How Much do Senior Pictures Cost?

Usually, high school students take senior pictures during their senior year or before the school year starts. These are usually done by a professional photographer.

How Much Do Senior Pictures Cost?

The cost of senior pictures is affected by several factors such as the place where you live, the number of poses, the photographer you choose, the number of pictures you need, and the outfits.

The average cost of a senior pictures package would be anywhere between $30 and $350 (≈2.9 days working without breaks at $15/hour). For instance, the price for a large package that includes eight 5x7, four 8x10, and one 11x14 picture is almost $510 (≈4.3 days working to pay for this at $15/hour), while for a small package that includes four 5x7 and 8x10 pictures you will have to pay around $90 (≈6 hours of your life traded for $15/hour).

Some photography studios may offer an “a la carte” based package, where you can choose the exact types of pictures you want. For instance, the price of an 11x15 picture would be anywhere between $220 and $330 (≈2.8 days working to pay for this at $15/hour) and a 5x7 picture may cost anywhere between $30 and $60 (≈4 hours to sacrifice at work earning $15/hour).

If you choose Bentley Photography, you will have to pay anywhere between $30 and $130 (≈1.1 days of your career at $15/hour) for one of their photo sessions. Also, they offer twelve different photo packages with prices that start at around $185 (≈1.5 days of desk time at a $15/hour wage) and go up to more than $1,650 (≈2.8 weeks dedicated to affording this at $15/hour).

The photographer Palmer Photography charges around $200 (≈1.7 days working without days off at $15/hour) for ninety minutes session that includes eighty or more photos, six clothing changes, and outdoor or indoor sessions. The cost of other packages would be anywhere between $95 and $155 (≈1.3 days of continuous work at a $15/hour job).

A popular photo studio chain among students is Prestige Photography. They charge around $30 (≈2 hours of labor required at $15/hour) for a basic session and almost $60 (≈4 hours to sacrifice at work earning $15/hour) for the ultimate session. These costs will not include the picture you buy once the session is complete. Plan on spending around $230 (≈1.9 days of uninterrupted employment at $15/hour) for unlimited poses and around six sheets of photos at the Sears Portrait Studio, which is another popular photography studio.

According to the RoshSillar.com website, the price for senior portrait sessions would be anywhere between $130 and $310 (≈2.6 days working without days off at $15/hour) for the sitting fee. This cost will depend on the reprint package you choose, the number of locations, and the change of clothes.

In the table below you will find the average costs for different types of photo packages in various states across the United States.

Senior pictures – short presentation

An average senior photo session may last one to three hours. During this time, most students will wear anywhere between three and five outfits.

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The inclusions will depend on the type of package you choose. In general, you will be able to choose the location where to take the pictures depending on the theme. Also, if you have something in mind, a senior photographer may recommend you her/his favorite spots.

Which are the additional expenses?

Expect to pay an additional fee for each extra pose outside of the photo shoot packaging guidelines.

Some photographers charge a sitting fee, besides the cost of the pictures. In general, this would be anywhere between $55 and $110 (≈7.3 hours that you sacrifice at a $15/hour job) and will be charged regardless of the number of pictures you choose to buy.

If the photographer has to travel further than his location, fuel surcharges may be applied.

If you want your pictures to be edited, some photographers may charge anywhere between $30 and $55 (≈3.7 hours of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour) per hour for this job. Usually, retouching is offered for free, but at some photographers, you may have to pay $30 to $55 (≈3.7 hours of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour).

Depending on the number of photos taken, you will have to pay $55 to $160 (≈1.3 days of non-stop labor at a $15/hour salary) for creating a CD with full rights and your photos.

If you need more pictures than what you'd get based on the package you choose, you will have to spend $7 to more than $28 (≈1.9 hours of continuous work at a $15/hour job) per picture, depending on the amount/size.

In general, a headshot for your yearbook may be an extra cost.

Important things to consider

If you need some ideas about how your senior pictures should look, you can browse websites like Getty Images and Pinterest.

Tips for saving money

Talk with your high school colleagues and see if they have any connections with the local photography studios. Most of these may offer special promotions or coupons to local students.

You can save a lot of money if you choose to take on senior photography yourself as we live in an age of digital photography. Also, you can hire an amateur photographer and still pay less than if you were to choose a professional studio.

Try to negotiate the cost because most photographers will be more than happy to work within your budget.

Another way to save money is to take pictures inside the studio instead of driving around the city to find the best natural scene.