Why is the Cost for Professional Photography More Than Pictures at Walmart?

So I have been thinking about this topic for awhile and today I decided to write about it.  I was inspired a few weeks back when during a session I was asked why the cost for professional photography was so much.  Now, this question has been asked before and always creates a different tone for the session if not replied to honestly and respectively.  I am always happy to explain the cost for professional photography as a business for anyone who asks, so here is a fantastic breakdown of why Professional Photographers who are ‘expensive’ charge what they do for a session.

1. TAXES – I know – how dare I bring up that word before April.  It is a terrible word, but an important word and it is totally ok for the public to forget about the fact that MOST photographers out there are running a legit business and they need to contribute to the benefit of society.  Do we like it?  NOPE.  It is important – YUP – extremely.  So you can take off 30% of your total right there because I know I am not keeping it.  Some hobby photographers, much like lots of general business owners out there don’t claim their income on their taxes and that is their choice.  I do and I don’t EVER miss a penny of income when I file.  Don’t expect me to please or offer for me to take a reduced amount for a cash sale – I claim it all and am proud to do so.
2. Equipment – Your camera and lens are the most important elements of being a photographer because if you invest in good mechanics and glass you will likely get a great image, or at least the fundamentals are there without a doubt.  At any given time I am using a $2000.00 lens and a $3000 camera body – not to mention the batteries, memory cards or anything other important element I am not adding to the overall cost.  This adds to the overall cost for professional photography.
3. Expenses – OK.  Asking me why I charge ‘so much’ for my work always strikes me as funny because I am RUNNING A BUSINESS.  There are costs to running a business that include Insurance, Gas, Computers, Car Payments, Studio Space, props, etc. that also fall into the category of needing money to use them for business.  Things cost money – period.  Please notice I haven’t even factored in paying myself yet so that I can having things like food, clothing and other luxuries that create a basic standard of living in our society.
4. Time – what is your time worth?  Seriously.  I have had many people over the past 10 years suggest that my time shouldn’t be worth what theirs is because the market is so over saturated with photographers of all different levels. Ummmm…Excuse me?   Imagine your boss coming to you and suggesting that you’re not worth what you’re paid.  How would you feel about that when you are good at your job, have dedicated many hours of your life getting better at your job and feel a certain amount of pride and identity attached to that job.  Here are some thoughts that came up as emotions to that:  Sad, Annoyed, Frustrated, Angry, Bitter, Homicidal…(lol).

A Basic Session Broken Down by Time Spent per Action

So here are the facts about the amount of time I will engage during a session you book – this is an average family session – not including Creative Portraiture or Newborn Sessions (please feel free to add 8-15 hours extra for these).

• Booking:  Between 30 minutes and an hour depending on how much information you need, questions, contract and payment collection.
• Pre – Session Consult: Typically between 30 minutes and 3 hours depending on the style of the session, questions and any prop acquisition.
• Pre – Session Prep: Between 30 minutes and and hour of ensuring the session is ready to go as soon as we get started.  That includes charging batteries, ensuring compact flash cards are ready, flash equipment functioning and ready to go as well as lens’ clean, bag packed and any extra props, equipment and materials are ready for your session.
• Travel Time: For myself between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on the customer’s location
• Session – typically between 1.5 – 2 hours dedicated to you can creating perfect family memories together.
• Travel Time: Between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on the customers location returning home.
• Putting Session Items Away: Between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
• Downloading/Backing Up and Culling Images: Between 45 minutes and 2 hours depending on job size.
• Editing Images: Between 3 – 6 hours depending on your session images and volume.
• Prep for Ordering Session: Between 1 – 3 hours to create video, print and prepare for your session to ensure that it is personal, private and beautiful.
• Ordering Session: Between 30 minutes and 4 hours depending on what you are looking to order, if you need to spend more time selecting the perfect image or having your virtual wall created it can take longer than selecting just a handful of images.
• Placing your Order: Between 30 minutes and 3 hours depending on items purchased.  Certainly ordering 5 or 10 prints takes a shorter time than creating an album of 30 pages and then having to place the order.
• Picking Up, Wrapping and Delivering your Order: Between 2 hours and 6 hours depending on location and items purchased.  Occasionally I need to travel to Calgary or Edmonton in order to deliver a large order I don’t trust the post office to get right.  I have a beautiful 30 x 40 metal image on my wall with a dent in it thanks to Canada Post.  It’s safer to hand deliver those beautiful memories.
• Blogging and Social Media Commitments: Between 2- 3 hours to create a blog post, upload images, tag, categorize and publish a post from your session (not all of us are professional writers or computer savvy).

So now we are at between 14.25 – 38 hours that I invest PER SESSION.  Would you spend 14.25 – 38 hours of professional time and work that you have spent thousands of hours and many years perfecting, as well as the investment of schooling, courses, etc. to work for less money then you would make at McDonalds?  Probably not.  No one invests in themselves to be satisfied with the bare minimum of what society pays.

The Hidden Cost for Professional Photography that Photographers Absorb

The saddest cost for professional photography is attached to the family of the photographer who shares that person for 90% of the day with their trade.  Creatives are always “on” and I would say between 10 – 50 times in an hour I think about photography, see something I want to photograph or am dealing with the social media aspect that helps drive our business’.  That is definitely a negative cost for professional photography that many photographers will not talk about but given the chance their family’s will.  I have spent literally thousands of hours working on my business and my photography and if I don’t have a reasonable income that pays the bills then would all of those hours away from my family be worth it?  Absolutely not.

What should you take from this blog post?

What I would love for you to take away from this post is that photography is a service that you elect to have done for you.  It is not a forced purchase like needing to buy a new fridge or get a repairman in for your furnace.  Hiring a photographer is your commitment to your family’s memories and interest in preserving a moment of time beautifully forever – not just for you to enjoy but the generations to follow you who will look at the images of Great Great Grandma and Grandpa and marvel in their beauty and a time when life was likely simpler.

Respect that your photographer has set their prices in accordance with their own Cost of Doing Business in mind and if you feel that their prices are too high, think about the bottom line and the time ANY professional puts into becoming that person.  Would you go to an amature dentist if you needed a root canal?  I hope not and if you are looking for images that are unique, reflective of your personal style and beautiful I hope your research your photographer well and make the investment to fulfill all of those desires.

Most photographers I know live very humbly and are not living in a mansion or eating beluga caviar off of silver platters while drinking champagne at all hours of the day and night out of diamond studded glasses – though what a life that would be!  I live in a very small home with no garage or basement with five other people (four of w and drive a minivan that costs between 70-100$ every 4-7 days to fill.  I am a normal person who pays for three kids to go to preschool every week as well as pay for the never ending school fees and lunches for my oldest son in grade 1 – and lets not forget the activities!  I also try to have a standard of living that makes me happy and excited to keep creating and embracing the art I love the make.  Your photographer charges what they need to based on education, skill, market and service you provide feel is reasonable for the amount of time, love, expertise and patience into your personal photography job.  Embrace your artist and appreciate the quality of images you will be receiving from your session and make sure that photographer is a good fit PRIOR to booking a session, signing a contract and having the session completed.

I also feel the need to address my comment pointed towards Walmart.  The fact is, Walmart (Sears, Kmart, Etc.) doesn’t make money having a portrait studio in its stores.  The term is called a Lost Leader and it is a sacrificial product (low profitability) that brings people into the store so that they finish their images and stay to go shopping.  If Walmart or the other large stores that offer portrait services made good money at portraits you would see studios in EVERY SINGLE WALMART in North America and likely around the world.  The true cost for professional photography as outlined above is a structure that Walmart and its chain friends do not follow and to compare the two is like comparing a photobooth at the mall with ANY good professional photographer that is running a business.

Less service = lower investment = lower quality product.

More service = higher investment = higher quality product.

Thank you so much for reading this blog post abou the cost for professional photography.  Please feel free to leave me a comment on the blog regarding the above!  I love to hear if you love it, hate it or feel extremely impartial to it.

Suzie
XO

Suzanne Taylor Photography
PO Box 21
Bentley, AB
T0C0J0

www.suzannetaylorphotography.com
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