Investment

Choosing the right photographer for your needs is very important. It is an investment in your memories.

Today we live in a digital age where everyone has digital cameras and anyone can upload their photos to a local drug store website and pick them up a few hours later. I don’t always hear this, but I know people who aren’t photographers think it… “How in the world do photographers charge $25 for an 8×10 when they cost just $5.50 at the drug store?”

Well here’s why.

I’m just going to be super transparent here. Running a photography business, or any other small business, involves a lot more than you think. When it comes down to it, I’m not just charging you for the actual photographs. You’re also paying for my time and expertise, the education I’ve invested in, the expensive professional equipment it takes to capture the image in the first place, the professional computer equipment to ensure it is the best it can be, and the professional lab pricing that a professional photographer uses. On top of all of this, I need to make a profit. 

• I’ll start with showing you how much time is involved with just a simple package. (These numbers are why my family would love it if I would stick to my set business hours). 
• For a basic 60-90 minute portrait session on location:
• – 15-45 minutes of travel to and from the session
• – 60-90 minutes of shooting
• – 15 minutes of setup, preparation, preparing the client.
• – 30 minutes to load the photos onto a computer & to back up the files on an external drive
• – 15 minutes to cull through the session & choose the keepers
• – 1-2 hours of Lightroom editing time including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, and backing up the edited photographs
• – 1 hour preparing images for sneak peeks of the session
• – 30 minutes uploading images to online gallery and prepping to share the gallery with the client
• – 2 – 3 hours to communicate, answer questions, sending session questionnaires, receive their contract and payment, order their prints if necessary, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment and drop package off at UPS. 

Can you see where my family gets frustrated with me? Two hours turns into three hours and so on. So keep in mind when you’re being charged $300 for a session, no photographer is actually making $150/hr. In fact, many times, when I write down the hours, costs, wear on equipment, income tax, monthly expenses, etc…I’m making slightly above minimum wage. WHAT?! Crazy, but it’s true.

Now for the expertise.

There’s a lot of things I don’t feel like I’m an expert in, but I also fully believe the images I create come from talent and ability, rather than just from the work of an expensive camera. Photography is a skill I’ve acquired over years of practice. In addition to learning how to use the camera itself, I had to learn about all the other equipment that is involved and the money it takes to purchase these things, as well as numerous software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website etc. Equipment eventually gets old and needs to be replaced. Insurance is needed in case something fails. Computers have to be replaced and upgraded to continue to provide the best images that are expected and deserved. It is a never-ending process and my anxiety is increasing as I keep talking about it. 

Oh, and I can’t forget that it is important to actually have to have people skills, be able to communicate, and make people comfortable in front of the camera. It took me a long time figure out how to be “bossy” and really show my clients what to do. Oh, and posing people to make them look their best in a photograph is a skill all by itself. Good posing is so very important for good photos. On top of all that, I have to make sure this isn’t a torturous process and clients are actually enjoying themselves!

Love you guys!!

Ready to Begin?