How Much Do Cookbook Photo Shoots Cost?

Originally written in 2015. Updated in 2024.

That’s a wrap!

It’s so fun to see how this…

…becomes this.

Some of my favorite cookbooks include no photos or just very few in the centerfold. Of course, cookbooks like this haven’t been published in the last 15 or 20 years. With the rise of access to free recipes online, cookbooks have become more like precious objects. They’re expected to be beautiful, with plenty of lush photography, and perhaps, multi-textured covers you just want to hold.

Originally, I was jealous of all of the bloggers who have the skills to style and shoot their own books. Photo shoots are expensive, and in my case (and in many authors’ cases), I was paying for the photos from my advance.

Why do cookbook photo shoots cost so much?

The cost of a photo shoot depends on so many factors, including how many photos you need, whether you need to rent a studio, and whether you can call in favors from friends. When we shot Modern Potuck in 2015, the total cost came in around $25,000 for 50 or 60 photos, and that is an extremely good price.

So, if you want to photograph at least half of the recipes in your 100-recipe cookbook, expect to spend a solid five figures on your photo shoot, and likely at least $500 per photo. (A more common estimate these days is $600 or more per photo.)

Why? It takes a village to shoot a cookbook, especially when you’re working on a tight schedule. So most of the cost isn’t for the food. It’s to pay the skilled people who help make it happen. (And know that they are often working at reduced rates compared to what they would charge for commercial work.)

Even though the stress from the sticker shock kept me up at night, the shoot ended up being the most fun part of the process for me. Writing is such a solitary endeavor, and it was an incredible experience to collaborate with people who are so good at what they do. By the end, I viewed the shoot as an investment in the book that was worth it.

If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many people on a shoot, here is a little summary of all of the jobs.

why are there so many people on a cookbook photo shoot?

Photographer: Pretty self-explanatory. This is the person who takes the pictures and is often the person who assembles the team. The photographer is also responsible for re-touching photographs (even though they might hire someone to do this) and submitting photos to the publisher.

Photo assistant: Does a wide range of jobs to help the photographer, like setting up lighting and props and breaking down scenes after the shot. When we did a day of shooting at my house, there were two assistants plus an intern to help with all of the moving parts.

Art director: In the case of my book, the art director came from the publisher. This person gives general direction in the beginning about the types of colors and textures to include and creates mood boards to help guide the rest of the team. On the shoot, the art director often comes to watch how the shoot progresses and gives feedback on the shots as they happen. They don’t always come in person, however.

Food stylist: The stylist does so much more than just add a few sprigs of cilantro to a cooked dish! They figure out the best order to cook and shoot the food; shop for all of the ingredients; cook the food and finally styles it. Most stylists spend time working in restaurants and then years assisting before taking on their own high-profile jobs. And while they have a few tricks for keeping food looking photogenic (for example, they often spritz food with water or brush with oil if it starts to lose its sheen), editorial food photos these days show completely edible dishes.

Food styling assistant: The assistant helps the stylist in any way possible, including shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleaning.

Prop stylist: You know all of those plates, utensils, and napkins in a photo? Prop stylists source all of the non-food items necessary for a shoot, including the background surfaces. Sometimes, the stylist stays on set to choose the items for each shot. In my case, the photographer, the photographer’s assistant, and food stylist all chipped in on this task. Prop styling sounds glamorous but often involves a lot of wrapping, unwrapping, and schlepping. (For larger budget jobs, the prop stylist often has an assistant or two).

In addition to the stylist, the budget for props themselves can add up quickly. Even when the author, photographer, and stylists have their own props to pull from, many stylists need to purchase or rent additional props and backgrounds to help make your book unique.

This looks like a ton of props but we used all of them.

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR COOKBOOK PHOTO SHOOT

When the photographer for my book, Yossy Arefi, submitted the estimate for the photo shoot at $25,000, I remember feeling sick. As the author, I was contractually obligated to pay for photography out of my own pocket. If you remember from this post about my cookbook advance, the estimate was more money than I had received for the first payment of my book, after I paid my agent. And today, I imagine my advance would be less while the cost of the photography would be more.

Why had no one warned me about this?!

I was also nervous because I received the first payment for my book in 2014 and wouldn’t pay for photography until the following year. How would that work with taxes?? Pretty soon after I saw the reality of everything, I spoke to my accountant and told her the issue. “I’m on the hook to pay for $25,000 worth of photography in 2015. Is there any way I can not pay taxes on my first cookbook payment because I’ll need every cent of it next year?”

Through entirely legal means (I promise!), she helped me write off part of the anticipated photography expenses in 2014 so I could hold onto my cash for when I’d need it in 2015. While I can’t give you specific tax advice, I can tell you that the money you’d spend having a tax pro help you with this is entirely worth it.

The other thing to know: You only need to pay for about half the photography up front. The rest, you pay after you receive your second distribution from the publisher. This does mean it might be many, many months from after the shoot is over until after the photographer gets paid. Most of the time, they are used to this, but it’s worth confirming this with the photographer in advance and maybe even writing it into your contract.

It’s also entirely possible that the estimate you receive for photography is more than the amount you’ll receive for your entire advance. What do you do then?

Some authors have supplemented their advances by raising money through Kickstarter or other crowd-funding platforms. If you do work as an influencer, you also might see about getting some of the costs covered by brands if you use their products in your photos. (I haven’t heard of anyone doing this but it might be possible!)

Before you ask yourself whether you’re willing to shoulder some of the photography costs on your own, you can also explore some ways to save money on the shoot.

how to save money on a cookbook photoshoot

While you don’t want to skimp on the photos for your book, there are some ways you can reduce the costs while still paying everyone on the team fairly. Here, some ideas:

Skip the studio rental: If you have access to a free space with lots of natural light or plenty of space for studio lighting, and you don’t mind it getting taken over with tables full of props and ingredients, you can see if the photographer you’re working with is willing to skip the studio rental. This could save you at least $1,000+ per day (and much more in places like New York.)
Shoot outside major markets: It costs a lot to live and work in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, so photographers and stylists in those markets tend to charge more. Sometimes, you can find skilled teams working in smaller cities who can charge less.
Shoot fewer photos: On most food photo shoots, you can usually photograph between 8 and 12 dishes per day. With most cookbooks these days, publishers expect to photograph at least 50% of the dishes. (Many publishers now contract authors to shoot every single dish!) But in some cases, you can negotiate to shoot less.
Be your own photographer or stylist: I only recommend that authors who have past experience with studio food photography or styling consider this. And even if you shoot and style all the food for your website, there’s still value in hiring more pros to help you.

If you’re a chef, you can often cook and plate your own food and then have one stylist on step to help with touch-ups. Either way, you’ll have to make sure the publisher is on board with you photographing and/or styling your own book.
Hire a stylist for “prop and drop”: For photo shoots, stylists often rent backgrounds, platters, flatware, plates, and more from prop houses and then fill in with items from their own collections. Sometimes, prop stylists stay on set to help with each shot. But if the photographer is willing, you can hire a prop stylist just to source and unpack the props. Then the photographer and food stylist can set up the shot.
Borrow props from ceramicists: Ceramicists and other small-scale makers who produce items for the table are sometimes willing to lend out their creations in exchange for credit in the acknowledgements. Reach out to them to ask.
Use some of your own props: You can often buy fun, interesting tabletop items for not much money at flea markets. Put them into the mix to help save money on rentals.
Work with an up-and-coming photographer: While you absolutely want to hire a photographer who has an aesthetic that matches your book, you can seek out someone who is newer to the field and perhaps hasn’t yet photographed a cookbook. That said, this is not an excuse to hire a friend of a friend just because they’ll give you a deal. Keep your standards high!

If you’re thinking about writing a cookbook, check out my free guide to help you hone your idea.