º or 360º. Keep in mind that, with animations, the goal is to enable viewers to rotate and view your project without bogging down the load time on a browser; the fewer exposures in the animation, the more quickly the animation loads. We then use special software to generate an animation in whatever format suits your needs; Animated GIF, Interactive HTML5, Interactive MP4, or movies with sound (extra cost). Pricing begins for small (up to approximately 8” in size), non-reflective objects according the the table below and involving a set-up time of up to 30 minutes. In addition, for orders of 2 or more animations requiring the same setup, we offer substantial discounts. All pricing is for in-studio imaging only; imaging on location incurs setup and travel fees.
Keep in mind that pricing on reflective and transparent products rises rather steeply in accordance with the level of complexity in the set-up, which needs to account for how light will reflect and refract differently through every angle of a full turn. If your products have these characteristics, please contact us for a custom quote. Note, also, that this base price applies to all of the animation products; movies with sound, however, incur an extra charge for production of the finished movie.
180º or º360 Rotation: Small, Non-Reflective Objects
2º increments (180 exposures)
$250 per animation
180º or º360 Rotation: Large, Non-Reflective Objects
2º increments (180 exposures)
$350 per animation
High-Resolution 180º or º360 Rotation (in studio)
≤1º increments (>360 exposures)
$450 per animation
Animation Discounts
2 or more
10% per animation
20 or more
20% per animation
What's Included
The key to delivering great service and excellent products is strong up-front communication. We will speak with you by phone or in person and take careful notes on the particular demands of your project so that your vision becomes ours. We will also provide you with an easy-to-complete questionnaire to get the process started. (You can get that from this page!)
Our basic pricing assumes that all of your products can be photographed from the same basic lighting and camera set up and without complicated staging. Large products, reflective surfaces, and glass can greatly increase the complexity and time, so keep this in mind. We charge for additional setups and staging beyond the basic on an hourly basis. We also try to estimate these costs up front so that there are no surprises.
Prior to photographing your products, we will dust and clean them using compressed air, microfiber cloths, and special lint-lifting brushes. We steam clothing and fabrics to remove wrinkles and wear gloves to prevent smudges and fingerprints. We want your products to look their best!
We retouch all images carefully before delivering them. This processing involves color correction, exposure adjustments, and other basic modifications to ensure excellent tone and vibrancy. We also remove noticeable lint, dust, and scratches that may have found their way into the image. White background with subtle shadow or reflection
We upload proof images for you to review and approve prior to delivery and final invoicing. When you approve the finished images, we will upload the final, high-resolution versions according to your sizing specifications and send you a link to a DropBox to download them. We will leave your images in that secure location for up to one year; and we will place another copy of your jpeg files in another online album from which you can download them at any time in the future. Upon request, we will secure that album and send you a password enabling only you to access it.
It is common in the marketing and advertising world of photography to sell limited licenses for images that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per image. These licenses restrict where and for how long images can be used before you must renew your license These fees add up quickly and provide an ongoing hassle that we would like to protect you from.
For that reason, we provide you with a perpetual, unlimited license to use the images you purchase! No returning to us to pay additional fees to retain permission to use them.
We do, however, retain copyright ownership of all images so that we can use them for our own marketing.
We deliver all our images as high resolution 300 dpi jpeg files, ready for use in print or on the web.
All product stills are made at a minimum of 12 megapixels. Optionally, we are able to deliver images at up to 18 megapixels or higher for particular needs such as large prints.
We love what we do, and we love our clients! We will do everything we can to communicate honestly, charge fairly, and deliver excellent images!
We can offer per-image discounts only on all the photos produced in a single session!
What’s Extra
Our standard pricing above applies to individual items. If you need to group products in a photo, that’s just fine. Let us know what you have in mind, and we will give you an estimate based on the complexity of the shot. Larger group photos require additional time setting up editing.
We can easily photograph products up to 20 inches on the longest side; most items larger than this require more challenging lighting and set ups. This is especially true when we must bring our studio to the item. For example, photographing a car, a jet, or a dining room set involve very different methods.
We would have to evaluate each request and provide an estimate of the additional cost.
Very shiny or transparent items such as glass require exacting set ups to control reflections and manage the exposure. Such items will be estimated prior to imaging based on the complexity of the job required.
Jewelry and other items must be photographed in sharp focus from front to back using Macro techniques, and with careful attention to small details, highlights, and contrast. To obtain sharp photos in this case requires that we make a series of exposures in which the focus shifts through the full depth of the object; and then all the exposures are merged into a single, sharp images. We would need to provide a custom estimate when your goals require this.
Do you need an elegant image on a flat or reflective black background? This can be done for just $10 extra.
We will provide you with an estimate of the cost to photograph products that include LED lights, incandescent or neon lighting, or candle light. These require long exposures, multiple exposures, and extra processing time to deliver an excellent finished image.
We have the equipment and ability to provide custom photography for commercial and architectural clients. Please contact us so that we can provide you with an estimate on your project!
Our basic pricing assumes that all of your products can be photographed from the same lighting and camera set ups and without complicated staging. We charge for additional setups and staging beyond the basic on an hourly basis. We also try to estimate these costs up front so that there are no surprises.
MARYLAND PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
Chris Paulis, M.Photog.,M.Artist.,Cr., A.F.,F.Ph.-MDPPA, CPP
Master Photographer, Master Artist
Member, PPA, MDPPA, ASP
MD CPP Liaison