Photography invoice template

What to include on a photography invoice

• The shoot: date, location and type, in the reference field or the first line.
• Session or creative fee: the time you spend shooting, plus planning.
• Images: how many, edited to what level, and how they’re delivered (online gallery, download link, drive).
• Usage or license: who can use the images, where, and for how long. For personal clients this can be one sentence in the notes; for business clients it should be a line with its own price.
• Products: prints, canvases, albums, each with size and finish.
• Expenses: travel, mileage, props, location or studio rental, second shooter.
• Deposit or retainer already paid, and the balance due.
• Delivery date for the final gallery, if it isn’t delivered yet.

Licensing in plain words

Taking the photo and allowing someone to use it are two different things. Under US copyright law you own the photos you take, unless you sign that away or you’re an employee. What the client buys is a license: permission to use the images in agreed ways.

For family and wedding clients, a short personal-use line is normal: “Personal use: printing, sharing online. No commercial use.” For businesses the license is often worth more than the shoot, so price it separately:

Write the scope in the line description, so the license terms are on the same paper as the price.

Deposits, retainers and the final balance

Most photographers ask for a retainer (a deposit that books the date) of 25–50% when the contract is signed. For weddings it’s usually non-refundable, because you turned down other bookings for that day. Your contract should say so; the invoice can repeat it in one line.

The common flow:

1. Send a retainer invoice when the client signs.
2. For weddings, bill the balance 2–4 weeks before the date, so you aren’t chasing money after the party.
3. For portraits and commercial work, bill the balance when the gallery is delivered, or before you release full-resolution files.
4. Bill print and album orders as their own invoice when the client chooses.

Since Duebolt has no minus lines, show what’s been paid in the notes or bill only the remaining balance as a line (“Wedding collection, balance after $1,500 retainer”).

Common photography line items

• Portrait session, 1 hour, with online gallery: $250–$450
• Headshot session with 3 retouched images: $200–$350
• Engagement session: $350–$550
• Wedding coverage, 8 hours: $2,800–$5,000
• Second shooter: $400–$800 per event
• Extra retouched image: $25–$50
• Commercial creative fee, half day: $900–$1,800
• Rush delivery: $150–$300
• Print 8×10: $35–$60; canvas 16×20: $150–$250
• Wedding album, 10×10: $500–$900
• Travel beyond your included area: per mile or flat

Prints and albums are physical goods, and many states charge sales tax on them even where photography services aren’t taxed. Check your state, and use a tax rate per line if only some items are taxable.