WHY DOES IT COST SO MUCH TO HAVE MY PICTURE TAKEN?
It costs
very little to have your "picture taken". To have a
professional portrait created takes planning, preparation, and some
old-fashioned work! Photography
- work?! I never dreamed that photography could
be so much work either when I started out!
But it is work that I love! How
fun it was when I did it for free – but I wasn’t very good back then to be
quite honest! I have spent the last 4-5
years studying, practicing, and investing in software and equipment to help
produce better images. Sadly, I find I must charge to be
able to continue to invest and improve my craft. I will always do some charitable giving, and
I find I really do enjoy that work the most!
Pricing is
based on many factors. While I may spend only an hour or two to capturing your
portrait images, I have been excitedly planning and preparing for your day -
selecting backdrops, locations, cleaning lenses, and charging batteries,
etc. There are many costs associated with professional quality photography that
you may not be aware of, including:
1) the cost
of maintaining a web site. My web host takes a percentage of every print order.
Also,
2) as a
member of the Professional Photographer's Association of America I pay fees
which provide for insurance that can't
be purchased anywhere else.
3) Upgrades
in software and equipment insure that there is no failure during a photo shoot
or in image storage.
4) For
every hour spent shooting pictures, you can assume that another 10-20 hours is
spent editing, posting, and ordering products. Every image is tediously
retouched to smooth and soften skin and brighten and enhance the eyes and
teeth. Stray hairs are removed. Sometimes background elements are
removed to keep the focus on the subject.
5) Photoshop
textures, backgrounds, templates, actions, and filters are often used to add
interest, and all of those must be purchased.
6) I attend
seminars and webinars as often as possible – to learn how to use all those cool
photoshop plug-ins and tools!
Like any
other industry, photography is constantly evolving, and high school seniors
want to be on the cutting edge! That what makes it so exciting for me! You
never really know for sure what you're going to end up with until you get back
in the "lab" and start "working the clay" to see how you
can most effectively enhance the beauty that was captured in the camera! It truly is an art and
is never boring! Every senior/subject is
unique and beautiful and my job is to bring out their absolute best and create
a portrait that they will be proud to show to family and friends!
LOOKING FOR A DISCOUNT? I pay $20 for
every referral who purchases a portrait package. You can literally get your
senior package for FREE!
