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Beginner's guide to creating a photography invoice

4 min read

Mar 15, 2025

What to include on an invoice for photography work

To create professional invoices for photography services, your invoices should include the following essential information:

  • Your business details: your name, address, and contact information

  • Client details: the client’s name, address, and contact information

  • Invoice number and date: a unique number for record-keeping and the date the invoice was sent

  • Description of services: clearly outline the photography services rendered

  • Your hourly or project-based rate: the baseline cost for hiring your services on an hourly basis, or the cost per project

  • Itemized costs: a breakdown of costs for each service or product with a subtotal for each line item

  • Total amount due: the sum of all costs, including sales taxes

  • Payment terms: specify due date and acceptable payment methods, such as online payment, debit or credit card

  • Late payment fees: if applicable, clearly state consequences for overdue payments

  • Terms and conditions: outline any additional agreements or policies

A photographer points a camera at someone sitting on a stool in a studio.

How do I make my photography invoice look professional?

When creating any written communication—not just invoices, but also emails and letters—it's important to use a clear and concise font that's easy to read. Additionally, it's best to avoid using jargon or technical language that may be confusing to the client. These factors ensure that your message is easily understood by the recipient.

You should also maintain a polite and professional tone in all of your invoices. This helps to establish a positive relationship with the client, and reflects well on your business. Remember to always include your contact information, such as your phone number and email address, so that the client can easily reach out to you if they have any questions or concerns.

When sending invoices to clients, it's crucial to set out your payment details clearly. This includes specifying the due date for payment, any late fees that may apply, and the accepted methods of payment. Itemizing the costs on the invoice also makes it easier for clients to see exactly what they're being charged for.

Dropbox interface shows file management options, with a cursor selecting the Share button on a folder.

How to manage photography invoices with Dropbox

If you're not using invoicing software, but rather creating invoices manually as documents, Dropbox can be a helpful way to store, organize, and share your invoices.

Dropbox allows you to create new invoices as Microsoft Word documents or Google Docs, or you can upload your photography invoice template as a PDF that you can edit in Dropbox.

Edit PDFs online with Dropbox

Add, remove, rotate, and rearrange pages in your PDF invoice before sending it to your customer. All with a Dropbox account.

Photography invoicing made easy

Creating high-quality, accurate, and efficient invoices is essential for any professional photographer. With Dropbox, you can streamline your invoicing process and get paid faster.

Using Dropbox to edit, share, and manage your invoices means you’ll also have access to other Dropbox features that help you run your small business more efficiently. These include:

With Dropbox, you'll get access to all of these features and more. See how Dropbox can help you simplify your photography business today.

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