Creating an invoice for photography services might not be the most exciting part of running your business–but it’s also essential to ensure you get paid on time and keep a record of all the services delivered!
Using a template is by far the easiest solution, with bespoke branding and logos, a professional appearance, and clear structures to help your clients make on-time payments, minimize potential queries, and use consistent documentation throughout your photography business.
For example, a wedding photography invoice template might include standardized charges (such as editing, photo books, videography, and printing), leaving you to adjust the hours, units, or pricing and transmit your invoice to the client in one click.
Important Information to Include in a Photography Invoice
Like every business document, it is essential your invoices are clear and itemized, with simple errors like leaving out the total payable sure to cause delays and confusion.
Unsure what should be on a photography invoice? Here’s a quick run-through of all the elements to include:
- Your business name, contact details, registration numbers where relevant, and your bank details or a link for your client to make a payment
- The name, address, and any other identifying info about your client
- An invoice number, the date of the document, and the due date
- Itemized services, including calculations, such as hours worked, number of edits made, and the total price for each service
- A total payable value, with applicable sales taxes or other charges broken down for clarity
Invoicing templates are pre-set so that you won’t skip past any of the fields, and you can pre-populate all the details about your photography business to avoid typing these out every time.
Benefits of Using an Invoice Template as a Photographer
Whether you’re a freelance, independent photographer or run a busy commercial studio, the more time you spend on admin, the less you have available to book sessions or offer additional shoots. Administration is a core aspect of running a business, but writing out every invoice manually or typing in the same information on repeat can reduce your capacity and increase the potential to make mistakes.
Most photographers also specialize in a niche, perhaps family photography, prom photo sessions, or weddings. It makes sense to use a ready-made template if the invoice details are often replicated between documents!
Additional features such as one-click payment links or automatic notifications to let you know when you’ve been paid can dramatically reduce your admin time and make your financial record-keeping better organized and easier to manage.
How to Choose the Right Photography Invoice Template
Of course, as a creative professional, it’s important your invoices reflect the style, tone, and nature of your company, so picking an on-brand template can play a big part in your presentation. Invoice Ninja offers two options, depending on the spare time you have available and any ideas you may already have about how your invoices should look:
- Select a ready-to-go template: We have a catalog of beautiful, professional, and inspiring invoice designs. If you’re after a minimal aesthetic or something elegant and classic, simply pick the template that is the best fit.
- Design your own custom template: If you’d like to develop a unique invoice layout, design, or graphic features, you can customize your own template using any colors or patterns that resonate with your brand.
Many photographers find that one of our professionally-designed templates slots into their business branding without any further work required–we have eleven designs to pick and choose from.
Whichever option you select, you can upload your logo, so every invoice you issue will feature your name and logo displayed prominently at the top of the document.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Invoicing as a Photography Business
The typical issue with raising invoices is that you either omit a piece of information (such as your business banking) or present an invoice without sufficient detail. Customers like to know what they’re paying for, so itemizing charges is best practice, making it clear what services are included and how much each one costs.
Photographers commonly find that clients raise queries if an invoice shows one lump sum or may not realize the amount of time and professional skill that goes into creating their unique photo library, so getting your invoice right is key. Adding as much detail as possible, and breaking down add-ons like set-up time, will help reduce the likelihood of client queries and ensure you can focus on running your business while your invoicing system takes care of itself.
