commercial photography

From time to time, potential customers and photo students will ask, “What’s the day rate for a corporate photographer in Toronto?”, “What does the average Toronto commercial photographer charge?” or “What’s the standard hourly fee for business photography?”

The answer to all of those questions is the same: no such fee exists. There is no day rate, no half-day rate and no hourly fee.

It would be like calling a restaurant to ask, “What’s the going rate for a dinner?”

Does anyone ever ask a dentist, “What’s your hourly charge?” 

Can you ask a shoe store clerk, “What’s the standard price for a pair of shoes?”

Professional photographers base their fee on how the pictures will be used, what’s involved in producing those pictures and the photographer’s talent, experience and overhead costs.

Since every job is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all price, no going rate, no standard hourly fee.