How to read a snap shoot price list: hours, edits, originals and travel fees
- Snap shoot prices usually come down to shooting time, the number of edited photos, how many originals you get and delivery time.
- Location rental, site fees and travel fees are often separate from the shoot fee. Agree in advance who books and who pays.
- If you want every unedited original, agree on it separately when you sign.
A snap shoot price list is short but says a lot. Behind one line like ‘2 hours, ₩○○○,000’ are how many photos get edited, whether you get every shot and who pays for the location. Check the items below one by one and you can compare photographers accurately.
The basic items on a price list
| Item | Meaning | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting time | Time the photographer spends shooting. Whether moving between locations or changing outfits counts varies by photographer | Does time spent moving between locations count as shooting time? |
| Edited photos | Finished photos with skin, colour and framing retouched | How many edited photos do I get, and do I choose them? |
| Originals | Unedited photos. Some photographers hand over all of them, others only the selected ones | Can I get all the unedited originals too? |
| Outfits and locations | How many outfit changes and location moves | How many outfits can I bring? |
| Delivery time | How long until you receive the originals and edited photos | How many days after the shoot will I get the edited photos? |
Master files and originals are not the same
The ‘photo processing and photography services’ section of the Korea Fair Trade Commission's consumer dispute resolution standards (소비자분쟁해결기준) says whether the photo master is handed over should be agreed in the contract in advance. If nothing was agreed, digital photo files are also handed over to the consumer, who pays actual costs such as materials. In these standards, the digital master means the final edited file, and receiving the file does not transfer the copyright. If you want every unedited original, write it into the contract separately.
Costs that come on top
- Location rental — Shooting in an indoor studio or café means a separate rental fee. Sometimes the photographer books it and includes it in the price; sometimes you book it yourself. See how to work out a studio rental fee.
- Site fees — Some parks and heritage sites require a booking and a fee for shoots. Seoul's Hangang Parks take wedding and photo shoots as ‘Recording’ (녹화) bookings, at ₩26,000 for the first hour. Details are in before an outdoor snap or scenery shoot.
- Travel fees — Going outside the photographer's usual area adds transport costs and travel time. Abroad, you need to agree how flights and accommodation are split.
- Surcharges — Some photographers charge more for weekends, early mornings, nights or peak season.
- VAT — Photographers registered as businesses state whether prices include VAT. If you're putting the shoot through as a company expense, ask whether they can issue a Korean tax invoice or cash receipt.
Common add-ons
- Extra edits — Additional photos edited one at a time beyond the base number
- All originals — The option to get every shot from a photographer who normally gives only the selected ones
- Rush delivery — Getting edited photos sooner than standard
- Prints, albums and frames — Physical items beyond the files
- Video — A short highlight video shot alongside
A worked example
The figures below only illustrate how to calculate. They are not market rates.
Base: 2-hour shoot · 20 edited photos · all originals = ₩400,000
+ Studio rental, 2 hours (₩50,000 per hour) = ₩100,000
+ 10 extra edits (₩10,000 each) = ₩100,000
Total = ₩600,000 (check the photographer's terms on whether VAT is included)
Another photographer might also charge ₩400,000 but edit only 10 photos and keep the originals; getting the same result from them would cost more. Compare the total cost of getting the result you want, not the base price.
Get anything that isn't on the price list in writing by message before you book. It saves you from hearing ‘we don't give out originals’ after the shoot.
Based on the photo master handover provisions of the Korea Fair Trade Commission's consumer dispute resolution standards (photo processing and photography services, Notice No. 2025-14) and the ‘Recording/filming fees’ information from Seoul's Hangang Park office (미래한강본부), checked November 10, 2026. Example amounts are for illustration only and do not represent any photographer or market rate.
