Invoice Ninja’s free photography invoice template makes it easy to issue professional, detailed, and on-brand invoices to your customers, whether you’re launching a new career as a photography professional or want to upgrade from manual paper-based invoicing.
Freelance photography can involve as much paperwork and admin as any other business, and keeping on top of your invoicing will help you get paid quicker, reduce the amount of time you spend on bookkeeping, and support a healthy cash flow.
Let’s look at what should be on a photography invoice and some tips and tricks to reduce queries.
How to Choose a Billing System for Photography Work
Before you send an invoice, you need to set your rates, which could be based on each hour you spend in the studio, a block-booking cost for a day, or by the project–and a lot will depend on the types of shoots or the services you offer.
- Hourly rates are common and easy for clients to understand. Make sure you let clients know if you expect to charge for other costs, such as props, printing, editing time, and travel.
- Per-project rates are also straightforward and provided you have agreed with your client on the total cost before you begin work, there shouldn’t be any room for confusion. It is important to calculate the time needed carefully to avoid under-charging.
- Day rates mean you set a price for the whole day or a half-day, normally because you are attending an event such as a wedding, birthday, business event, or conference.
Photographers commonly request a deposit in advance to reserve the day or slot, so you may need to issue two invoices: one for the deposit and another for the final balance. There are pros and cons to every option, so it’s worth thinking about the type of clients you work with most often, how they expect to pay for your services, and ancillary costs, such as the hours of editing or preparation that go into compiling an album.
Another option is to have a standardized rates card with set packages, such as one day plus ten prints or three hours plus a digital album, offering your clients flexibility. If you have optional extra charges, such as buying the licensing fee, these should be included.
What Do I Need to Include on a Photography Invoice?
If you’re setting up a template, you can simply follow the step-by-step instructions to build your customized invoice, upload your business logo, and enter the details as prompted.
However, it’s always important to understand those pieces of information that every invoice should include. An invoice is a formal piece of business documentation and evidence of a debt owed, so missing out a crucial detail, such as the payment instructions, can cause delays.
As a quick summary, every invoice you send, either as an incorporated business, a sole trader, or a self-employed professional, should show the following:
- The word ‘Invoice’ at the top, and the document issue date
- Payment due date and the date of the service
- A unique invoice number or identifying code
- A description of the services rendered, split into an itemized list
- The cost for each service, with calculations where necessary, such as ‘$50 x four hours = $200’
- Taxes, additional charges, or expenses included
- The total payable and your payment details
Our photography invoice templates feature integrated payment options, so you can decide on your preferred payment method and include a one-click link to make it quicker for your client to clear the balance due.
The Benefits of Using Customized Photography Invoices
Photography is a high-demand and creative service, and your invoices should be on-brand and showcase your professionalism and attention to detail. Particularly if you’re invoicing for a deposit and haven’t yet established a solid reputation, prospective clients may make several assumptions based on the formatting, consistency, style, and appearance of your documentation.
Including your logo, company colors, and perhaps an eye-catching font or graphic makes your paperwork stand out and gives your clients assurances of the standards they can expect. At Invoice Ninja, we provide a suite of ready-made invoice templates to choose from, each with options to tailor the format, layout, and branding to your photography business. Alternatively, you can custom design your own invoice to demonstrate your creativity and use your quotes and invoices as part of your marketing.