Commercial Photography Pricing — Cape Town
Transparent rates, no surprises. Whether you’re booking a 2-hour shoot or a multi-day commercial brief, here’s exactly what it costs.
My rates sit on the higher end of the Cape Town commercial market — and that’s deliberate. The price reflects what you’re actually paying for: zero comebacks, calm professional on set, every brief delivered right first time, on time, and no chasing afterwards. If that’s the experience you want, the rates below show you exactly what to budget.
The package ladder
Anchor packages
| Package | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2-hour shoot | 2 hours | R 4,500 |
| Half-day | 4 hours | R 7,000 |
| Full-day | 8 hours | R 10,500 |
| 12-hour day | 12 hours | R 13,500 |
Full hourly breakdown
| Hours | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2 | R 4,500 |
| 3 | R 5,750 |
| 4 (half-day) | R 7,000 |
| 5 | R 8,000 |
| 6 | R 9,000 |
| 7 | R 9,750 |
| 8 (full-day) | R 10,500 |
| 9 | R 11,250 |
| 10 | R 12,000 |
| 11 | R 12,750 |
| 12 | R 13,500 |
| Multi-day | Quoted on brief |
Per-hour rate decreases as duration increases — longer shoots are better value (and easier to plan around).
Estimate & request a formal quote
Use the estimator below for a rough number based on hours + travel zone. When ready, fill in the formal quote form and I’ll send you a itemised PDF quote within one working day.
Estimate only. Add-ons (deeper retouching, second shooter, same-day delivery) and any unique brief requirements aren't priced here — those land on the formal estimate that I'll email you after we've talked. The numbers above will be auto-included in your formal quote request below.
Formal quote request
Complete the fields below and I’ll send you a fully itemised estimate. The numbers from the estimator above will be included automatically.
What's always included
- ✅ Pre-shoot brief — phone, video call, or email
- ✅ All professional gear — Nikon D850 bodies, Nikkor lens kit, Profoto lighting + modifiers
- ✅ One full professional edit pass — colour, exposure, sharpness, crop, brand alignment
- ✅ WeTransfer delivery — high-res JPGs + low-res web-optimised versions
- ✅ Descriptive file naming (not IMG_4523.jpg)
- ✅ No image cutoff — everything usable from the shoot is delivered
- ✅ Backup gear on every shoot — no critical frame ever missed to equipment failure in 22 years of professional work
Add-ons (priced separately)
Some scopes need extras. These are quoted separately on the formal PDF estimate:
- 💰 Deeper retouching — beyond the standard one-pass edit (per image, agreed upfront)
- 💰 Same-day hero delivery — for urgent PR / press needs
- 💰 Second shooter — for multi-location, parallel deadlines, large groups
- 💰 Travel fee — by zone (see below)
- 🚫 RAW files not offered — I shoot JPEG and deliver finished work
Where I work + travel fees
Travel fees are zone-based and added once on the formal quote — no per-km surprises:
| Zone | Areas | Travel fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Suburbs (Durbanville, Tygervalley, Bellville, Brackenfell, Pinehurst) | R 0 (included) |
| 2 | Stellenbosch, Paarl, Cape Town CBD, Blouberg | R 350 |
| 3 | Franschhoek, Somerset West, Southern Suburbs | R 450 |
| 4 | Beyond Cape Town metro (Garden Route, Karoo, JHB, etc.) | Quoted per brief |
For destinations beyond the Cape Town metro, travel is quoted per brief — covering distance, time, accommodation, and flights where applicable. Paid upfront for longer trips.
Quick honest note: if you’re looking for a 30-minute shoot in Camps Bay or Constantia, I’d actually recommend booking a local photographer with a shorter minimum. My setup is a 2-hour minimum from Pinehurst — for short jobs further out, you’re better off hiring closer. Honest answer.
Honest about quotes vs final invoices
My final invoices match the upfront estimate roughly 70% of the time.
The 30% variance is always around scope expansion on the day — extra people, an additional location, more time than originally planned. When that happens, I confirm the adjustment with you on-site before continuing. Never a surprise after the fact.
Estimates are built so the brief, scope, deliverables, and travel are itemised line-by-line. You see exactly what each component costs.
How booking works
- Use the estimator above for a rough number, or skip ahead to the formal quote form.
- I send a itemised quote within one working day — line-item brief, deliverables, travel.
- You confirm the brief.
- Booking fee applies as follows:
- Non-date-locked work (e.g., studio headshots that can shift days easily): no deposit needed.
- Date-locked work (events, venue-tied shoots): 30% deposit secures the date.
- Travel-heavy bookings (flights + accommodation needed): full travel + accommodation cost is the deposit.
- Shoot day — calm, on time, fully prepared.
- Editing — 3 working days standard for commercial briefs.
- Final invoice + WeTransfer delivery of your full-resolution images.
- Payment due on first working day after the shoot.
Common questions
Why are your rates higher than other commercial photographers in Cape Town?
Because I’m on the higher end of the market and the rates reflect what you’re actually paying for: zero comebacks, calm professional delivery, every brief handled right first time, with no chasing and no surprises. I’m not the cheapest. I’m positioned against top-tier commercial work, not entry-level.
Do you offer per-image rates instead of hourly packages?
No. My pricing is hour-based with no image cutoff — everything usable from the shoot is delivered. Per-image pricing creates artificial caps and incentives I don’t want in my workflow.
What if my shoot needs to be longer than 12 hours?
Multi-day rates apply — quoted on brief. For very large or multi-location briefs, the structure is custom rather than the standard hourly ladder.
How do you handle scope changes on the day?
On-site, before continuing. If extra people or locations come up, we agree the adjustment together so the final invoice is never a surprise.
Can I get the RAW files?
No — I shoot JPEG and deliver finished work. RAW isn’t part of any commercial package on offer.
How fast can you deliver?
Three working days is standard for commercial briefs. Same-day hero images for urgent PR are available as a premium add-on.
Other pricing
For other shoot types, see: