One thing I can say for sure after seeing everything it takes to complete just one single session that people who complain about cost simply don’t realize how much work is involved. It’s a LOT of work guys. As pointed out by earlier commenters there is the pre-session setup of equipment, the session time (shooting the pics), many many emails/phone calls about which pictures and products the client likes or wants, post production editing when necessary or desired (this can take many hours sometimes), ordering or preparation of products (printing, etc…), and finally mailing/delivering to the customer. In addition to all of that there is the overhead of running a business operation (taxes, accounts receivable/payable, website maintenance, advertising your business, equipment upkeep, and much more).

After you factor in all those activities then a $500 newborn/family session doesn’t seem so crazy. And why do you pay up to $500 for an hour or hour and half with a photographer? What is it you are getting for that money a photographer is charging that your brother or sister can seemingly do with their super nice point n shoot camera (by the way they can’t come close – for real)? You are getting a few things:

A. Professional that has done this over and over and over so they know exactly where to shoot, what time of day (lighting issues), background scenery, etc… (everything to make you look your best).

B. Someone that will coach you on what to wear and how to pose. Remember, they have done this countless times and they stare at faces ALL day long (not only in sessions but also in post production editing). They are EXTREMELY good with faces and posing. They will notice things you couldn’t possibly imagine (trust me). If it is a newborn session they will coach you on the best time after baby is born for positioning the baby while they sleep, what time of day based on your baby/toddlers/childrens nap times and food schedules (varies by age but child photographers like my wife, Naomi, have an amazing understanding of how to work with families and children).

C. You’re getting someone who is very skilled at the technical aspect of taking the picture in the best lighting and with the highest detail/sharpness you desire. They will also know how to take pictures of you and your family in the most flattering positions. Like I said, they do this all day long so it’s second nature to them as to what will look best. You may think it sounds ridiculous or BS but I guarantee you (GUARANTEE) that a good family portrait photographer can take one look at you for less than 5 seconds and tell you exactly what position is going to flatter your particular facial structure/profile the most. I know because I’ve seen Naomi do it a hundred times before and every time her choice is better than mine by a margin that makes me look like a retarded monkey.

D. As mentioned earlier you are also getting someone that will handle the ENTIRE post production process of editing and preparing your various print products and hand deliver them (or email/postal mail).

There is a reason people pay for this service. And the reason is because you get supremely high quality photographs in an enjoyable setting that is more personal and suited to your styles/tastes, is more agreeable to children than a busy Walmart studio, has infinitely more options and poses than a plain old boring Walmart or Picture People studio, gives you enormous flexibility to work with your photographer 1 on 1 when editing your images and ordering products (as opposed to the extremely limited and impersonal Walmart or Picture People), and you get top of the line personalized professional customer service.

Happy Holidays!

Travis

Click here to visit Naomi’s site @ Pitter Patter Photos

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I started like a regular guy with a new camera to the dslr world. Well I thought that it would give me better pictures (sure it did), but I used it in auto mode all the time. Early this year I got back to taking pictures and I decided to take some free online classes, WOW it changed my life ever since then I wanted to be a photographer. Now I understand light, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, dynamic range, etc. I have a full time job, but also want to be a photographer; so I decided to buy my own gear as I was learning more and more. Now I want to start my own business with a D5000, some pocket wizards, Sb700, an umbrella, tripod , filters, several lenses, etc… I am not a very experienced guy in photography, but have some knowledge of what am doing. So my first client was actually my coworker’s daughters, in which i didn’t charged her anything at all, and I gave her a CD and some print pictures. This helped me out to figure it out how good was I on the field. I did a pretty good job, of course I had taken pics of my family before to practice. Then it came to the most difficult part… pricing. I had no clue what to charge, I didn’t wanted to be expensive so that I get more clients and raise some money for more equipment. But I think that as u go u always will keep learning, and at the end is up to you how much is that you want to charge. Pretty much I did a $300.00 session for free, but this doesn’t mean that I didn’t get anything out of it… hahaha well I didn’t get to sleep with her or go out on a date with her, not even a little kiss :). Just a very pleased thank you. But that first time helped me out understand kids more, learn some poses, get to practice more with my camera and interact with people, and during the post production it helped me out even more; and besides she was a single mother of 3 kids in which make me feel good as a person, because I was helping her out in a way. I just didn’t feel right charging someone if I din’t knew that I was going to do a good job. This gave me more confidence with my self and with the work that i was doing. The following clients that i had were people that i knew and I din’t charged them much for my work, around 50 to a 130 dollars. Since they were friends I din’t wanted to charged the much, but it gave me something else in return, experience. My goal is to be a Professional Photographer and live out of it. But in order to charge those high prices that they do, I need to be sure that my work is worth that amount of money. So next time You ask yourself how much should you charge people you should ask yourself first of the quality that you will be given them. Because they will be paying you to capture a part of their life in a picture for them. And you don’t want to hear that you are not good, because that probably will shut down your dream of becoming a photographer.

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I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m also breaking into the ever demanding field of photography. I’ve always loved taking pictures ever since I was a kid. I just recently learned (and this is SO hard to explain to people) the difference between taking a picture and taking a photograph. I took classes on how to develop my eye (another hard thing to explain to people…lol). You’re dead on as far as researching either hourly or per session pricing in your area. My first gig I almost had to give away but it was well worth it because it came back to me 10 fold by word of mouth.

I guess my point is that people just breaking into the field should follow your advice, but most of all, follow their hearts.

Thanks Again Jose,

Tom

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In my experience, here in Miami Beach, Florida, prices can go through the roof!!

I am talking of one fashion photog. who did a campaign here for $120,000/day…. no typo folks…
Obviously his name (withheld as a result of a bad memory) and experience plays into it… also, the fact that on a fashion shoot there is the concept that the advertising company had better hire the best (and usually the most expensive) as then they cannot be blamed for any bad results “Hey, we hired the best in the business, what do you want us to say?”

My sister-in-law, a model still, and now a photographer, charges around $500 for head-shots, comps, etc.. The clients come to a room in her house that is setup nicely as a studio… very professional, and a calm, ‘homey’ atmosphere to put the client at ease… I don’t know the details of her after-shoot money-making, relating to prints, comps, etc… but as you can see, she feels like she can charge that amount.. and it seems to be working for her.. She chose a comfortable price out of a ‘range for the industry in the area’

PLEASE do not undercut. If you can’t make it in your area by charging a ‘professional’ rate, don’t become a photographer. It’s as simple as that. Take photos for fun and do something else for a living….

I just charged $3,500 for my first wedding, and I did great. No assistant but a backup camera and gear.., plus I brought along 15 cheap point and shoot cameras to give to the guests (and a promise to credit the photos to them for the album if their photos made the cut) and I got a surprising number of cool shots from them!! I know an acquaintance that books around 12 weddings a year at $10,000 each. They fly him all over the world, all expenses paid, yadda yadda. He has no more experience than most, but he is a former model and can carry himself a certain way and all the bridesmaids want him to themselves… you get the idea… variables/?/ I could NEVER charge 10 grand… no way, Jose..

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Many photographers who run profitable businesses donate their services to families in need, various charities and through organizations like NILMDTS and Help Portrait or independently. Often, they do it quietly and it is through charging sustainable prices that they have the ability to do this on a regular basis. Same outcome (helping people), different business model. One of the beautiful things about philanthropy is the more you earn, the more you can give to others–while making sure that you can continue to pay your mortgage, biz insurance, health insurance, childcare costs, etc.

As far as pricing goes, those who make their sole living from photography may have to charge more than others just to stay in business. If you look at recent groupon deals, quite a few small businesses, including photographers, have fallen upon hard times because they lost money on these “deals.” Pricing also depends on where you live. The cost of living varies greatly in this country. In some cities, $400k will buy you a huge home; in others, you might be able to find a studio apartment for that much. So it makes sense that someone in a small town might charge less than someone in Chicago or LA.

Re: the questions of what to charge, at the very least, you must cover costs if you want to stay in business. And that doesn’t simply mean the cost of printing. If you have to feed your family, and don’t get most of your income from another job, you’ll have to make a profit as well. Your plumber, hairstylist and mechanic probably charge enough to pay for their time, overhead and living expenses. Why should professional photographers be any different? There is a great resource here: http://www.stacyreeves.com/photographers-pricing-guide/

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