Why Are Professional Photographs SO Expensive?!
Have you ever thought of getting professional portraits done for your family then looked at the cost professionals are charging? I mean, they spend what, thirty minutes to an hour with you? And they want to charge HOW MUCH!! You may walk away thinking you could do almost as good with your cell phone. Why spend that much money when you can do it yourself? Right? I must admit there was a time I thought exactly the same thing. That is until I became a professional photographer myself. Today I will share with you some of the things I learned on my journey to the point I am at today.
The photographer’s time spent with you is just the tip of the iceberg! This is a big point that I never appreciated until I was on the other side of the lens. There is a lot of time put into your photo session. The photographer prepares for your creative meeting. Then there is the time spent with you during that meeting. Depending on where your photo session takes place, there is time put into preparing the location or traveling to the location. Then there is the photo session itself. This is the amount of time you will remember. After the photo session, there is the time it takes to go through the resulting photos. The photographer goes through each photo deciding which ones are good enough to keep and edit. Then there is usually a lot of time put into editing each photo. After the photos are edited, there is time uploading the photos to a gallery so you can view them. If the photographer chooses an in-person sales approach, there is also time spent preparing for that meeting and then again meeting with you. That is A LOT of time that goes into each and every one of your photographs.
Photography equipment is expensive! There is no other way to put it. Cameras, lenses, computers, editing software, professional lighting and accessories, backdrops, backdrop stands, reflectors, props, studio space or locations fees, treats, they all cost money. At least a portion of the cost of each of those things has to be included in the photographer’s fees if the photographer is going to make it as a business.
Insurance! There are several types of insurance your photographer may need to carry as a business. These insurances are designed to protect you, the photographer, any employees that photographer may have, and the photographer’s equipment. Insurance costs money. These fees are typically partially included in your session fees.
Experience! Let’s face it. There is a reason that there is the title of “Professional” in front of photographer. These are not typically amateur or beginner photographers. These are photographers that have put a lot of time and money into learning their equipment and how best to use it. You photographer more than likely has many years of experience and education behind that “Professional” title.
Contracts and Lawyers! That contract that your photographer had you sign is a legally binding document. It protects both you and your photographer and outlines the expectations of your professional relationship. Any contract used by a business should have been either written by or reviewed by a lawyer to make sure the clauses in the contract is within the bounds of law for the state or county the contract is being used in. While not a necessity, a good relationship with a lawyer familiar with photography and the laws that pertain to photographers is a good idea for any professional photographer. Lawyers cost money. The cost of the contracts and lawyers are included in the price of your photo sessions.
Listed above are only a few reasons professional photographs are so expensive. Each photographer has their own costs of doing business. Not all of them are the same. Some have higher costs than others depending on the type of photography services they are offering and where they are offering those services. Some are much more experienced than others. The point is that every photographer has more going on behind the scenes than you may be aware of. It’s not just a thirty minute to an hour point and shoot session you are paying for. It’s much, much more.
