Our product photography runs Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 per image. A model shoot starts from the same studio day but carries a second cost the product-only shoot never has: the person in the frame. So every model shoot quote is really pricing two things.
The two bills inside one quote
The photography. Studio time, lighting, the photographer, retouching, delivery. This part behaves like any product shoot. More looks and more final images cost more, and a tight shot list keeps it down.
The model. A fee for the person, set by their experience and by how you plan to use the pictures. Brands underestimate this one, because it depends on what happens after the shoot: where the image runs, and for how long.
One number with both folded in is hard to compare against anything. Ask for them as separate lines.
Why usage changes the model fee
A photo on your Amazon listing and the same photo on a hoarding are two very different deals for the model. Model fees in India are usually tied to usage: which platforms, which regions, and for how long. Listing and website use sits at the low end. Paid ads cost more. Print, outdoor and TV cost more again.
If you might run the images as ads later, say so before the shoot. Adding ad usage after the fact is almost always more expensive than buying it up front, and some models will simply say no.
Full model, hands, or face and skin
Not every "model shoot" needs a full model.
Hand models hold, pour, apply and open. They cover most of what a skincare or food listing actually needs, and they cost less than a face.
Skin and body frames show the product on the body without showing a face. Body care uses these a lot, because texture on skin is what sells it.
Full face and styling is where the cost climbs, because now you need hair and makeup, wardrobe, and more time per look. Jewellery is the category where this is hardest to avoid. A necklace on a stand doesn't show how it sits on a collarbone.
What else moves the number
Number of looks. Each outfit or styling change resets hair, makeup and lighting. Three looks in a day and eight looks in a day are very different days.
Hair, makeup and wardrobe. Sometimes inside the quote, often not. Ask.
Casting. If you need a specific look, age or skin tone, finding the right person takes time, and that time shows up somewhere.
Retouching level. Skin retouching on a beauty campaign takes much longer than cleaning up a hand holding a bottle.
What to ask before you book
Ask for the photography and the model fee as separate lines. Ask what usage the model fee covers, for how long, and what extending it would cost. Ask how many looks the day includes and whether hair and makeup are in the number. And ask to see model work the studio has actually shot, in your category, since model portfolios and product portfolios are different skills.
For how product-only shoots are priced, see what decides the bill on a product shoot. If your products are jewellery or beauty, jewellery and cosmetics have their own pricing quirks. When you're ready to plan a shoot, our product photography page shows how a model day fits alongside the product work.