How Much to Charge for Twilight Photos
Twilight real estate photos are an excellent add-on service that you can offer as a real estate photographer.
They’re also a great way to increase your average invoice total without adding in a ton of more work. There are some pros and cons to twilight photography, but if you can find the right price point, you’ll likely raise your bottom line significantly.
This article will outline the factors that determine twilight photography pricing and then discuss how much you should be charging.
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What are Twilight Photos?
Twilight photos are a style of real estate photography that capture photos of a property at dusk or during the minutes surround sunset.
Twilight photos are taken during a very specific time frame known as the “twilight hours,” which typically occur approximately 20 minutes after the sun has set, although this is a loose rule that changes depending on the look you’re going for.
The unique lighting conditions during this time create beautiful and dramatic effects on the property. Chances are you have seen twilight photography before.
Real estate agents often use twilight photos to showcase the property’s curb appeal and highlight its best features.
Although it’s far more common for twilight photos to feature the exterior of the home, interior twilight photos can be just as dramatic and beautiful. This is especially true if the home has large windows and a great view.
Factors That Determine Twilight Photography Pricing
As is the case with all questions surrounding real estate photography pricing, the answer is going to vary due to a number of different factors.
The largest factors that effect how much you should charge for twilight photos are the following:
- Your skill level
- Your market
- The demand for twilight photos
I’ve gone into detail in several other articles talking about how you can best narrow down your pricing based on your skill level and your market.
Check out our article Easy Guide to Pricing for Real Estate Photography to gain a deeper understanding of how to determine your skill level and your market prices.
We also have a Real Estate Photography Pricing Calculator which can be of some help as well.
Now, getting into twilight pricing specifically, there are a few factors that you need to think about when coming up with a price point.
Twilight Photos Usually Mean More Traveling
Unless you plan your shoot perfectly around the time of sunset, there is a good chance you will need to revisit the property in order to capture the twilight images.
Yes, you can always fake it. You can take a photo during the day time and send it off to an editor that can make it look like a twilight photo. Some do a pretty good job, but we aren’t going to discuss this option in this article.
If you’re going to need to make a second trip to the property, you need to factor that into your prices.
You’ll Be Working During Sunset
Most people enjoy being home with their family for dinner or quality time right around the time the sun is going down. If you offer twilight photos, you’ll be out working instead.
Think about how much this time of day matters to you. If you’re going to need to leave home and work into the night, you’ll have to figure out how much that’s worth to you and factor it into your prices.
Narrow Time Window
When capturing twilight photos you’re only going to have a very narrow time window to get all of the shots you need. At most, you’ll have 20-30 minutes.
For just exterior photos, this is more than manageable as long as you know what you’re doing. If you’re offering interior twilight photos as well, you’ll be running around like a lunatic making sure you get all the images you need.
Think about what you want to offer and if you’re willing to deal with the stress of a serious time crunch.
Expertise
Although twilight photos can be quite easy for those of us that regularly capture them, they can be quite challenging for real estate photographs that haven’t had enough practice.
Twilight photos are a completely different type of real estate photography and require a different set of skills and understanding. This needs to be included in your pricing.
How Much Should You Charge For Twilight Photos?
The best way to answer this question is to first really think about all the factors outlined above. If you have a family and value being home for dinner, you should come up with a figure that would be worth it since you’ll likely be missing that dinner you value.
However, assuming that you want to offer twilight photos and just need help with the pricing, then the best place to start is with your own pricing model.
How much do you charge for a standard real estate shoot? Twilight photography is very often used as an add-on service that is purchased in addition to you standard photography.
For example, if you charge $200 for 30 photos. That’s a good place to start for your twilight photos as well. Remember, twilight photos are more difficult, require more time, commitment, and expertise, so you don’t want to sell yourself short.
Personally, I charge $165 for exterior only twilight photos. When considered nationally, I would say that this price is quite low. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of demand for twilight photos in my market, so my price point can’t be too high.
Additionally, I live and service an area where I won’t need to commute very far (think 15-20 minutes or less) which makes it much more worth it for me.
Recommendations
As stated early on in this article, the best way to figure out how much you should be charging for twilight photography is to gain a full understanding of your skill level and your market.
Try to find out what your competitors are charging and then compare their skill level to your own. Also figure out if the headaches that come with twilight photography are worth it to you, and if they are, how much they are worth.
I enjoy twilight photography, but don’t regularly sell it as a service. The unfortunate truth is that the local demand for twilight photography will play a big role as well.
Additional Information
If you’re just getting started in real estate photography, check out our Beginners Guide. It’s full of helpful articles and tips that will guide you in the right direction as you begin your real estate photography journey.
You can check out our Gear section as well to see reviews and recommendations on the latest real estate photography gear.
If you’re more interested in other resources that can help your real estate photography business, check out our Business Resources page.
