Rates
I'd rather you knew whether I'm in your range before you spend an email finding out. These are my rates as published, with what each one covers and what would move it.
| Service | Rate | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | from $1,500 / shooting day |
Concept, atmosphere, styling and narrative cohesion; pre-production and creative direction through final delivery. Priced per project. |
| Unit stills | IATSE rates | For union productions based in Los Angeles; non-union determined on consultation. BTS, key promotional imagery and poster campaigns, delivered processed for press, marketing and awards consideration. |
| Headshots | $350 | One outfit, high-end retouching on up to three selects; additional retouching $100 per image. In-studio, or a mobile setup brought to your location. |
| Portrait session | from $550 | A personalised shoot plus a curated selection of edited images. Extended time, creative direction and location styling on request. |
Script and writing services are quoted individually — there is no published rate card for them. Placeholder — writing fees agreed case by case. See how script work runs.
Reading the numbers
Editorial is priced per project because the pre-production is where the work is. A one-day shoot with a location, wardrobe and a concept to develop is a different job from a one-day shoot in a studio with a brief you've already written. The day rate tells you the order of magnitude; the quote tells you the price.
If you're a union production based in LA, I work at IATSE rates — no negotiation theatre, you can budget me from the schedule. If you're non-union, student, indie or a vertical series, we determine it on consultation, which is a real conversation and not a euphemism for "expensive".
One outfit, and high-end retouching on up to three selects. Most people need one image; three gives you a choice. Beyond that it's $100 per additional retouched image, decided after you've seen the take rather than committed to up front.
The base is a personalised shoot and a curated set of edited images. Extended time, creative direction and location styling are the three things that add to it — and they're the three things that turn a portrait session into something closer to an editorial.
Before you ask
These are the variables I ask about. Everything here is Extrapolated from the published scope — it's how I'd build your number, not a published surcharge list.
Work unpaid for exposure, quote a number before I understand the job, or send you a proposal with hidden line items in it. If the budget genuinely isn't there I'd rather say so in one email than waste a fortnight for both of us.
Say so. Non-union rates are determined on consultation for exactly this reason — I was shooting student shorts three years ago and several of the films in my stills list are exactly that. Tell me what you have and I'll tell you what's possible.
Send the dates, the location and what you need out the other end. You'll get a scope and a price back, not a brochure.