Photography pricing advice often comes with a lot of “shoulds,” and this episode of the Motherhood Anthology podcast offers a refreshing alternative. Katie Lamb sits down with Laura Esmond, a portrait photographer of 26 years, founder of the Get Rooted group coaching program, and one of our mentors inside TMA, to talk about building a pricing structure around the life and business you want.
Laura is testing a new hybrid in-person sales model with real clients right now, and she walks through every piece of it, from the upfront package to the ordering meeting. Whether you are newer to the industry or have been booking sessions for years, her story is a reminder that your pricing can change as your life does.
Photography Pricing Without the “Have To”
When a photographer tells Laura they heard they have to price a certain way, her response is a gentle correction: “You don’t.” Pricing depends on many variables, including how you structure your offers, how you sell, and where you want to spend your time. Once you know your cost of doing business and your minimum, the next question is how you want to earn that number. If you would rather not charge as much, the math has one answer: you will need to book more sessions.
Laura’s own pricing is shaped by her season of life. With one child still at home and a husband who shares the school and soccer runs, she has dedicated business hours between 9 AM and 3 PM each day. A pricing model is a decision you can revisit as your family changes.
Laura also shares a season when she got it wrong. About 14 years ago, while renovating a house and managing three kids, she started taking sessions again without a plan, charging $500 and later $800. She was editing until two in the morning, unsure whether she would book enough the following month, and resentment started to creep in.
Then she remembered who sets the price: “I’m the boss. I’m in charge. I’m the one setting the price.” She paused her business that winter, rebuilt her studio model, and returned to packages paired with in-person sales. Having worked from home with kids at her side, owned multiple studios, and led a seven-person team, she teaches from experience across many models, not just one.
Inside Laura’s Hybrid IPS Pricing Model
After years of coaching photographers through in-person sales (IPS), Laura had heard the pros and cons of every pricing model. All-inclusive pricing is clean and easy to communicate, but it asks you to book more sessions and leaves little room for additional revenue. Traditional IPS can be harder to explain, often asks for a session fee between $300 and $600, and can leave clients anchored to whichever price they see first. It also asks a lot of unpaid time up front, which pushes the backend prices higher to compensate.
Her solution, which she began testing on August 1, is a $1,500 package that includes the first 30 digitals. She priced it close to her cost of doing business, which works because IPS builds in additional sales at the ordering meeting. Her language signals that clients can customize from there, and her prices beyond that package did not change, only the structure. Laura sees 30 digitals as a full story, and she is comfortable if a client stops there. So far, every client has upgraded to the full gallery, one added an album, and two added wall art.
The ordering meeting stays, and Laura explains why. A mom with a two- or three-day window to view a gallery at home will usually take the easiest path, which is adding everything to the cart. Sitting down together gives her client undivided attention and a guide. Payment is also split online, with 50% due at booking and the rest the week of the session, so the full $1,500 is paid before Laura edits a single image.
Katie points out that clients walk into the ordering meeting starting from zero, and Laura says the setup changed her own mindset too: she feels ready to earn what she has already been paid. Her average sale lands around $3,000 to $3,500, and she designs the gallery to support it. She shares 60 to 100 images, never more, and mixes them so no two similar images sit side by side. With only a few ordering meetings under her belt since the switch, she plans to revisit the model in January.
Transparent Pricing, Planning Calls, and Support Along the Way
Laura also moved her pricing onto her website, with separate pages for classic and petite sessions, so clients can book directly instead of waiting on an inquiry email and a call. The contact form is still there, and she did not list every price, only enough to set expectations. She is clear that she has an established business with many repeat clients, so newer photographers should run this through their own filter and do what best secures bookings. Simple packages with upgrade options seem to suit this approach, while a la carte menus may need more hand-holding.
After a client books, Laura sends a personal email and a link to a planning call, which is where her IPS strategy picks back up. She talks through outfits and the session, and also asks where the images might live in the home. She once had a client who wanted artwork but needed horizontal images, and the session had been shot almost entirely vertical. Now she asks about empty walls ahead of time so she can shoot for them. This guidance is a service to the client, and Katie adds that this is the part of the process where photographers get to shine as artists.
Conversations like this are a big part of why TMA exists. Inside the membership, Laura’s pricing workshop is joined by new education on identifying what you may be protecting in your business when a change feels stuck, with a next-steps pricing training in progress. Her Art of Selling course covers running an ordering meeting, pricing products, and building packages without needing a coach, while Get Rooted is for photographers ready for a deeper overhaul of their client experience, whether or not they use IPS. Laura says she wishes something like TMA had existed when she started her business, and Katie agrees it is an invaluable resource whether you are just beginning or ten years in.
Listen and Learn More
If you are rethinking your own photography pricing, this episode is a wonderful place to start. Listen in for Laura’s full walk-through, and explore her education through The Art of Selling and Get Rooted.
Find Laura Esmond at lauraesmond.com or on Instagram at @lauraesmondeducation
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
