Got asked to shoot a new menu today… and it made me pause for a sec. What’s a job like this actually worth?” We all know it’s not just turning up and clicking a shutter. It’s the prep, the lighting, the styling, the hours in Lightroom, the whole vibe you’re crafting that literally decides how good the food looks, and how much the place sells. Some people charge pennies. Some charge rent money. So I’m curious… If a client asked you to shoot a full menu, what would you charge, and what’s your logic behind that number? Let’s hear it.

Was plodding away and thought you guys might find this helpful :) Food can be a tricky one, but just hit the customers requests you'll be fine

Had another tog approach me recently asking about costs and how to charge jobs. We see a lot online of people charging £1000, £2k, £5k and personally its a little bit unrealistic to begin with, unless you are working with a major brand. Ultimately the most important part of being a freelancer is your time, you need to make sure everything you do is worth your time. As an example: Example 1 – Short Shoot, Heavy Editing (Often NOT Worth It) Job: 2 hour shoot + 14 hours of editing Total time: ~16 hours Client budget: £250 Time to money ratio£250 ÷ 16 hours = £15.62 per hour Worth it? Probably not, you're sinking almost two full working days into a “short job” that becomes an editing monster. Anything under ~£20–£25/hr is usually considered low for a freelancer with your skill level, gear costs, travel, insurance, software, etc. ✅ Example 2 – Long Shoot, Light Editing (Often IS Worth It) Job: 10 hour shoot + 3 hours of editing Total time: ~13 hours Client budget: £600 Time to money ratio£600 ÷ 13 hours = £46.15 per hour Worth it? Yes this is a solid rate, you're earning nearly £50/hr and most of the work is done in person on the day which reduces burnout from long editing sessions. This becomes efficient predictable work. Finally, the above just solidifies how important it is to confirm deliverables and styles before quoting a job. Find out exactly what the client is after and decide upon getting examples of work they like the amount of editing time. CHARGE FOR YOUR TIME!!!

This clip is me running a gimbal around a friend’s car, testing movement, angles, and flow while shooting automotive video. Nothing staged, nothing fancy. Just real-world practice and problem solving on the fly. I’m always tweaking how I move, when I slow things down, and how close is too close before the shot stops feeling clean. Stuff you only really figure out by doing it. If you’re watching this, jump in: - What shot in the video caught your eye? - Anything you’d do differently? - Want me to break down a specific gimbal move or setting I used? Drop questions, opinions, or even criticism. This space works best when everyone actually gets involved.