Skip to content

FREE INVOICE TEMPLATE

Photography invoice.
Clear, complete, paid.

An editable photography invoice with shoot fees, usage licence, booking fee, plus a filled-in example. Download it for Word, Excel or Google Docs without an email gate.

Word, Excel, Google Docs and PDF. No email required.

Last updated

INVOICETemplate preview · Example
01

Bill to

Juniper Skincare, with contact, address and PO reference.

02

Line item

Shoot day: Full day, studio and on location. 1 day at $1,600.00.

03

Total due

$3,850.00, due in 14 days.

04

How to pay

Bank transfer details or a card payment link, and your late payment terms.

What to include on a photography invoice

A photography invoice is a request for payment for work you’ve delivered. It needs to be clear enough that the client’s accounts team can approve it without coming back to you.

FieldWhy it matters
Invoice number and dateUnique, sequential numbers make payments easy to match and keep tax records tidy.
Your details and the client’sBusiness names, addresses and, if registered, your tax or VAT number.
Line itemsWhat you did, how much and at what rate, in terms the client recognises from the agreement.
Due date and how to payAn actual date, bank details or a payment link, and any late payment terms.
Usage licenceStates what the client may do with the images
Booking fee paidDeducts the deposit from the balance

How photographers usually bill

Photographers usually charge a creative or shoot fee, editing per image, and a separate usage licence, plus expenses such as studio hire.

  • Take a booking fee to secure the date and deduct it on the final invoice.
  • Put the usage licence on its own line so its value is clear.
  • Deliver full-resolution files once the invoice is paid.

Example: billing a product and lifestyle shoot

Coldwater Photography took a booking fee to hold the shoot date and deducts it on the final invoice. The usage licence (web and social, two years) is its own line, so if Juniper later wants print rights, the new licence is easy to price.

The template

Invoice details

  • Invoice number: [INV-0001]
  • Invoice date: [Date]
  • Due date: [Date — e.g. 14 days after the invoice date]
  • Usage licence: [Usage licence]
  • Booking fee paid: [Booking fee paid]

From

  • Business name: [Your business name]
  • Address: [Address]
  • Email: [Email]
  • Tax or VAT number: [If registered]

Bill to

  • Client: [Client company]
  • Contact: [Name, email]
  • Address: [Address]
  • Client reference or PO: [If provided]

Line items

ItemDescriptionQty / timeRateAmount
Shoot day[Full day, studio and on location][Qty][Rate][Amount]
Editing and retouching[40 final images][Qty][Rate][Amount]
Usage licence[Web and social, 2 years, worldwide][Qty][Rate][Amount]
Studio hire[At cost][Qty][Rate][Amount]

Totals

  • Subtotal: [Amount]
  • Discount: [If any]
  • Tax: [Rate and amount, if you’re registered]
  • Total due: [Amount and currency]

Payment

  • Payment terms: [e.g. 14 days]
  • How to pay: [Bank details or payment link]
  • Late payment: [Your late payment terms, if any]

Notes

[Anything the client needs to know, such as what the invoice covers, a reference to the approved quote or timesheet, or when final files will be released.]

How to fill it in

  1. Add your business details and the client’s, including any purchase order or reference they gave you.
  2. Give the invoice the next number in your sequence and set the invoice and due dates.
  3. List each item of work using the same names as your quote or agreement, such as “Shoot day”.
  4. Show quantities, rates and amounts, then the subtotal, any discount, tax if you’re registered, and the total.
  5. Fill in the usage licence and booking fee paid, then add how to pay and your payment terms.
  6. Check it against the agreement, attach what backs it up (for photographers, usually states what the client may do with the images), and send it as a PDF or payment link.

Use it in Word, Excel, Google Docs or PDF

Microsoft Word

  1. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
  2. Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
  3. Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.

Google Docs

  1. Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
  2. Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
  3. Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.

Excel and Google Sheets

  1. Download the Excel (.xlsx) file. It has a blank sheet and a worked example.
  2. Enter quantities, hours and rates: amounts, totals and tax calculate with built-in formulas.
  3. To use Google Sheets, upload the file to Drive and choose Open with → Google Sheets; the formulas carry over.

PDF

Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).

Example: Coldwater Photography invoice for Juniper Skincare

A filled-in example for a product and lifestyle shoot. Both companies are fictional.

Invoice details

  • Invoice number: INV-0142
  • Invoice date: 3 June
  • Due date: 17 June
  • From: Coldwater Photography
  • Bill to: Juniper Skincare

Line items

ItemDescriptionQty / timeRateAmount
Shoot dayFull day, studio and on location1 day$1,600.00$1,600.00
Editing and retouching40 final images40 items$25.00$1,000.00
Usage licenceWeb and social, 2 years, worldwideFixed fee$800.00$800.00
Studio hireAt cost1 day$450.00$450.00

Totals

  • Subtotal: $3,850.00
  • Tax: Not charged in this example
  • Total due: $3,850.00
  • Payment terms: 14 days, by bank transfer or card link

Notes

Thank you for your business. Please quote the invoice number with your payment.

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

Useful structure.
Your way of working.

01

Bill in the client’s language.

Name each line the way your quote or agreement did. If the client can match “Shoot day” to what they approved, the invoice gets paid without questions.

02

Bill the way photographers get paid.

Take a booking fee to secure the date and deduct it on the final invoice. Photographers usually charge a creative or shoot fee, editing per image, and a separate usage licence, plus expenses such as studio hire.

03

Keep the evidence close.

Deliver full-resolution files once the invoice is paid. Reference the approved quote, timesheet or report behind each invoice, so any query is answered in one message.

GOOD QUESTIONS

Before you download.

Talk to us
Should a photography invoice include usage rights?

Yes. Listing the licence (use, territory and period) on the invoice records what the client paid for and makes it easier to charge for extra usage later.

What payment terms should I put on an invoice?

Fourteen or thirty days are the most common. Write the actual due date on the invoice as well as the terms, and include every way the client can pay.

Do I need to number my invoices?

Yes. Give every invoice a unique number in sequence, such as INV-0042. It makes payments easy to match and is required for tax records in many countries.

Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?

Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.

Does the Excel version calculate totals?

Yes. Enter quantities, hours and rates and the amounts, subtotal, tax and total calculate automatically. It also works in Google Sheets: upload it to Drive and open it with Google Sheets.

THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE, IN ORDER

Good habits. A shared home.

Bring the work you share with clients into one place.