If you’re a parent in the Denver area looking to book a family photo session, you’ve probably wondered: How much does it actually cost? What are you getting for that price? And most importantly, do I resonate with the photographer and their style?

Let’s break it down so you can feel confident in choosing the photographer and experience that’s right for your family.

Typical Price Range for a Family Photo Session in Denver

Family photography in Denver can range widely depending on the photographer’s experience, style, and what’s included in the session. Here’s a general breakdown:

• Mini sessions: $150–$500 (15-20 minute sessions, 20-30 images, on specific days, at specific locations, often seasonal or promotional)
• Standard sessions: $400–$800 (1-2 hour sessions, 60+ images are taken, sometimes images are provided and sometimes they are an additional charge, photographer may offer albums and wall art)
• Documentary or in-home sessions: $700–$1,500+ (longer storytelling sessions, 100+ images taken, may offer custom films or albums and wall art)

Keep in mind: the session fee often reflects more than just the time the photographer spends taking pictures.

What You’re Actually Paying For

When you invest in a family photographer, you’re paying for:

• Preparation + planning: A great family photo session starts long before the camera comes out. Some photographers send questionnaires to get to know your family and tailor the session to your personalities, routines, and interests.
• The photographer’s experience + artistic vision: Years of experience means your photographer can anticipate real moments, manage unpredictable toddler moods, and create an experience that feels effortless.
• Editing and post-production time: Professional photographers often spend more hours editing than they do shooting. From color correction, photo retouching, to storytelling curation, this is where the photographer brings the images to life.
• Access to professional equipment and tools: From lighting to lenses to backup gear, quality matters—and the photographer’s attention to quality is evident in the final images.
• Insurance: To protect their gear and to cover any unexpected injuries that might happen during a session.
• A personalized, relaxed experience: Especially with documentary sessions, time and trust matter. Photographers quietly blend into the background to capture emotional, genuine moments.
• Birth photography: Birth is a whole different commitment. It means your photographer is on-call, day or night, for weeks or months on end. It requires their phone to be on them at all times, volume on, even while sleeping. They’re prepared to leave their child’s birthday party, a massage, or an important family event the moment you need them. They have people ready to watch their children, or step in immediately whenever they need to rush off to a laboring mother. Therefore, their support system also needs to be on-call 24/7. They don’t travel to places where cell service is spotty. They drive separately to events that are far away and often say no to alcohol. All these things to be fully present and at their best for your birth, whenever it unexpectedly begins.

Some photographers also include:

• Outfit guidance and style boards tailored to your family’s vibe
• Location scouting to find unique spots
• Print credits, heirloom albums, wall art or keepsake boxes
• Short films that bring your family’s everyday magic to life

Why Prices Vary So Much

One photographer might charge $250 while another charges $1,250. There are many differentiating factors that aren’t so obvious on the surface.

• Experience matters: A seasoned photographer invests not only in their time with you, but in thousands of hours spent learning their camera, lighting, composition, and storytelling. Most photographers invest in classes and continuing education every year.
• Style differences: Traditional posed sessions are often fast and easy to replicate. Lifestyle or documentary sessions are typically at least 1 hour, take more trust and relationship building, and require the photographer to notice the subtle and emotional details of how your family relates to each other.
• What’s included: Some photographers email a handful of digital files; others give you full-resolution galleries, design beautiful storytelling albums, hand-edit artwork that matches your home decor and your style, or even edit custom films that bring your family moments to life.
• Business practices: Professional photographers also carry insurance, pay taxes, and maintain reliable backup systems for your precious memories so that you never have to worry about them getting lost.

Here’s something you won’t always read online: high-quality photographers limit how many families they serve so they can provide a more thoughtful, attentive experience. You’re not just buying photos. You’re investing in care and intention with someone who actually wants to preserve your memories as much as you do.

When to Book Your Photo Session and Why Timing Matters

Most full-time photographers in Denver book up several months in advance, especially during fall and early summer. Booking your family photo session early ensures:

• You get your favorite season and time (golden hour/sunset goes fast!)
• Help with outfits, location selection, and prepping your family
• Your photographer’s calendar doesn’t fill up since some photographers take a limited number of clients per month so they aren’t overbooked
• Your photographer has time to edit your images and films. If they meet with you to show you the pictures you’ll have to factor in time to schedule that appointment, help you design products, and give you the time you need to plan for prints, holiday cards, or gifts

Choosing The Right Photographer for You

The best photographer for your family is the one whose work makes you feel something when you look at it. When you see their photos you say to yourself, “I want pictures like that of my family!”

Whether you’re drawn to city backdrops, golden mountain sunsets, or cozy mornings at home with the people you love the most, there’s a photographer out there who can tell your family story in a way that is meaningful to you.

Think beyond just the price.

Years down the road, I promise that you’ll value and appreciate the photos that bring you back to those feelings of love and connection. If you spend money on pictures just because someone was cheap, often it feels like money wasted.

I know because I’ve been there. I don’t even look at those photos. However, the pictures that make me feel all nostalgic and bring me back to that special and fleeting postpartum time, all those emotions of holding my baby for the first time – these are the photos I look at over and over, print and display in our home, and count as priceless treasures.

Instead, ask yourself what’s most important:

• Is my goal just to have pictures of what we all look like in this time of our lives?
• Is it important that our photos that take me back to the feeling of when my kids were this little?
• Do I value these photos for my kids to look back on this time to remember how much they were adored?
• Do I want pictures in our home because it was the first home our kids grew up in and where we hold most of our memories?
• Do I want photos that feel relaxed and real?
• Will I regret not being in the photos with my kids?

If your answer is yes beyond the first question, it’s worth finding someone who can do more than pose you. You most likely want an experienced documentary photographer who can give you an experience and products that bring you back to all the emotions of life right now; all the meaningful moments of love and connection that you want to relive and you want your kids to be able to relive.

If you’re looking for a relaxed, meaningful experience that captures real moments (not just bribes and forced smiles), I’d love to connect. Email me here.

Want to know what to wear for your photoshoot? Check out my what to wear guide here.

Click here to know some of my favorite outside-the-home photo locations near Denver.