Time Tracking for Freelance Photographers and Videographers

Freelance photographers and videographers have a multi-phase billing problem that most time tracking tools aren't designed for. A shoot day is simple — it's one rate for one day. But the work before and after the shoot is where income gets lost: client briefing calls, location scouting, equipment prep, travel, the editing marathon, revision rounds, and delivery. Each phase is real work. Most of it goes unlogged.

The three phases that all need billing

Pre-production. Everything before the shutter opens: client calls, concept development, mood board creation, location scouting, logistics, equipment checks. This can represent 30-50% of the total time on a project. Most photographers undercharge for it or absorb it entirely.

The shoot. Typically billed as a half day or full day, regardless of exact hours. A day rate simplifies billing for both sides — the client knows what they're paying, you know what you're delivering. But if a shoot extends significantly beyond the agreed time, you need a record of when it started and when it finished.

Post-production. Editing, colour grading, audio mixing, retouching — this is where hours expand most unpredictably. A simple portrait edit might take two hours. A complex video with multiple interview subjects and motion graphics can take twenty or more. Track every editing session in real time.

Revision rounds: the billing conversation nobody wants

Most photography and video contracts include a set number of revision rounds. The problem is that "revision" is subjective — what the client considers a small change might be an hour of work. Without a session log recording when revision work was done and how long it took, that conversation is difficult to have.

Log each revision session separately with a short note: "Round 1 revisions — colour correction per client feedback." When you've delivered the contracted rounds and the client asks for more, your log shows exactly where you are. It's an objective record, not a memory.

Day rate logging vs hourly tracking

Most photographers bill shoot days at a flat day rate — not hourly. Cashlog supports this directly. For shoot days, log a full or half day in one click — no timer, no manual calculation. For pre-production and editing, use the live timer and log hourly. You can mix both approaches across the same project, and the invoice pulls it all together: shoot days at your day rate, editing at your hourly rate, all in one clean PDF.

Travel and pre-production communication

Travel to a location is billable in most commercial photography arrangements. Log it as a separate session entry — "Travel to and from location — 2.5 hours." It appears on the invoice as a distinct line item rather than buried in the shoot day.

The back-and-forth with clients before a shoot — brief calls, concept feedback, logistics coordination — is also real work. On a commercial project, pre-production communication can represent several hours. Track it consistently and you'll have the data to price the next similar project accurately, even if this one was absorbed as "included."