Here’s What You’re Really Investing In

If you’ve been looking at my gallery and wondering what an underwater photoshoot costs, I want to be upfront with you. I also want to give you the full picture, because the price makes a lot more sense when you understand what actually goes into it.

The Session Fee

My session fee is $300, which is paid upfront to confirm your booking. This covers the cost of renting the private heated pool and having a qualified safety swimmer on site for your shoot. It’s your starting point, and it’s the only thing you need to commit to before we’ve even met.

What People Typically Invest

On average, clients invest around $1,500 for a package of 12 edited images. Some invest less, some invest more. It depends entirely on what you choose at your reveal session. You never buy anything you don’t love. For a full breakdown of digital packages, wall art, albums, and printed products, visit my Investment page here.

What You’re Actually Paying For

This is the part most photographers don’t talk about, and the part I think matters most.

When you book an underwater photoshoot with me, you’re not paying for 2 to 3 hours of my time in the pool. You’re paying for an entire day of work, and then some.

The day before your shoot, I’m already working. I charge all my batteries: camera, GoPro, strobes. I set up my underwater housing, lubricate the o-rings to make sure the seal is watertight, connect the leads from my housing to the strobes and trigger, and test everything to make sure it’s all working. That’s 20 to 25 minutes just for the camera alone. Then I gather everything else: backdrops, weights, sandbags, light stands, my custom PVC backdrop holder, the life ring, the ladder I position above the pool for clients in the deep end, the flower swing, props. I carry all of it down from my office and pack it into my car. By the time I’m done preparing, I’ve already put in one to two hours before your shoot day has even started.

On shoot day, I arrive at 6am to spend an hour setting everything up before you arrive at 7am. Then we do your shoot. And when we wrap, everything is wet and heavy: backdrops, clothing, props. It all needs to come out of the pool and go back into the car. That’s another 30 minutes of physical work.

Cleanup

When I get home, the real clean-up begins. Everything that’s been in the pool gets rinsed in fresh water: the camera housing, the lights, the life ring, the weights, the props. The backdrops and all the clothing go straight into the washing machine, sometimes more than once to get the chlorine smell out completely. Light stands, sandbags, and safety equipment all need to be put away properly. That clean-up takes around two hours.

It’s genuinely a full day’s work, and most of it happens when you’re not there to see it.

Then the editing begins. After I’ve showered and uploaded everything to my computer, I spend about an hour carefully going through all the images to select the best ones for your reveal session. Once you’ve chosen your favourites, I get to work on the editing, and this is where the real artistry happens. Each image takes me one to two hours to edit. For a package of 12 images, that’s up to 24 hours of work, just in post-production alone.

I love every part of this process. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I want you to understand what’s behind the price, because it’s never just a number.

Payment Plans

I know that investing in photography can feel like a big decision, which is why I offer flexible payment plans.

You can spread your purchase over 4, 8, 12, or 16 weeks, with equal weekly or fortnightly instalments. Invoices are generated each Monday with payment due by the following Friday. An initial payment is required to get started, and you’re welcome to pay off your balance early whenever you’re ready.

No images are released until the balance is paid in full.

Is This Right for You?

My work is not for everyone, and I mean that genuinely: not as a disclaimer, but as a courtesy.

If you’re looking for the quickest or cheapest option, I’m probably not your photographer, and that’s okay. But if you’re someone who wants something truly extraordinary: an experience that’s been thoughtfully designed from start to finish, images that are genuinely unlike anything you’ve seen before, and artwork you’ll be proud to hang on your wall for the rest of your life, then this was made for you.

My clients come to me because they want something bespoke. Something that took courage, creativity, and care to create. They’re not just booking a photo session. They’re investing in an experience they’ll never forget and images they’ll treasure for decades. That’s what I’m here to create, and it’s what drives every hour I put into this work.

Is It Worth It?

Every single client I’ve photographed has walked away with something they didn’t expect: images that genuinely surprise them, and an experience they’re proud they said yes to.

These aren’t snapshots. They’re artwork created specifically for you, from an experience unlike anything else you’ll ever do. And unlike most things you spend money on, they only become more valuable with time.

If you’d like to talk through what’s right for you, get in touch here. No pressure, no obligation, just an honest conversation.

Based in Cairns, Queensland. Available for pool portrait sessions, maternity, boudoir, family, and bridal shoots.