Regarding your 5-hour drive, I would charge a travel fee. So if you have to travel to a client, your fees would look like this: charge $125 for up to an hour if they come to your studio/home/apartment set-up, $175 if you have to go to them and they are within a half an hour drive, and charge an extra $100 for any drive/client that is up to 2 hours away after that first half hour. Again, this is just one way to look at it. There is no right or wrong and different photographers have their own method of charging.

If someone does not appreciate that your time is worth something, you have to pay for gas for your car, and all of the above article that I wrote (i.e., you need to treat this as a business, and businesses have expenses), then don’t do the shoot. Let me say that again. Do not do the photoshoot if it’s not financially worth it. You always have the option of walking away – never forget that. More gigs will come along.

Shannon

Given that so many people like that exist, it’s no wonder that they go to portrait studios in the mall. They think that $29.95 at Sears is a fair price to pay, even if the photos are taken by 16 year old high school students.

On the other hand, some “high end” studios like Magenta are in malls all over the place and they use their marketing as a way to convince you that the photographers (also young, inexperienced, non-photographers) in their store are worth the $500 and up price for the photoshoot (note that they then add on fees for printing, framing, etc). I’ve had many people tell me that they blew $500-$1,500 on photos in these places (and some were too embarrassed to tell me how much they spent) and then came to me for much better photos.

Every time you turn around it costs big money. I care about every photo session too much and Im way too picky to give out a CD of “unretouched” portraits to my customers to make a quick buck so they can go to this department store and print off your work and it looks like crap. Some of the general public dont realize these are not pro labs;our equipment is calibrated with the lab to ensure consistant quality every time, not just “good enough”.

Why is it in this profession everyone wants to be a photographer, every where you go someone is a “semi-pro hobbiest” and they think they know more than you do. I would not want to try a hand at singing in front of 1000’s of people just because I wish I could sing or see the glamorous side of this profession when I know their are people that are trained or are gifted at what they do and know their equipment. Same goes for photography. (and yes you do pay for experience- thats a fact of life).

Same goes for anyone who works for an employer you do a good job, you get better at your job, pretty soon you want a raise dont you, you worked hard for that didnt you? Everyone wants and needs a reward, our reward is that we have captured special memories for our clients to cherish forever. And I’m definitely not doing it because Im getting rich and there is no such thing as “gravy money” in photography; its work.

If you’re a Master Photographer and charge more than the rest of us you deserve to- your a Master in your field and have the “proof is in the pudding” so to speak- no pun intended. They have experience and expertise and worked very hard. If you dont want quality get “Uncle Larry” to take your photos then go to a department store kiosk- thats what “good enoughs” can afford to invest in and then spend $200.00 on a pair of jeans, go figure!!!

I am a professional photographer, portraits, weddings, event, and small products.

I started with a Mat G ( you old timers will know what kind of camera that is) in 1975. Shot my first “for hire” wedding in 1982. I am now all digital.

No Jen it was not an attempt to justify high priced photography. It was an attempt to make you understand a little more of what goes into professional photography. There is a huge difference in a $300.00 camera and inkjet prints and a full sized CCD “pro” camera and quality lab prints done by a lab that knows what quality and color control is. There is a big difference in someone who shows up with a camera and no other light modifiers (flash and reflectors) to shoot you on location (because they don’t have a studio) and clicks the shutter 200 to 300 times for a session in hope that they can get 20 to 30 good ones and a pro who shows up with enough equipment to own the light and shoots 20 to 40 and shows you 16 very good pictures.

If you can’t tell the difference, the first is all you need then be happy with the $50.00 job and what you get for your money.

If you want a family treasure that will last indefinitely, then seek the pro and pay the price.

I will not boar anyone with the difference in cameras and photo enlargements but will say that in the old days a “pro” could take a Kodak Brownie and get a good picture, however, if you think their results would not be better with a Hasselblad then you are mistaken.

In the digital age the lines of what is a pro camera and pro-consumer and the true point and shoot are not as easy to discern as the before mentioned Brownie and Hasselbald. Yes a pro can take MOST $300.00 point and shoots and make a very good picture. If he is a pro and had his gear it would be a better picture 100 times out of 100.

It is also very true that the semi-pro is cheaper. They have less overhead.
I have rent on the studio, utilities, cameras, backgrounds, props, studio lighting, samples for the studio walls, insurance on the gear, studio and errors and omissions. It’s a lot more than you think. That is why a pro will need to get $100 to $200 per hour for the work he does.

1 hour session
2 to 4 hours of processing and retouching (depends on skill level)
1 hour meeting with you to show “proofs” and get your order
1/2 hour to finalize images and place order.
1/2 hour to meet with you to show your enlargements.

That is a minimum of 4 hours and a minimum of $400.00 they need to make from the sale. Of course the hard cost of the order comes out of that and the rest of the $400 has to cover their overhead. I can tell you they need to shoot 4 to 5 of those per week to even come close to breaking even and 8 to 10 a week to get a steady paycheck.

You might say “charge less and shoot 50 per week”. I refuse to lump my studio into the “Shopping Mall” style of work where they have a 20 year old student working with lights nailed to the floor and 24 stock poses they put you EVERYBODY in and then runs you over to the computer and puts the super hard sell on you that you must pick 4 pose for a $99.00 min. per pose and if you don’t buy right then the images will be deleted.

You just paid $396.00 for cookie cutter photos that 49 other people got the exact same pose and background. But you saw their ad and should have been able to get out for $59.95. Really…. doubt it! And to top it all off some other person’s kid was pouring their fruit juice over your child’s head while you were looking at the proofs and getting the hard sell and now you child is sticky and screaming bloody murder. Fun and relaxing photography experience. Really…..doubt it. You have just been HAD!

If you still can not discern the “pro” from the “mall” or the “we only shoot on location (because we are part time and have no studio)” then please, don’t even pay the $50.00 to the semi-pro part timer. Just save you pennies and get you a $300.00 point and shoot and a ink-jet printer and have your self a blast doing your own photography.

It will be good enough for you!

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