It depends on the scope. Ecommerce-focused shoots with a defined image count are often priced per image, which gives brands a predictable cost and makes it easy to scale up or down. Larger commercial productions - campaigns, full-day sets, anything involving significant pre-production - are usually quoted as a project or day rate.

We'll tell you upfront which structure makes more sense for your project and why. Our goal is a number that's honest, not a starting point for negotiation.

Yes - and we mean that. We work with emerging brands and small businesses regularly, and we're transparent about what your budget can realistically accomplish. Sometimes that means a tighter shot list. Sometimes it means starting with your hero SKUs and building the library over time. We'd rather help you get something genuinely great within your means than oversell you on a shoot that isn't the right fit.

Our quotes cover photography, standard post-production and retouching, and file delivery. What can add to the cost: talent or models (casting, usage fees), specialized prop sourcing, custom set builds, additional retouching rounds beyond what's included, and rush delivery. We always itemize these clearly in proposals so nothing is a surprise.

If you see something in a quote and you're not sure what it covers, just ask. We'd much rather over-explain than have you discover an unexpected line item on the final invoice.

Yes. We require a 50% deposit to hold your shoot date, with the balance due upon delivery of finals. For larger productions with significant pre-production costs - custom set builds, talent casting, substantial prop sourcing - we may structure the payment differently and will be clear about that in the proposal.

Both work, and it really comes down to your preference and the complexity of the project. For straightforward ecommerce or catalog shoots where the direction is well-defined going in, many clients simply ship their products and trust us to execute. We'll share selects at key points and flag anything worth a quick decision.

For commercial productions with more creative direction involved - specific set looks, model direction, campaign imagery - having someone from your team on set is genuinely useful. It leads to faster decisions and fewer revision rounds. Either way, we keep you in the loop throughout the day.

It depends almost entirely on what you need. A focused ecommerce shoot - say 15 to 20 SKUs on white - typically runs a full studio day efficiently. Once you introduce lifestyle sets, multiple looks, model changes, or elaborate set builds, that number goes up. Some productions run two days; larger catalog shoots can run longer.

We give you a realistic time estimate in the proposal so you're not guessing. And we'd rather tell you upfront that something needs two days than rush through a single day and compromise the work.

More than most brands expect. Product condition is one of the biggest variables in shoot efficiency - a product that arrives with fingerprints, packaging damage, or assembly issues takes time to address on set, and that time adds up. In general: send production-ready units, ship backup units for anything fragile, and make sure packaging is clean and fully intact.

For apparel and softgoods, steaming and pressing before arrival is essential. For beauty products and glass packaging, a clean wipe-down goes a long way. We handle final prep in the studio, but the better condition your products arrive in, the better your shoot day goes.

We adjust. That's part of the job, and it's why pre-production matters - the more aligned we are before the shoot, the fewer of these moments come up. But creative work doesn't always go exactly as planned, and we're experienced enough to pivot without losing momentum or losing the day.

What we won't do is keep shooting in a direction that isn't working just to fill the schedule. If something's off, we'd rather say so and course-correct than deliver a gallery full of images you can't use.

Our core work falls across four areas: commercial product photography for campaigns and brand use, lifestyle photography that puts products in real environments and scenes, ecommerce photography including on-white and Amazon-ready imagery, and softgoods and apparel photography including on-figure work.

Most brands need some combination of these depending on where the images are going. We can talk through what mix makes sense for your goals. See the full services breakdown.

We do offer video production for brands that want to capture both in a single production day, which is often the most efficient and cost-effective way to build out a full content library. Product video - whether for Amazon listings, social, or brand campaigns - integrates naturally into what we're already doing on set.

If video is on your radar, mention it early so we can factor it into the schedule and crew. It's much harder to add as an afterthought once the shoot is planned. Get in touch to discuss.

Yes - and this is something we do for brands of all sizes. Not every company has an in-house creative director or the budget to bring in an agency, and that's fine. With two decades of commercial experience, we know how to guide a brand through visual direction, set design, and aesthetic decisions in a way that serves the business goal behind the imagery.

Creative direction works best when you have a point of view, even a rough one. Tell us what brands inspire you, what you want to avoid, who your customer is. That's enough for us to build from.

Yes. We're we versed in Amazon's image guidelines - including the pure white background requirement for main images, minimum pixel dimensions, and restrictions on overlays and text - and we shoot to those specifications when that's the intended use. Files are delivered ready to upload without additional processing on your end.

If you're selling on Shopify, Walmart, or other marketplaces with their own specs, let us know upfront and we'll deliver accordingly. Learn more about our ecommerce photography.

Yes, and many clients do. Our studio is located at 333 N Oakley Blvd, Suite 106 in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Ship to that address with your project name in the attention line and let us know when to expect the package. We'll confirm receipt and flag any condition issues before shoot day.

After the shoot, we can return your products via your preferred carrier, hold them for a future shoot, or discard them - whatever works for you. Just let us know your preference upfront. More about the studio.

Finals are delivered through a private online gallery where you can download individual images or the full set. Standard delivery is high-resolution JPEG, which works for the vast majority of digital and print applications. If you need TIFFs, layered PSDs, or web-optimized versions at specific dimensions, just say so in the brief - there's no extra charge for format variations as long as we know upfront.

For most projects, you'll see a first round of retouched selects within five to seven business days of the shoot. Full delivery typically follows within two weeks. Turnaround depends on project volume and retouching complexity - a 10-image ecommerce shoot moves faster than a 100-image catalog with multiple retouching styles.

If you have a hard deadline, tell us at the start. We can accommodate rush delivery in most cases, and we'll be upfront if it's not feasible rather than overpromising.

You do - for the usage defined in your agreement. This typically doesn't mean you own the copyright. Standard commercial photography licenses cover the uses you've briefed us on: digital, print, advertising, ecommerce, and so on. If you need expanded rights - broader territorial use, additional licensing periods, or usage categories not covered in the original scope - we work through those on a case-by-case basis.

Usage rights are always spelled out clearly in the proposal so there's no ambiguity. If you're unsure what you need, we'll ask the right questions to make sure you're covered.