How Much Does a Headshot Cost in the UK? (2026 Prices)
Last updated: 23/09/26 · Written by Matthew Burch
"How much is a headshot?" It's the question I'm asked more than any other, usually before anything else. And I understand why. Look around online, and you'll find prices that seem to have nothing to do with each other: one photographer charging less than a meal out, another charging more than a weekend away.
I've been photographing people for their business headshots for over 18 years, from a single consultant updating their LinkedIn to company teams of 100+. Here's how headshot pricing actually works, and how to tell whether a quote is fair.
The quick answer
Most professional headshot sessions in the UK cost somewhere between £100 and £350 for one person. Team and corporate headshots are normally quoted per person or as a half-day or full-day rate, and the more people being photographed, the less each one costs.
To put the extremes in context, a 2026 review of UK photographers' published prices by Whito found the cheapest headshots at £45 and the most expensive at £745, with most sessions priced between £110 and £350.
Why do headshot prices vary so much?
Mostly because the word "headshot" covers a lot of ground. Two photographers can use the same word and be offering very different things.
These are the usual reasons for the gap:
Experience. Someone starting will price lower than a photographer with years of work and a track record behind them.
Retouching. A quick brightness adjustment and careful, natural retouching are not the same job.
Number of finished images. Is it one image, or a selection you can use in different places?
Where you can use the photos. Some prices cover personal use only. Others include your website, marketing and press.
Studio or on-site. Visiting a studio costs less to deliver than a photographer arriving at your office with a full lighting kit.
Put two quotes side by side and the gap nearly always comes down to one of those five.
What are you actually paying for?
The shutter is open for about a 200th of a second. Everything else is what you're paying for.
Understanding the brief. Where will the photo appear? LinkedIn, your website, a conference programme, a tender document? Do you want to come across as warm, authoritative, creative? The answers shape how I light and direct you.
Lighting. Every face catches light differently. Getting it right for glasses, beards, grey hair, or darker skin tones is a craft in itself.
Direction. Almost everyone who sits in front of my camera tells me they hate having their photo taken. Much of my job is getting you out of the stiff, holding-your-breath smile and into an expression that looks like you mid-conversation. Better equipment can't do that part.
Editing and retouching. This takes longer than the shoot more often than not.
Delivery. Your files can be cropped and sized for the places they're going.
Behind the scenes. Equipment, insurance, software, travel and running a business.
How much does an individual headshot cost?
For one person, UK prices tend to fall into three broad levels:
Entry level (under £100): A short session, often a single image and light editing. It's a step up from a selfie if that's all you need.
Professional (roughly £100–£350): A proper session with direction, a choice of images, professional retouching and business use. Most consultants, business owners and professionals sit here.
Premium (£350 and up): Longer personal branding shoots, outfit changes, different locations, hair and makeup, and a larger library of images.
As a guide, I generally charge local clients around £350 for the headshot session
https://www.matthewburchphotography.co.uk/business-headshots
How much do corporate and team headshots cost?
Team headshots are priced differently. UK photographers commonly quote team work per person or as a half-day or full-day rate, rather than charging a session fee for each person.
The reason volume matters is simple. Setting up lights, backgrounds and a working space takes the same time whether I'm photographing three people or thirty. Book a single headshot and you're covering all that set-up for one person. Spread it across a full team and each person's share becomes much smaller.
"On a typical team day for a 30-person office, clients usually pay around £100 per person, including around six edited and polished retouched high resolution images each."
The things that shape a corporate headshot quote:
How many people. An estimate is fine to start.
Where. Your office in Surrey, Hampshire, London or elsewhere in the UK, and whether there's more than one site.
The room. Its size and ceiling height decide what lighting I can bring.
The look. White, dark or branded backgrounds, or a natural office setting.
Timings. How long each person can spare, and whether directors need longer.
Deadlines. A website launch, rebrand or annual report date.
We like detailed briefs. The more you tell me up front, the more accurate the quote.
Don't forget new starters
This is the cost most businesses forget. You invest in a smart, consistent set of team headshots, and within a few months new people join. Their photos come from somewhere else, with a different background, light and crop, and your team page starts to look patchy.
I keep a record of the lighting, background and framing from your shoot, so new starters can be photographed later and sit comfortably alongside everyone else. Whoever you book, ask about this before you commit.
https://www.matthewburchphotography.co.uk/corporate-teams-headshots
What should be included in a headshot package?
When you're comparing headshot photographers, these questions will show you what a price really covers:
How many retouched images come with it? What does an extra one cost?
How much retouching will be done? You want to look like yourself on a good day, not airbrushed.
Will I see a gallery and choose my favourites?
What crops and sizes do I get?3
Where am I allowed to use the photos? Website, marketing, proposals, press?
How soon will I get them?
Is travel included?
Can hair and makeup be arranged?
What if I'm not happy with the results?
For teams: can new starters be matched later on?
When a price looks surprisingly low, one of these answers usually explains it.
Is a cheap headshot a false economy?
It can be. Your headshot is your digital handshake. It's the first impression you make on LinkedIn, your website, your email signature and every proposal you send, often before anyone has heard your voice.
Here's a bit of simple maths I sometimes share with clients. Spend £350 on a headshot and use it for three years, and it works out at under 32p a day. If a cheaper photo is one you never quite like, never use, or replace within a year, it costs you more in the end.
What about AI headshots?
You'll have seen the adverts: send in a handful of selfies and get "studio" headshots back within minutes, for a fraction of the cost. The technology has improved, and for some people it does the job. But there are genuine questions about whether the results really look like you, how people react when they realise a photo is AI-generated, and how it sits with LinkedIn's rules on profile photos.
Headshot prices in Surrey, Hampshire and London
Location plays its part. London studios usually charge more, reflecting their rents and running costs. Across Surrey and Hampshire you can expect the same standard of work, often at a more comfortable price, particularly when the photographer comes to you.
I am based in Farnahm but I take a full portable studio to offices across Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, London and the rest of the UK, including: Guildford, Farnborough, Fleet, Woking, Basingstoke, Camberley and Aldershot. For team bookings https://www.matthewburchphotography.co.uk/corporate-teams-headshots
How to get an accurate headshot quote
Share these with your photographer and you'll get a clear, reliable price:
The number of people (an estimate is fine)
Where the shoot will take place and parking/access details
What the photos will be used for
The style you like (example images are a big help)
Room details, dimensions and ceiling heights are really usefil to know
Any deadlines you're working to
Frequently asked questions
How much is a LinkedIn headshot in the UK?
With an experienced photographer, a professional LinkedIn headshot usually costs between £100 and £350. That price normally includes direction, a choice of images and retouching.
How much do corporate headshots cost per person?
It depends on team size, location and how many images each person needs. Larger groups cost less per head because the set-up is shared.
How long does a headshot session take?
An individual session usually takes between 30 minutes and an hour. On team days, most people need 10 to 15 minutes.
Do you charge for travel? For me it depends on the distance and, frankly, the number of people, meaning the value of the job.
Can new starters be matched to our existing team headshots?
Yes. I know the lighting, background and framing details from your original shoot, so new team members can be photographed later and match the rest of the team.
Is hair and makeup available?
Yes. Professional hair and makeup can be added to individual and team sessions. Price on request.
Is VAT included? I am not VAT registered but you should ask and it should be detailed on the quote.
Ready for a quote?
Whether you need one headshot for LinkedIn or a whole team photographed at your office, I'm happy to talk it through. Tell me what you need, and I'll give you a clear, honest price, with no surprises later.
Over the years, I've photographed nervous first-timers, busy directors and entire companies. Most of them arrived saying they hated having their photo taken. Most of them left happy
About the author
Matthew Burch is a headshot and portrait photographer based near Farnham, Surrey, with over 18 years' experience photographing individuals, business owners and corporate teams across Surrey, Hampshire, London and the UK.