Photo set by creator tier
| Creator tierfollowers | Photo set (5 edited photos)per set | UGC video, 15 to 30sfor reference |
|---|---|---|
| Nanounder 5k followers | $175$100 to $250 | $150$100 to $250 |
| Micro5k to 25k followers | $225$125 to $350 | $225$150 to $350 |
| Mid25k to 100k followers | $350$200 to $550 | $375$250 to $600 |
| Established100k+ followers | $550$300 to $900 | $650$400 to $1,000 |
2026 planning estimates from our calculator model and public rate cards. Follower figures are real, from our 7 October 2026 index snapshot. Production columns are our UGC rate model, which prices by follower tier only: it has no niche or country input. Posted columns are our influencer engine at platform-typical engagement, organic use and no exclusivity. How these rates are modelled.
At the median creator in each niche
| Nichecreators | Median followersand tier | Photo set (5 edited photos)at the niche median |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming218 creators | 9,531micro tier | $225$125 to $350 |
| Sports80 creators | 2,896nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Arts and crafts43 creators | 2,303nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Food1,162 creators | 2,166nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Fitness3,697 creators | 1,914nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Coffee and drinks56 creators | 1,869nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Travel1,791 creators | 1,810nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Fashion1,831 creators | 1,783nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Trading334 creators | 1,589nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Education109 creators | 1,536nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Beauty5,512 creators | 1,440nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Parenting2,551 creators | 1,435nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Finance474 creators | 1,374nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Tech1,211 creators | 1,328nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Home1,478 creators | 1,226nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Productivity124 creators | 1,155nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Pets164 creators | 1,053nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
| Mental health378 creators | 986nano tier | $175$100 to $250 |
Gaming is the only niche whose median creator sits above nano tier; every other niche median lands on the nano figure.
What the index says about this line
A photo set is not a discount on a video. At nano tier it costs more than a short video ($175 against $150), at micro tier the two match, and from mid tier up it costs less ($550 against $650 at established). With 78% of the creators in our index at nano tier, the typical brand pays more for five stills than for a short video, the opposite of what most budgets assume. Small creators price stills as a separate shoot; larger ones treat them as a by-product of the video setup.
What moves the price
Retouching expectation
Edited means colour corrected and cropped, not retouched to catalogue standard. If you need skin or product retouching, that is a different skill and a different quote. Most UGC photo sets are better for being slightly imperfect, which is the whole point of the format.
Set consistency
Five images that look like one shoot are worth more than five good images that do not. Ask for a consistent setting and light. This is free to specify and expensive to fix afterwards.
Orientation mix
Product pages want square or portrait, ads want both, email wants landscape. Ask for the mix up front. A creator shooting for a known crop delivers usable images; one shooting blind delivers images you have to crop badly.
Briefing and negotiating it
Name the five shots. Product in hand, product in situ, product in use, detail, and lifestyle wide is a template that works for almost anything. Specify orientation, background and whether faces are needed. Photo briefs are the cheapest briefs to get right because a shot list is short, and they are the ones brands most often leave vague.
Buy the photo set alongside a video, never on its own. The setup, wardrobe and light are already paid for, so the marginal cost of stills at the end of a video shoot is the lowest cost content in the whole model. If you only need stills, order two sets from one creator rather than one set from two creators: the second set is cheap and the consistency is free.