Product Photography Pricing — Shanghai Studio, Published Rates in US Dollars
These are our starting prices, per deliverable, in US dollars. No hourly rates, no enquiry gate, no “contact us for pricing”, no minimum spend. Each section tells you what the price includes and what moves it up. Your first garment is shot and retouched free of charge, and sample shipping anywhere in China is on us.
Ghost mannequin
US$45 / piece at 10+Apparel that has to look worn without a model. 9 to 11 finished images per piece, detail shots included.
White background
From US$18 / imageMarketplace main images, priced per finished image. Glass, mirror and polished metal are US$70.
Flat lay
From US$26 / pieceCut, print placement and proportion. 7 to 8 finished images per piece, front and back plus details.
On model
From US$2,600 / studio dayUp to 20 looks a day. Photography and retouching only — model, hair and make-up are itemised on top.
Product video
From US$450 / cut15 to 30 seconds finished, delivered in three aspect ratios for one price. First cut in 3 working days.
CGI and 3D
From US$179 / still imageModelling is charged once, from US$410, and the model is reusable. Animation is billed per second.
Get a quote against your shot list
Jump to a price
We are a commercial studio in Shanghai. We have been shooting here since 2002 and quoting overseas buyers in US dollars since 2016 — importers, trading companies, sourcing agents, marketplace sellers and apparel brands in Europe, North America and Australia. Over 1,000 clients since 2002, across domestic and overseas work. Core production is done in house by our own team, with specialist talent engaged per project. Your samples are already in China, which is why our turnaround is measured in days rather than weeks.
Ghost mannequin apparel photography — how much does it cost?
US$45 per garment from 10 pieces — 9 to 11 finished images. Under 10 pieces is US$68; 50 and above is US$38You receive three main angles — front, 45° side and back — plus detail shots of whatever the piece is actually selling on: the collar construction, the trim, the hardware, the lining, the print, the stitch. That is 9 to 11 finished images per piece. We do not price per image, and the detail shots are inside that count, not extra. Which angles you get is agreed with you in the shot list before we shoot, so you know the list before the invoice. Anything you add after that list is agreed is quoted separately.
How we count a piece — read this before you add up a quote
We bill per piece. One piece is one physical item, and nothing about the item changes that: not the size, not the colour, not the SKU, and not whether it is a top, a bottom or part of a set. A piece is a piece. What that price buys is one complete shoot flow — two or more main angles plus the detail shots — and that flow is the same work whether the piece is the smallest or the largest in your range. On this page we say garment wherever the piece is apparel: one garment is one piece.
Two things are billed per image rather than per piece, so that you are never charged for a flow we did not run. Images you add after the shot list is agreed are quoted per image. And a repeat style in another colour where you only want the main angles and no details is priced per image too — it is not a second piece, because it is not a second shoot flow. Everything else on the agreed list is simply counted in pieces.
| What you receive, per piece | Included |
|---|---|
| Main angles | Front, 45° side, back — 3 images |
| Detail shots | As many as the piece needs, agreed with you in the shot list, no extra charge — 9 to 11 finished images in total |
| Retouching | Collar and waist composite, colour match to the physical sample, thread and dust removal, two rounds of revisions |
| File formats | Retouched JPEG in sRGB and transparent-background PNG — both included |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1, 4:5, 16:9 and 9:16 on request, no extra charge |
| Specification | Pure white RGB 255,255,255, 2,000 px on the longest edge, under 10 MB — ready for Amazon, Shopify, Zalando and Tmall |
Price per garment
| Quantity | Price per garment |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 garments | US$68 |
| 10–49 garments | US$45 |
| 50 garments and above | US$38 |
| Annual framework — 200+ garments a year | US$38 locked for 12 months, plus priority scheduling, sample storage at the studio and the same retoucher every season |
A tier applies to the whole batch once you reach it, not only to the pieces above the threshold, and it is counted per order. Nine pieces are US$68 each; add a tenth and all ten are US$45.
Nine to eleven images at this price is not a discount and not a loss leader — it is what a 30-piece-a-day shooting line and a dedicated two-person retouching line produce when the samples are already in the same country as the studio.
Get an apparel photography quote
What moves the price up
Every piece is billed at the ladder price above. Two standing reductions apply automatically, and both of them only ever make your quote smaller:
- Two-piece outfits. A top and a bottom are two pieces, counted as two — and the second piece is charged at 80%.
- A repeat style in another colour, main angles only. Priced per image at US$9 per main angle, so the usual three angles come to US$27 rather than a full piece price. This holds when the colourways arrive in the same batch, so we can reuse the paths and the lighting. Colourways sent later are shot as new pieces.
Two things genuinely do push a quote up, and we would rather name them here than surprise you on the invoice. Unstructured, very soft or very sheer fabrics — fine knits, slip silks, chiffons — need far more fill and shape work, so we quote those on sight rather than guess. And extra main angles beyond the standard three, such as a flat-back or inside-out view, are itemised on your quote.
Outerwear, down, denim, knitwear, cotton jersey, silk and satin and swimwear are all routine for us. Size makes no difference to the price — the smallest and the largest piece in your range go through exactly the same steps, so each one is a piece. If you are not sure whether your category is a good fit, send one piece — see below.
Your first piece is free, and the shipping is on us
Send us one piece and we will shoot and retouch the complete set — three main angles plus the detail shots — and send you the finished files. No watermark, nothing held back, no obligation to order. Sample shipping anywhere in China is included in our prices, so there is nothing for you to pay to get the sample to us.
Four things to know before you send it. It covers still photography only — no video. It does not cover highly reflective or transparent goods, which need a different lighting build. It is one piece, once, for a new client. And we confirm the category and the sample with you first, so that the test actually answers the question you are asking.
We ask one thing in return: tell us roughly how many styles you have coming this season, so we can tell you honestly whether we can absorb your volume. We will hold the sample at the studio for your paid shoot, or return it at your cost.
White-background e-commerce photography — from US$18 per image
From US$18 per image — pure white, marketplace-readyPriced per finished image, because that is the unit you actually list with. Difficulty, not volume, is what separates the three tiers below: a cardboard box and a polished stainless flask take very different amounts of light shaping.
| Product type | Per image |
|---|---|
| Standard — apparel on hanger, boxes, toys, tools, homeware, packaged goods | US$18 |
| Shoes, bags and luggage | US$28 |
| Glass, mirror, polished metal, high-gloss and transparent goods | US$70 |
Fine jewellery and diamond-set pieces are quoted individually. At three to four pieces a day we are genuinely not the cheapest route for a large jewellery catalogue, and we would rather tell you that now than halfway through. We will happily shoot jewellery alongside a larger order.
Get a product photography quote
Flat lay and laydown apparel photography — from US$26 per garment
From US$26 per garment — 7 to 8 finished imagesFlat lay is the right choice when the buyer needs to read the cut, the print placement and the proportions rather than how the piece hangs on a body. It is faster than ghost mannequin and we shoot 40–50 garments a day on this line.
| Quantity | Price per garment |
|---|---|
| 1–49 garments | US$26 |
| 50 garments and above | US$21 |
Each garment includes a front and a back hero image plus the detail shots the piece needs — 7 to 8 finished images — retouched on pure white, with the transparent PNG included. Steaming and preparation are part of the shoot, not an extra line. If you want both flat lay and ghost mannequin of the same style, the second treatment is charged at 70%.
On-model apparel photography — from US$2,600 per studio day
From US$2,600 per studio day — up to 20 looks. Photography and retouching; model, hair and make-up are charged on topOn model is booked by the studio day, because that is how the cost actually behaves: the model and the hair-and-make-up artist are a day rate whether you shoot eight looks or twenty. So the figure below is a day, and the per-look price is simply that day divided by a full one.
| Line item | Price |
|---|---|
| Photography and retouching — one studio day, up to 20 looks | US$2,600 per day, or US$130 per look |
| Each look beyond 20 on the same day | US$130 |
| Model, hair and make-up — one 8-hour day, cast in Shanghai | US$1,750–2,250, itemised on your quote |
| Set building, props or an outside location | At cost, quoted before we book |
A full 20-look day therefore lands between US$4,350 and US$4,850 all in — 80 to 120 retouched images, our studio, lighting and grip, the model, hair and make-up, styling, and the signed portrait release in English. Nothing is added to that afterwards. Finished images are delivered three working days after the shoot.
Retouching is inside that price, not beside it. Across 80 to 120 images, retouching billed as its own line is where a day shoot quietly doubles. We own our studio, so there is no rental line either.
This is the one service where we will tell you to order more rather than less. The model and hair-and-make-up day rate does not fall when you shoot fewer looks, so a half-empty day is the most expensive way to buy these images. Twenty looks is the number to aim at.
A Chinese model and an international model cast in Shanghai both sit inside the casting band above; a specific requested face, an agency exclusive or a model flown in from outside China is quoted separately. We book only models who hold a valid Chinese work visa and can lawfully be paid for commercial work here.
Product video and 360° spin — from US$450 per cut
From US$450 per cut — 15 to 30 seconds, finished| Deliverable | Price |
|---|---|
| Product video, 15–30 seconds, product only | From US$450 per cut |
| 360° turntable spin, shot not rendered | From US$90 per product |
| Drone, on location in or around Shanghai | From US$450 per day |
Every cut is delivered in 16:9 for your listing and website, 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and 1:1 for feed posts — three ratios, one price. Subtitles and a licensed music track come with a commercial licence letter.
Three working days gets you the first cut, made to the shot list or script you have already signed off, and two rounds of revisions on that cut are free. The three days start once all three of these are in: the shot list or script agreed, the deposit received, and the samples physically at the studio.
Video with models, a built set or a written narrative is a project, not a unit, and we quote it from the script.
CGI and 3D product visualisation — from US$179 per still image
From US$179 per still image — C4D and 3ds Max, in house| Deliverable | Price |
|---|---|
| 3D modelling, per product — charged once, model reusable | From US$410 |
| Still render, per still image | From US$179 |
| Animation, per second — animation only, five seconds minimum | US$120–150 |
| Typical complete project, modelling and animation together | US$1,800–2,500 |
A 3D job is two lines, not one. The model is built once, from US$410 per product, and after that it can be re-lit, re-coloured and re-animated without being rebuilt. Animation is charged on top of it by the second, and that per-second rate is for the animation only — it does not include the modelling. Rigid movement such as a rotation or an exploded assembly sits at the bottom of the band. Simulated liquid, cloth, glass and transparency sit at the top, because those are solved image by image.
Two worked examples, so you can see how it adds up
| Scope | How it is built | Total |
|---|---|---|
| One new product, one still image | Modelling US$410 + one still from US$179 | From US$589 |
| One new product, 10 seconds of animation | Modelling US$410 + 10 × US$120–150 | US$1,610–1,910 |
Both examples cover modelling and rendering only. Script and storyboard work, licensed music, voice-over and subtitles are itemised separately, which is why a finished campaign project typically lands in the US$1,800–2,500 band above rather than at the example totals.
Two in-house 3D artists working in Cinema 4D and 3ds Max. First draft in ten working days. We have delivered animation for blood-glucose meters, injection pens and footwear — the kind of work where the inside of the product matters as much as the outside, and where no camera can go. Full detail and worked examples are on the video production page.
CGI is also the honest answer when a product does not exist yet. We can build listing images from your CAD files or technical drawings before the first production sample is off the line.
Included at no extra charge
Every one of these is a line item at most studios. None of them is a line item here.
- Transparent-background PNG alongside every white-background image. Most studios bill US$3–17 per image for this.
- Sample shipping anywhere in China — inbound to the studio. It is already inside the prices on this page, so there is no freight line on your quote.
- Extra aspect ratios — 1:1, 4:5, 16:9, 9:16 — exported for whichever platforms you sell on.
- RAW conversion and colour management, matched to the physical sample rather than to a screen.
- Two rounds of retouching revisions on every quote.
- Re-delivery at no charge if a marketplace rejects a main image on specification. If we shot it off-brief, we reshoot it at our own cost.
- Sample collection in person in the Shanghai area, and steaming and preparation of every garment before it goes in front of the camera.
Sample shipping is free within mainland China. If your samples are coming from outside China, you cover that leg and your own customs charges — in practice most of our clients have the goods made here, so the samples ship domestically and this never arises.
Volume and annual framework pricing
Ghost mannequin, flat lay and on-model have their own published structures above. For every other service, this ladder applies automatically — you do not have to negotiate it out of us.
| Quantity in one order | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| 1–19 units | List price |
| 20–49 units | −10% |
| 50–99 units | −15% |
| 100 units and above | Quoted against your shot list |
Four rules that decide what your tier actually is
- A tier applies to the whole batch. Reach it and every unit in the order moves to that price, not just the units above the threshold.
- Quantity is counted per order. One order, one count. We do not ask you to commit to a yearly total to unlock a tier — that is what the annual framework below is for.
- Services are counted separately. Twenty garments of ghost mannequin and twenty of flat lay are two orders of twenty, not one of forty. Each line is a different shooting and retouching process, so each has its own count. If one product needs several services at once, we price each service and then talk about the total — ask us.
- Four things never discount: the model fee, hair and make-up, props and set building, and any courier we book on your behalf — returning your samples to you, or anything crossing a border. Those are costs we pass through at what they cost us, so there is nothing in them to reduce. Inbound sample shipping within mainland China is not on that list: it is already inside the prices above and is never billed to you.
Annual framework
If you are putting 200 or more units a year through us, we will lock your unit price for twelve months. What that buys you beyond the price is the part that matters to a brand:
- Priority scheduling. Your drop dates are fixed; our calendar is not. Framework clients are booked first, including in the pre-season crush.
- Sample storage at the studio, so repeat and carry-over styles never need shipping twice.
- The same retoucher every season. This is the real reason brands stay: collar construction, white point, shadow weight and crop all stay identical across seasons, so your catalogue does not visibly change hands halfway down the page.
- One free re-edit per style if something turns out wrong after the listing goes live.
How fast is delivery?
Working days, and the clock starts when all three of these are in: the shot list agreed, the deposit received, and your samples physically at the studio. Whichever of the three arrives last is the one that starts the count. We work to China Standard Time, UTC+8.
| Job | Delivery |
|---|---|
| White background, up to 10 products — rush track, 5 to 11 images each | 24 hours |
| White background, standard batch | 3–5 working days |
| Ghost mannequin, up to 10 garments | 3 working days |
| Ghost mannequin, 100 garments | 10–12 working days, first batch within 5 |
| Video, first cut | 3 working days, plus 2 free revision rounds |
| CGI, first draft | 10 working days |
Large apparel orders are delivered in batches as they clear retouching, not held back to the end — you can start building listings in week one. Highly reflective and transparent goods are not on the 24-hour track — glass, mirror, polished metal, high-gloss and jewellery all need a different lighting build, and rushing that is how you get images a marketplace rejects. Rush work beyond the track is charged at +30% and shown as its own line on the quote, never applied silently.
Currency, payment and image rights
We invoice in US dollars and take payment by bank transfer (T/T), company to company, into our registered corporate account. If your finance team would rather pay into a local-currency account in your own country, say so at quoting stage and we will arrange it. On a first order, new clients pay 50% to start and 50% before the finished files are released. There is no minimum spend and no minimum number of products — a single piece is a real order. You receive a US dollar commercial invoice for your records, and an itemised quote holds for 30 days from the day we send it.
Full and unrestricted ownership of every delivered image transfers to you — worldwide, in perpetuity, for marketplace listings, your own website, paid advertising, print, packaging and social media. We do not charge separately for usage rights, media, territory or duration, and we will sign your NDA before you send anything.
We do not publish your product, and we do not publish your name
This matters more to a private-label seller than any price on this page, so we will be explicit about it, including about the one thing we do keep. We do not publish client names or client logos anywhere, ever. And until your product is publicly launched we do not post your images, do not use the shoot in a case study, on social media or in a pitch to anyone — as far as the outside world is concerned the shoot does not exist.
After your public launch, our contract does let us show a few frames in our own portfolio, non-commercially, with your branding and any identifying detail removed. That is the one reservation, and we would rather you read it here than find it in the contract. If you would rather we did not, tell us in writing and we won’t — it is one line in the order confirmation and it costs you nothing. Work shown on this site is either our own or anonymised on exactly that basis.
Your samples, your tech packs, your launch dates and your shot list are treated the same way. Your competitor will not learn what you are launching from us.
Pricing questions
How much does ghost mannequin photography cost per garment?
US$45 per garment for 9 to 11 finished images — three main angles (front, 45° side and back) plus the detail shots the piece needs, with no extra charge for them. US$38 per garment from 50 garments, and US$68 per garment on orders under 10. The tier applies to the whole batch once you reach it: nine garments are US$68 each, and a tenth moves all ten to US$45.
What exactly does “per garment” mean? Do different colours count separately?
We bill per piece, and one piece is one physical item. The size does not change it, the colour does not change it, the SKU does not change it, and it does not matter whether the piece is a top, a bottom or part of a set. That price buys one complete shoot flow — two or more main angles plus the detail shots. A two-piece outfit is therefore two pieces, with the second piece at 80%. A repeat style in another colour where you want the main angles only and no details is not a second piece at all: it is billed per image at US$9 per main angle, so three angles come to US$27, provided the colourways arrive in the same batch. Colourways sent later are shot as new pieces.
Is there a minimum order or a minimum spend?
No to both. There is no minimum number of products, no minimum project size and no minimum spend. Orders of fewer than 10 garments are simply priced at US$68 per garment instead of US$45. A single piece is a real order and we will quote it.
Do you charge extra for detail shots?
No. The detail shots are inside the per-piece price, which is why the deliverable is 9 to 11 finished images rather than a fixed three. Some pieces have one selling point and some have eight; we would rather photograph all of them than have you choose. Which angles you get is agreed with you in the shot list before we shoot, so the list is settled before the invoice is. Images you add after that list is agreed are quoted separately, so you are never charged for a shoot flow we did not run.
Do you charge extra for transparent PNG files or additional aspect ratios?
No. A transparent-background PNG is delivered alongside every white-background image, and 1:1, 4:5, 16:9 and 9:16 exports are included on request. Many studios bill US$3–17 per image for a cut-out PNG alone.
How much does a day of on-model photography cost, and does it include the model?
Photography and retouching are US$2,600 for a studio day of up to 20 looks, which works out at US$130 per look. The model, hair and make-up are not in that figure: they are US$1,750 to US$2,250 for an 8-hour day cast in Shanghai, itemised on your quote. A full 20-look day is therefore US$4,350 to US$4,850 all in for 80 to 120 retouched images, with the studio, lighting, styling and the signed portrait release included. We publish both numbers so that nothing lands on your invoice later.
How fast can you deliver, and when does the clock start?
The clock starts when all three of these are in: the shot list agreed, the deposit received, and your samples physically at the studio. From there: ten garments of ghost mannequin in three working days; one hundred garments in 10 to 12 working days, delivered in batches with the first batch inside five days; and on the rush track, up to ten products on white background finished and retouched within 24 hours, 5 to 11 images each. Highly reflective and transparent goods — glass, mirror, polished metal, high-gloss and jewellery — are not on the 24-hour track.
Do you really photograph the first piece free?
Yes, and the shipping within China is on us too. Send one piece and we shoot and retouch the complete set — three main angles plus the detail shots — and send you the finished files with no watermark and no obligation to order. Four limits: it is still photography only, with no video; it does not cover highly reflective or transparent goods, which need a different lighting build; it is one piece, once, for a new client; and we confirm the category and the sample with you first. We ask you to tell us roughly how many styles are coming, so we can confirm we can absorb your volume.
Who pays to ship the samples to you?
We do, anywhere in mainland China. Sample shipping is already inside the prices on this page, so there is no freight line on your quote and nothing for you to arrange. If your samples are coming from outside China you cover that leg and your own customs charges, but in practice most of our clients have the goods made here, so the samples ship domestically and this never comes up.
What currency do you invoice in, and who owns the images?
We invoice in US dollars and take payment by bank transfer (T/T), company to company, into our registered corporate account. On a first order, new clients pay 50% to start and 50% before the finished files are released. Full and unrestricted ownership of every delivered image transfers to you, worldwide and in perpetuity, with no separate fee for usage, media, territory or duration. We also do not publish client names or logos, ever, and nothing from your shoot is shown anywhere before your product is publicly launched. After your launch our contract lets us show a few frames in our own portfolio, non-commercially, with your branding and any identifying detail removed; if you would rather we did not, tell us in writing and we won’t.
Twenty more answers — samples, customs, NDAs, Amazon specification, revisions and shipping — are on our frequently asked questions page.
Send one garment. We will shoot it free.
Tell us what you are selling and roughly how many styles are coming, and you will have an itemised quote against your shot list within one working day — priced per deliverable, never per hour. English-speaking contact, no WeChat required.