Invoicing for photographers: Tips and free templates (2024)

Are you a photographer looking to create and send an invoice? Then you’ve come to the right place! Our guide will tell you all about invoicing for photographers and give you some tips for how to get paid promptly.

Invoicing – why is it so important?

Although it can be tedious, invoicing is one of the most important things you can do as a photographer.

When you run a business, you’re have to issue invoices for all your sales. Invoicing is also important to keep accurate records, which in turn makes preparing your tax returns much easier.

Moreover, invoicing ensures that you get paid for your work, which is kind of the point of running a business! Isn’t it? 💪

Let’s look at invoicing for photographers.

How do I make an invoice as a photographer?

There are three widely used invoicing methods in the photography industry:

• Photography invoice templates: Some photographers use invoice templates in Google Docs or other word processors to create invoices. With templates, you can tailor and customize invoices to your own needs. The downside, however, is that the invoicing process becomes unnecessarily complicated: Invoices are not sent automatically and you will have to make several manual calculations.

• Online invoice generator: A commonly used alternative to invoice templates are online invoice generators. The main advantage of using an invoice generator is that invoices are created relatively fast and, in some cases, they can be sent directly to your customer via email. The downside, however, is that online invoice generators do not help you store invoices, track payments, send payment reminders or keep accurate records of your sales.

• Invoicing software: The best option for most photographers is to use invoice software. One of the many benefits of invoice software is that you can generate invoices efficiently. Fields (such as date, invoice number, and your company information) are automatically filled out for you, and the only thing you need to do is to select the right customer and add the goods or services you’ve sold your customer. Most invoicing software also has smart functionality, such as automation. In Conta, for instance, you will soon be able to send multiple invoices simultaneously and automate the payment reminder process.

Create free invoices now

Invoicing for photographers – an example of what it looks like

Uncertain about how to get started making your own professional invoices? Preview a sample photography invoice below.

Hot tip! Add your own logo to the invoices for a more professional look.

See also: How to build a strong brand for your startup

Essential info to include on photography invoices

No matter what invoicing method you use, some key elements have to be included in a photography invoice. 

Here are five things you should include in your invoice:

• Your company name, address and contact information
• The name or company name of your customer, including address and contact information
• A unique invoice number
• An itemized list of goods and services
• The payment terms and due date
• The total amount due

Invoicing tips that will help you get paid fast

Make payment terms very clear

Be detailed and specific about when customers are expected to pay and how they should make the payment. This means including due date, payment method and late fee penalties. By making these terms clear from the very beginning, you will avoid confusion that can slow down the payment process.

Offer multiple payment options

Offer multiple payment options. Not everyone prefers to pay by bank transfer. You can improve the chances of getting paid on time – or paid early – by offering multiple payment options such as credit card, PayPal or other payment options.

Chase debts and unpaid invoices quickly

Sometimes invoices get lost – especially when dealing with private individuals. It’s your job to follow up on late payments! Don’t be afraid to send reminders or call customers to ensure they’re aware of the payment they owe you. 

Here are a few tips for chasing up payments in a polite and professional way:

• Use a friendly tone: Avoid sounding confrontational and reach out to your customers in a friendly and conversational manner.

• Be understanding: Show that you understand that invoices can get lost among other things or simply be forgotten about.

• Offer assistance: If the customer is having trouble paying you, be flexible and offer a payment plan or extended due date.

• Follow up: If you don’t manage to get ahold of the customer, don’t be afraid to try again. As a worst-case scenario, you can look into hiring a professional debt collector.

Free invoicing software for photographers

Most invoice software for small and medium businesses costs between $10 and $30 per month. There are, however, some free options!

Conta is a free cloud-based invoicing software that makes invoicing super easy. In Conta, you can create and send invoices for free. You will also soon get access to smart features such as recurring invoices and automated payment reminders.

As a photographer, Conta is a good option, especially if you provide services to both businesses and private individuals. With Conta, you can both send invoices via email (which often is preferred by private individuals) and as an e-invoice (which is the preferred alternative among many businesses). You can also download invoices as PDFs and send them via in the post.

See also: The benefits of electronic invoicing

Key reasons to sign up for Conta’s free invoicing software:

• Create professional invoices for free
• Customize with your logo and additional messages
• Send via email, as an e-invoice or download as PDF
• Recurring invoices (coming soon!)
• Automated payment reminders (coming soon!)

Create free invoices

Free invoicing template for photographers

If you decide to create invoices using an invoice template, despite the advantages free invoicing software, it’s important to know that there are several free invoicing templates online. 

We’ve created a variety of free invoice templates, available in these formats: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PDF, Google Docs, and Google Sheets.

To create an invoice using one of our free templates, follow these steps:

1. Download the template to your computer or Mac.
2. Open the template in Google Docs, Microsoft Word or Excel.
3. Add your business information and the invoice details, such as the number of hours you are charging for, price etc.
4. Save the invoice with a unique name, and print or email the invoice to your customer.

Make sure to customize the template to fit your needs. You can also use the template as a basis to create your own invoice template.

Conclusion: Invoicing for photographers

Regardless of whether you have experience with creating invoices or not, billing customers is a relatively easy process.

We recommend that you use free invoicing software because it will help you work efficiently and keep a record of your sales. But, if you are only planning to send one or two invoices a year, templates can be an alternative for you.

After sending your invoices, it’s important to make sure that payments are received on time. If they’re not, we recommend that you call your customers for a friendly reminder or resend the invoice from Conta.