Time-lapse photography – Pricing and Fees
With short-term time-lapse, the sequence of events take place in a day or less, often just a few hours. But sometimes these projects can take 2 or 3 days. There are examples in the Projects section in the main menu. Short-term time-lapse is where I set up the cameras (often on a motion-controlled dolly), and stay with the cameras and monitor it during the shoot, and then break it all down afterwards. The cameras are the larger DSLRs which allow us fine control over the image quality and how the movement in the scene is rendered.
I use DSLR cameras (which offer us more control), rather than simpler options like GoPro cameras. Please check this article for the difference between the two options: GoPro timelapse vs DSLR cameras.
The fees are based on a Day Rate of $1800 for northern New Jersey; and $2,400 for New York.
Larger projects which need subsequent days of shooting, are priced on a sliding scale.
The fees mentioned here are tentative, due to the variables mentioned above. But it should give a good ball-park figure.
The deliverables are usually 1 to 3 short video clips in 1080p, but 4K video is also possible.
Contact me for more info, or to discuss your project.
Fee structure
This is a rough guide to the fees involved in shooting a project or event, using time-lapse. There are too many variables to immediately give a fixed rate, so please call me or email me so that we can discuss your project, and figure out what is possible.
To give you an idea of what is involved, and why the actual fee might vary – the pricing depends on:
- The scale of the event.
Some events need multiple cameras. Other events can be captured properly from just one camera viewpoint. Would dollies be needed to create cameras movement? Is a single static camera good enough? These are some of the considerations.
- Would an assist would be needed?
This would depend on how much gear is needed to capture the event. Then the security of the cameras if we shoot out on location, are also important. For example, if we shoot out on the streets of New York, then I will most likely need an assistant per camera.
- The deliverables after the project or event.
The deliverables are usually video clips in 1080p or 4K format. Some clients prefer the individual RAW files, without editing. Most clients want a finished video that includes music and title & credit slides. We would also have to figure out beforehand how long you need your video to be, because this will affect all kinds of technical decisions down the line such as the time-lapse interval and other camera settings.
- Some clients only need the unprocessed RAW files. In that instance, there is a 25% reduction of the creative fee.