The Price is Wrong: How to Structure Photography Packages to Stop Leaving Money on the Table
By Anthony Escribens, Real Estate Photographer & RebookMedia Co-Founder
In our last article, we talked about killing the silent profit killer: workflow fragmentation. Now, let’s talk about a problem that feels much louder: Pricing.
If you’re a talented, young photographer, your biggest financial mistake isn't your camera gear—it’s undervaluing your time and services. The goal isn't just to get clients; it's to get profitable clients who respect your work.
1. Stop Charging Per Hour (And Start Charging Per Value)
Why hourly rates kill your photography business profit:
- Discourages Efficiency: The faster you get, the less you earn. This punishes success.
- Invites Haggling: Clients focus only on the time, not the final result.
- Complicates Invoicing: Tracking minutes leads to complexity and potential mistakes.
Instead, charge for the Value, delivered in Packages. Packages simplify the decision for the client, increase your final booking price, and establish you as a professional, not a freelancer.
2. The Golden Rule: Use the Good, Better, Best Structure
Every successful sales funnel uses a tiered pricing strategy—you should too. This is the "Good, Better, Best" rule, and it works because it leverages human psychology: clients almost never pick the cheapest option, and they rarely pick the most expensive.
Tier | Strategy | Result |
Good (The Anchor) | The necessary bare minimum. (e.g., 10 edited images, 1 hour). | Sets a baseline and makes the next package look appealing. |
Better (The Profit Driver) | Your target package. Includes the most requested "extras" (e.g., 20 edited images, print release, custom gallery). Price it slightly higher than the anchor. | Most clients choose this one, maximizing your Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). |
Best (The Extravagance) | The "all-in" option. (e.g., unlimited images, video tour, drone shots). Price it high. | It’s rarely chosen, but it makes the "Better" package look incredibly reasonable and boosts perceived value. |
3. Simplify Your Setup: How to Build Your Packages Fast
Once you define your three packages, the next critical step is getting them online, linkable to your booking calendar, and attached to your automated contract system.
You need an all-in-one photography platform where you can define the scope of your services once, and apply those settings across your entire workflow. This eliminates the chance of promising a client the "Better" package via email but accidentally invoicing them for the "Good" package.
Take Action Now: Structure Your Services in RebookMedia
This is where your photography studio management software saves the day.
Instead of writing out your package details for every client, define them in RebookMedia once.
- Name your tiers (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold).
- Define the Deliverables (e.g., 20 final images, 48-hour delivery).
- Set the Price and connect it to the automated Docusign/Stripe sequence we set up in Article #1.
By structuring your services this way, you make the decision easy for your client, professional for your brand, and most importantly, profitable for your business.
Ready to set your services and maximize your ARPU? Log into RebookMedia today and build your first "Good, Better, Best" structure!
Next month: We tackle the high-volume secrets of real estate photography business management and scaling with consistency.
Updated on: 11/12/2025
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