Why Does Professional Photography Cost So Much?

I’ve often been asked why professional photographers charge so much for their services. Some charge based on an hourly fee, some charge based on a flat fee for a specific type of service, and some charge as a combination of both. After all, we’re not lawyers or doctors here, we don’t have to go through years and years of expensive schooling to become a photographer, so why the heck do we charge what we do for our services?What I tell prospective clients of my own is that the actual taking of the pictures – the part where you are in front of the camera and the camera is going “click” – is just the beginning. That’s actually the easy (and fun!) part of the whole process. What happens afterwards is largely how we determine our hourly rate. But let’s start at the beginning.

Prior to meeting with a client for a shoot, I have to clean all of my equipment, whether I plan on using it or not. I’ve gone to a shoot thinking one thing (as far as what I’ll be using) and come out having done something completely different. This is where the art value comes in. Sometimes different situations “call” to me and I go off the beaten path or change things up. Therefore, it’s essential that all of my equipment is prepared. Preparing also includes making sure everything is operational. I have to check charges on all my batteries, format memory cards, and check all of my backup equipment, as well, for readiness and function.

Once I load my arsenal into the car, I have to travel to wherever we’ve agreed to meet. I usually get there at least a half hour prior to our meeting time to take a look at the location, assess lighting conditions, crowd conditions, and other environmental factors that will make the shoot a success. I get a game plan in my head for how the shoot will go to use as a guideline in order to make the most out of the time we spend together.

Then it’s time for the fun! We meet, and take our shots, laugh a little, and get to know each other. We take frame after frame, until it’s agreed we’ve covered what we came there to capture. I then have to unload all of the equipment (batteries, memory cards…) and disconnect all of the accessories. They get packed neatly away, and I travel back to the studio. There is where the real work begins.

Your images are immediately backed up in several locations. File formats are changed, and each picture is visualized for color, clarity, and composition. Color screens are calibrated for color correctness. After getting rid of the obvious “outtakes” I then balance each image for exposure, contrast, sharpness, and other factors. Backing up the files requires good quality DVD’s, multiple hard drives, and an up to date computer system. The images are uploaded to a proofing website, and I send notification that the pictures are ready for viewing. This does not include any time spent designing albums, custom editing any of the pictures, or preparing DVD slide shows.

After a typical wedding with full day coverage, I would fully expect to spend over 40 hours of time fulfilling the requirements of the wedding package, and making your pictures something to cherish forever. In other words, there’s a lot more to taking pictures, than, well, taking pictures. Again, that’s the fun part! It’s what happens after all the fun is over that the real work begins. And rest assured, it is my commitment to you that all of the post processing, file management, data storage, and final product composition and delivery is done by me. I do not farm out any of my work to employees – I believe that photography is a form or art, and that each photographer has his or her own personal style. Much like a sculptor or a painter, the photographer’s knowledge, experience, technical know how, and personality is incorporated into each piece that is produced. You wouldn’t expect Monet to vocalize his ideas to a budding painter, have that person complete the painting, and then call the work his own. You shouldn’t accept that practice from your photographer, either.

Hopefully this helps you to understand what we photographers are doing for the hours upon hours that we are tucked away in our studios behind the quiet glow of our computer screens – and the care, time, and commitment we put into every single shoot we do.

Thanks for checking out my blog! If you have any questions or comments about this post or earlier posts, I’d love to hear from you! Be sure to check back next week for more photography related topics!!!