I want to begin by saying that Im not complaining in this status, Im explaining some things.. 1st I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever came to me for photos no matter how big or small the shoot was, THANK YOU! I want to now explain prices and why they are what they are and why they are different than maybe the person next door. My prices vary and I run specials and discounts when I can or when I am needing to fill last minute opening and cancellations. I charge the prices I charge because this is my job, this is what I do to help provide for my family. I dont work another job and do this on the side as a hobby or for a little extra cash I actually buy necessities with what I dont invest back into my photography. I charge what I charge also because I have to keep investing to keep up with the changing trends and to have new sets so that I dont use the same set or props over and over, so that your session can have something that is different than the last session I shot. I also believe that you pay for experience and knowledge. I wouldnt expect to pay a lot for photos taken by someone who is just starting out and is just building a portfolio, I charged a lot less when I was in this phase of my career. I have also been to school and have a degree in photography and that alone doesnt make me a good photographer because with anything there are those who are great even without ever taking a class but I did go to school and learned skills that the average hobbyist may not know. I did work part time while in school and when I graduated I quit that job to be able to work hours that are flexible for my kids school schedule and so that I could completely devote myself to my chosen career and offer the best work possible to my clients. My prices are sometimes a bit more than the cheap photographers I see people asking for but that is because I also have quite a bit more invested with education, practice and equipment and not just having fun on the side which was actually more enjoyable at times because of less stress of having to be sure I can help pay the electric or buy groceries for the month since I had a part time job that paid me hourly. I do this full time so I work on my craft full time and with any service that is done by a full time experienced professional you pay more so you know you will have better service and better product/work. Im not the best and I still learn everyday and my prices reflect that. I am always trying to offer my photography at an affordable price that also benefits my needs of making enough profit to provide for my family. I offer payment options because I know its hard to pay for some things all at once, I too am in the same day to day struggle as most people I know. For example Im on year two of trying to pay for replacement wedding rings after mine were stolen in 2010 and I have a half remodeled bathroom that was started in 2012. I dont charge more than I feel I am worth after considering my education, equipment and dedication to each and every client, once the 30min or even 2hr shoot is over you can go home and relax but that is when I am still working for you perfecting your photos and doing what I can to give you the best images possible. There are times when it seems everything in the shoot goes wrong but not once have I given out a CD or previews that where something I wouldnt hang on my own walls and that is the standard I set myself to, I will work all through the night if I have to making sure I give final images that I would hang on my walls It may feel you are paying alot for that 30minutes to 2 hours we were together shooting but thats not all you paid for you also are getting unseen hours after the shoot dedicated to editing and retouching that I sometimes spend hours doing while my kids are at school or once everyone is in bed and I can devote all my attention to your photos. I want to stress that I am NOT complaining because I LOVE what I do but I feel that there is a confusion about why some photographers cost more and nobody ever asks why. Now you know why professionals charge more than hobbyist or part time photographer...Education, experience, quality, dedication, labs,equipment used and hours spent working after the shoot is over. I respect that there are many types of photographers and that there is someone for everyone because I am not the right fit for every need. When choosing someone to capture your moment here are some things to help narrow your search. Pick a handful that you LOVE the work they do and also some you really like but maybe not just absolutely LOVE, contact those photographers and ask for current specials and promotions be sure to write it all down and also get the regular prices so you can see what the special is saving you and what the price would be if you cant take part in the current promotion. Once you have all the info compare them to one another and select a photographer based on the work and the price that fits what you can afford. When basing on price alone sometimes you may end up regretting that choice to go cheap because you can end up spending more than you had planned by having to soon after pay someone else that does cost more to get images you are proud to hang on your walls and then you have forked out the additional money in the beginning that you could have saved by choosing someone by the work they do and not the price they charge. Always look at the work then the price and make a choice based on all the info rather than just part. Thanks everyone for taking the time to read all this and hopefully I havent made anyone mad being that its not anywhere close to my intentions in posting this. Hope everyone has an awesome day filled with love and happiness!
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:22:06 +0000