The short answer
For a typical ecommerce launch set, meaning clean white-background catalogue shots plus styled lifestyle images, expect to pay from $499 to $1,299 for a package at a Guangzhou studio. Where you land depends on how many products you shoot, how many lifestyle scenes you need, and whether a model is involved.
The same set from a studio in New York, London or Sydney commonly runs into several thousand dollars once the studio day, assistant, stylist and retouching are added. That gap is the whole reason brands manufacturing in China now shoot there too.
Per-image pricing vs package pricing
Western studios usually quote per image or per day. In US, UK and Australian cities, finished images commonly land between $150 and $500 each once studio time, an assistant, retouching and styling are included. A full launch set clears five figures quickly, and the location and model work most brands want is often the first thing cut from the quote.
Studios in China more often sell packages: a fixed number of white-background and lifestyle images for one set price, with retouching and commercial rights included. Packages are easier to budget for, and you know exactly how many usable images you will receive before the shoot starts.
What drives the cost
Whichever studio you use, the same factors decide the final price:
- Number of products: each extra product means more setup, lighting and retouching time.
- Shot type: white-background catalogue images are the cheapest; styled lifestyle scenes cost more because they need sets and props.
- Models: a full-body model is booked by the hour, so model shots cost more than product-only images.
- Location: shooting in a studio is included in most packages; hiring a real location such as a bathroom or kitchen is usually quoted on top.
- Ad deliverables: Meta-ready ad images, animated GIFs and product video add production and editing time.
- Retouching level: clean colour correction is standard; heavy compositing or cleanup of a damaged sample costs extra.
What our packages include
Here is exactly what each Soraya package includes, so you can compare like for like with any other quote:
| Package | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $499 | 6 white-background images, 4 lifestyle concept photos, 1 product, 7 to 10 day turnaround, Professional studio lighting, Basic studio setup, Professional retouching, Color correction, Commercial usage rights |
| Standard | $699 | Everything in Basic plus 6 lifestyle concept photos, 4 Meta-ad-ready static images, 2 products, BTS content (complimentary) |
| Premium | $1,299 | Everything in Standard plus 10 lifestyle concept photos, 6 Meta-ad-ready static images, 4 animated GIFs, 1 product video, Full model booked up to 2 hours (full body, no hand or partial), 4-6 products |
The cost brands forget: shipping samples
When you shoot overseas, the photography quote is only part of the bill. Samples ship from your factory to you, then on to your photographer: two international legs, customs both ways, and often three to six weeks before a single image exists. If the sample turns out to be wrong, the whole loop starts again.
Shooting where the product is made removes those legs. A factory in China can courier samples to a Guangzhou studio in days, and the studio can flag a defective sample before it ever reaches your customers.
How to get an accurate quote
Send any studio these details and the quote you get back will be exact rather than a range:
- Products: how many, and their rough sizes.
- Channels: where the images will be used, such as Amazon, your Shopify store or Meta ads.
- Shot types: white background, lifestyle, model, or a mix.
- References: a few images or brands whose look you like.
- Deadline: when you need final files.