Prices by type of shoot
All prices are from photographers' and operators' own published lists, checked on 13 October 2026. They are asking prices, not market statistics; some exclude VAT.
| Type | Example package | Price | Finished photos | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couple | Mini, 45 min, 1 location | AED 399 | 8 retouched | ShootEmpire |
| Couple | Story + reel, 90 min | AED 999 | 20 + 1 reel | ShootEmpire |
| Couple or family | 1 hour | AED 950 | 30 edited | Pixelicious |
| Family | Standard, 60–75 min, up to 6 people | AED 649 | 15 retouched | ShootEmpire |
| Family | 60 min, 1 location | AED 1,800 | 25 edited | Zahra Ali |
| Family | Up to 1 hour | AED 1,295 | 12 edited + 1 print | Stills by Rohit |
| Maternity | Outdoor, 1 hour, flying dress included | AED 499 | 15 edited + reel | ZH Photography |
| Maternity | Same, with hair, make-up and transport | AED 1,199 | 15 edited + reel | ZH Photography |
| Mini session (maternity, couples) | 20 minutes | AED 1,299 | 5 edited | Maisie Eden |
| Desert flying dress | Tour with car and dress, about 4 hours | AED 1,599 per car | Varies | Desert Safari Travels |
| Supercar, parked | 30-minute package | AED 499 | 10 photos + 1 reel | GWFX Digital |
| Yacht | Small yacht rental only (33–44 ft) | AED 379–599 per hour | Photographer extra | Yacht in Dubai |
Each themed shoot has its own guide with the rules and hidden costs: yacht, desert, supercar. For business portraits see headshots and LinkedIn photos.
The number to compare: price per finished photo
Packages differ in minutes and images, so the headline price misleads. Divide by the number of finished photos:
| Package | Calculation | Per photo |
|---|---|---|
| Pixelicious, 1 hour | AED 950 ÷ 30 | ~AED 32 |
| ShootEmpire Family Standard | AED 649 ÷ 15 | ~AED 43 |
| ShootEmpire Couple Mini | AED 399 ÷ 8 | ~AED 50 |
| Zahra Ali, 60 min | AED 1,800 ÷ 25 | AED 72 |
| Stills by Rohit, 1 hour | AED 1,295 ÷ 12 | ~AED 108 |
| Maisie Eden mini | AED 1,299 ÷ 5 | ~AED 260 |
Cheaper per photo is not automatically better. Higher-priced photographers sell planning, direction and style. But extra photos are usually priced above the package average: Stills by Rohit charges AED 70 per extra image, Maisie Eden AED 160, ShootEmpire AED 25–50. Choose the package with the number of photos you will actually use.
What a portfolio shoot should cost
A post on r/dubai describes a common case: a modelling agency asked a beginner to pay for a portfolio, "The agency is charging 6,000 AED for this service, which I find quite expensive". For comparison, studio hire in Dubai is about AED 320–750 an hour, and photographers' hourly rates are in what a photographer costs. Ask for the price broken into studio, photographer, styling and number of retouched images before you pay. Model day rates and usage fees are in model fees in Dubai.
When to book
In our Google Trends pull for the UAE (five years), searches for "photoshoot dubai" peak in December and January. The reasons are visible on the calendar: cool weather, holidays, visitors, New Year. Photographers' best slots fill first; Pixelicious advises 2–4 weeks' notice, or 2–3 months for peak dates.
Light matters more than the date. Sunset in Dubai is earliest, around 17:30, from mid-November to mid-December, so a golden-hour slot starts around 16:30. Exact times by month are in golden hour in Dubai. December and January also bring morning fog.
Rules that change the plan
- Landmarks and malls set their own camera rules; many ban professional cameras or tripods or require management approval. See photography rules at Dubai landmarks.
- Commercial shoots need a Dubai filming permit: AED 520 per application, plus location fees. See Dubai filming permit.
- Other people in the frame need consent before you publish; the penalties are serious. See photographing people and UAE law.
- Yachts must be chartered from operators licensed by the Dubai Maritime Authority; see the yacht guide.
What nobody tells you
Location fees are yours. Stills by Rohit's terms, for example, state that resort and garden fees are paid by the client on top of the package.
"All photos" usually means unedited. Packages that include "all unedited photos" still retouch only the stated number.
Travel is extra outside the base area. One photographer charges AED 2.5 per km beyond 10 km; others add a flat fee for Abu Dhabi and other emirates.
Weather reschedules, not refunds. Deposits are often non-refundable; Stills by Rohit, for one, reschedules for bad weather but does not refund.
Our prices
| Savage Media | Special offer | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| One-off photo shoot | from AED 950 | Photos from 24 hours |
| Lifestyle Day | AED 5,500 per day | Supercar, yacht or penthouse day: 4+ reels and 20+ photos |
For brands we also shoot product, food and real estate; see product photography and our photographer page.
