Photography quotes with a retainer to book the date
Clients send the shoot type, date, location and hours of coverage, and you send a quote they sign with a retainer to hold the date.
Free, no subscription. Ready in a few minutes. Just 1% when a client pays you by card.
| Wedding coverage, per hour8 × $350.00 | $2,800.00 |
| Edited online gallery, about 600 images | $400.00 |
| Second photographer, per houroptional6 × $125.00 | $750.00 |
| Engagement sessionoptional | $450.00 |
| 10x10 lay-flat album, 30 pagesoptional | $850.00 |
| Total | $3,950.00 |
Try a photography quote form
Riverside Photography and Video is a sample business. Fill in its form as a client would, open the quote it sent, and look around the dashboard. It's the real app with sample data, and nothing you enter is sent.
What your clients see first. The questions this trade starts with, plus their details and up to 10 photos.
The quote they get. Every line, optional extras they can tick, and one button to accept and pay your deposit.
What you see. A sample dashboard (a moving company): new requests, quotes out, upcoming jobs and payments.
Common quoting problems in photography work
- Inquiries ask for rates and nothing else. Without the date, hours and type of shoot, you either send a price list or a page of questions.
- Dates are held without a retainer. Holding a Saturday for a couple who never books means turning away others who would have.
- Add-ons are discussed and then forgotten. A second shooter or album talked about on a call is easy to leave out of the contract and the final bill.
- Quote, contract and payment arrive separately. Sending three documents gives clients three places to stall before the date is actually booked.
What your photography quote form asks
Photography quotes depend on shoot type, hours of coverage and deliverables. The form asks what the shoot is, the date and location, and whether they want photos, video or both. It also asks the hours, number of people and extras like a second shooter.
Your form has its own page at your-name.quotefalcon.com. Clients can fill it in at any time, including evenings and weekends, and you get an email for each request. Share the link by text, on your Google Business Profile or social pages, or add the form to your website.
You can change, remove or add questions at any time in your settings.
The questions your form starts with
- What is the shoot?Pick one: Wedding or elopement, Event or party, Portraits or family, Headshots, ...
- Date of the shoot or eventThey pick a date
- Start time (roughly)A short answer
- Location or venue (address or city)A short answer
- Photos, video or both?Pick one: Photos, Video, Photos and video
- How many hours of coverage?Pick one: Under 1 hour, 1-2 hours, 3-4 hours, 5-8 hours, ...
- How many people? (guests, or people in the photos)Pick one: 1-2, 3-10, 11-50, 51-150, ...
- Property size (real estate only)Pick one: Under 1,500 sq ft (140 m²), 1,500-3,000 sq ft (140-280 m²), 3,000-5,000 sq ft (280-465 m²), Over 5,000 sq ft (465 m²), ...
- ExtrasPick any: Second photographer, Drone, Engagement session, Album or prints, ...
- BudgetA short answer
Every form also asks for: their name and email, and their phone if you ask for it · notes · up to 10 photos
How quoting works in Quote Falcon
Share your link
Clients fill in your form and add up to 10 photos. You get an email for each request.
Send the quote
Add line items, quantities and tax from your phone or computer. Saved lines go in with one tap, and any line can be optional.
Get it signed and paid
The client signs online and pays your deposit by card. Collect the rest with a card payment link, or record cash and e-transfer.
What changes the price of a photography job
The factors that most often change the price, and the reason the form asks about them.
- Hours of coverage or shoot length
- Event and wedding work is usually priced on hours of coverage. Portrait and brand sessions are often priced per session or half-day.
- Type of shoot
- Weddings, events, portraits and commercial work carry different gear, pressure and editing loads, and are priced differently.
- Deliverables and editing
- The number of edited images, retouching level and turnaround all add work after the shoot. Albums, prints and video clips are usually extra lines.
- Second shooter or assistant
- Larger weddings and events often add a second photographer or assistant, priced per hour or as a flat add-on.
- Usage and licensing
- Commercial work often includes a licence for how images are used, and broader or longer use usually costs more.
- Travel and location
- Mileage, parking, location permits and overnight stays are commonly added for shoots outside your usual area.
- Date and demand
- Peak-season Saturdays are the most in demand, so some photographers price prime dates higher or set a minimum.
A photography job, from request to deposit
A Saturday wedding next August with the ceremony and reception at the same venue, about 120 guests, covering getting ready through the first dance.
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Wedding, 8 hours of coverageNew quote requestNew
- What is the shoot?
- Date of the shoot or event
- Start time (roughly)
- Location or venue (address or city)
+21. The request comes in
The client answers your form's questions and adds photos. You get an email, and the request waits in your dashboard.
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Quote Wedding, 8 hours of coverage
Wedding coverage, per hour $2,800.00 Edited online gallery, about 600 images $400.00 Second photographer, per houroptional $750.00 Engagement sessionoptional $450.00 10x10 lay-flat album, 30 pagesoptional $850.00 Total $3,950.00 2. You send the quote
The couple can add a second photographer, engagement session or album, and the 30% retainer holds the date under your terms.
-
✓Quote acceptedSigned online by the clientTotal$3,950.00Deposit paid by card$1,185.00Balance due$2,765.00
3. They sign and pay the deposit
They pay your 30% deposit by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. They are emailed a signed PDF (you can download it from the job), and you collect the rest by card payment link or record cash or e-transfer.
Deposits and payment terms for photography jobs
Wedding and event photographers commonly take a retainer of roughly 25-50% to hold the date, often non-refundable under their contract because they turn down other work. Some split the balance into stages so nothing is owed on the day. Shorter sessions are often paid in full at booking. Whether a retainer can be kept depends on your contract wording and local law, so write your terms clearly.
How deposits work in Quote Falcon
You set your usual deposit once: a percentage, a fixed amount, the full price, or payment stages for bigger jobs. Clients pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through your own Stripe account.
Optional lines. The client can tick or untick optional lines on their quote page, and the total and deposit update. If they want something else changed, they ask from the quote page and you send a new version for them to sign.
No subscription, no plans, nothing to upgrade to.
only on card payments clients make through Stripe, on top of Stripe's own fee. Cash, e-transfer and cheques: no fee.
Everything's included
- Your own quote page with questions for your trade
- Photos with every request, up to 10
- Itemized quotes with saved lines and tax
- Optional lines clients tick themselves
- E-signatures with a signed PDF
- Card deposits and payment stages
- Follow-ups when a quote goes quiet
- Calendar you can share with your crew
- Website button or built-in form
- Spam protection on every form
Common questions
How much is a photographer retainer?
Many wedding and event photographers take 25% to 50% of the total to hold the date, and some use a flat amount. Smaller sessions are often paid in full when booked. In Quote Falcon you set a percentage, a fixed amount or payment stages, and the client pays by card when they sign.
What is the difference between a deposit and a retainer?
A deposit is usually treated as an advance payment that may be refundable if the booking falls through, while a retainer is a fee for reserving your time and is commonly non-refundable. The wording in your contract matters, so use the term that matches your policy and check local rules.
Can clients agree to my contract terms?
Yes. Write your terms in Settings > Policies & terms and turn on the option that makes clients agree before they accept. Their typed signature, the time, their internet address and the exact version they signed are saved on the job's Proof of agreement page, and they get a signed PDF copy.
Should I put my prices on my website?
Photographers are split. Some publish full pricing to filter inquiries, and others share a starting price and quote each job. A quote form lets you do both: show a starting price on your site, then send an exact quote once you know the date, hours and extras.
Can I collect the balance before the event?
Yes. Set payment stages in your settings, such as a retainer to book, a midway payment and the rest a few weeks before. Request each stage by card from the job with one click, or record it if the client pays another way.
What if the couple wants more hours later?
They click Ask for a change on their quote page, or you edit the quote yourself. A higher total only counts once they sign the new version. Any payment stages follow the new total, and what's already been paid still counts toward it.
Make your free photography quote form
Your form starts with the questions above. Setup takes a few minutes and there's no credit card or subscription.
Create your free quote form