This past week I was talking with some fellow photographer friends about pricing, and how I was told that my pricing was more than this prospective client wanted to pay. This led to us discussing what consumers don't really understand about how we price our products, partly because there are so many photographers pricing things so drastically different! It's no wonder that those who aren't in the photography business don't know what photography services are worth!
A picture is worth a thousand words right, but what about a thousand dollars? To some it may be, to other it's not! It is, of course, up to each individual what you think a product is worth. I think this is based on what you personally value and how much you are willing to pay for an experience that goes along with said product. If you go to a store and the staff is really rude to you, you don't want to spend your money there. (I think of Pretty Woman here...“Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.”) But if you have a good experience, you will want to keep going back to that business right? That is my goal as a photographer, to give my clients an experience that makes them want to call me every time they need photos, not just for one session. I want to develop relationships that go beyond a single photo session, and I want my clients to trust me to take care of their photographic needs.
I think being transparent is a part of earning trust. So, I want to tell you about some of the things that go into what a photography business has to consider when creating a price list. This of course is more than just the paper that a photo is printed on, so I hope this blog may help you understand why photographers charge what they feel is fair for their business.
These are the things that go into the cost of a photograph:
1. Experience and education. I have been taking photos "professionally" for 15 years. I put that in quotes because when I started I was far from my current level of expertise, so of course my prices have increased over the years. Over the years I have refined my style and technique by continuously seeking out more knowledge. Three years ago I went through the process of becoming a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) to show that I have a level expertise that differentiates me from a great majority of the photographers in my area.
2. Equipment. My camera and lenses are an investment equal to or more than a car. Then you add in all of my lighting equipment, memory cards, backgrounds and props...it's a good thing my husband doesn't see my business credit card bill!
3. Expertise with lighting. Refer back to point one, and this is where the difference between a CPP and your average photographer who meets you in a park with just a camera or maybe a camera with a flash on the camera comes into play. I take light with me everywhere I go so that I can supplement the light and use light to make you look your very best. I know where to position my lights to be the most flattering for you.
4. Expertise with posing. I know how to help you pose to flatter your body and hide those flaws that we all hate in ourselves...no more double chin!
5. The ability to get kids to smile in photos. With 13 years of experience as a pediatric occupational therapist, I have a great deal of patience and lots of tricks to help get your kiddos to smile for photos!
6. A creative eye. Just because a background doesn't seem glamorous, that doesn't mean that it can't be beautiful with the right lighting and techniques. Using different angles and being able to see the beauty in a situation is a big part of what I do!
7. Professional editing. In the beginning, I truly didn't do very much editing to my photos, just a little brightening or adjusting color. Now, while I mostly want to get things right in the camera, I also do fix things like a background if it's a bit wrinkled, or if there is something distracting in the background that I couldn't remove at the time of the session. I also can edit your skin so that you still look like yourself but just a bit more polished. I once had a mom say that "Now it looks like I got a good night's sleep!" when I edited a family photo for a newborn session.
8. Software and subscriptions. I use Lightroom and Photoshop for editing my photos, but there are also many other subscriptions that I have to pay for yearly to keep my business going.
9. Storage of files. I have so many external hard drives to back up files, along with online storage. I back up all my files in multiple locations.
10. Professional organizations. I am a member of our state organization (Missouri Professional Photographers Association), our 4 state regional organization (Professional Photographers of the Ozarks) and the Professional Photographers of America. I am a part of these groups to continue my education and to establish myself as a professional. I am also a board member for my local chamber of commerce that helps to serve our local community by supporting other local businesses and non-profits.
11. License and insurance. I have to keep my business license current, and all of that equipment has to be insured, along with having liability insurance.
12. A professional lab. All of my products come from a professional lab that ensures that the color will be true to my work and you will have a beautiful product to preserve your memories for generations to come!
To tie it all together in a nice little package, the cost that factors into every step of creating a photograph is the time that goes into every step of the process. This is the factor that I initially didn't include because it seemed more obvious, but it may not be obvious to others so here it is. The time spent preparing for a session, charging batteries and preparing mentally. The time to set up for a session. The time during a session. The time tearing down and cleaning after a session. I talked about editing, but before that there is the time to get the images loaded to the computer, culled and ready to preview before showing them to clients. Then the time to reveal images to clients and select favorites. Then comes the time to get the order ready to be delivered. There is so much time that goes into delivering even a single image. And that doesn't count the time spent on marketing, social media, networking, etc. to help with building and maintaining a business.
So you see, there is so much more that goes into a photo than me clicking the shutter. I absolutely LOVE what I do and I would love to give it away because it does make me happy, but I also have a business to run. If you have a deck built you aren't just paying for the boards, but all the tools and expertise of a professional that knows how to make a sound structure that you will be safe to walk on and entertain guests. You don't expect to go to a restaurant and just get the ingredients to a meal. You pay them for the expertise of the chef and the atmosphere of the restaurant.
If you want beautiful images that you are proud to display in your home, I hope that this helps you understand that the recipe to creating great photos includes a lot of ingredients and all of these go into the price for a finished product of photography!
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