Why Photography Is Expensive | Vancouver Family, Maternity, & Newborn Photographer

I have been meaning to write this for some time, and was recently inspired to follow through after reading a similar blog post by Christina at Mimsical Photography . Thank you to the lovely Kristara May Vainio for sharing it on your page, and thank you to Christina for the reminder and encouragement to write my own blog post!

As photographers it is fairly common to receive inquiries about our prices, and to be asked why it costs so much or even be told that it’s too expensive. I’ve had to grow a pretty thick skin, but I also completely empathize with people’s objections. Before I was a photographer, I too thought “what on earth am I paying that much for?” and “surely I can get that for cheaper?”

Realizing that many people are simply curious as to where their money is going, I thought that instead of sharing a breakdown of all of the business costs (snoozefest!) I would write it in terms of what YOU, the client, are receiving for every dollar that is going to your photographer.

1) Images that are flattering/artistic/tell a story

Your photographer’s time spent identifying your needs, wardrobe consulting, location scouting, and planning the flow of the session is what will help you create the collection of images that you've dreamed of. This allows for a personalized session, images that tell your unique story, and images that you can be proud of. Without your photographer’s time spent planning your session, you are running the risk of ending up with uninspired, generic, bland images.

2) A relaxing and positive photography experience

Your photographer will also be spending time fostering a relationship with before your session. This relationship building can help build trust and can help even the most camera shy to feel comfortable. A positive relationship with your photographer ultimately results in better images AND an amazing experience that could change your mind about having your photo taken for future occasions!

3) Convenience

This request is echoed by new parents, parents of little ones, and busy career people everywhere. Your photographer is using her gas, mileage, and time to perform the job in your home (ex. newborn session), at a location near your kids’ school, and so forth. Not only is your photographer traveling to you, but she is spending time setting up for your personalized session.

4) All that fancy equipment, and backup equipment

Your photographer might be renting equipment, such as lighting that meets the needs of your photography session, and is also adding to the maintenance bill for her own camera and equipment each time it is used. There is also the backup equipment in case of malfunction, because let’s face it, who wants to be rescheduling their photography session after getting halfway through it?

5) Professional editing

Many photographers will use editing software to process your images in batches, which definitely takes time, but what takes even longer is custom hand editing of individual images. Hand editing is used for studio/posed newborn photography, for skin retouching, as well as for the creative edits on outdoor family and maternity photography, since no two images have the same needs. Custom hand editing can take 20 minutes per photo, especially for studio/posed newborn photography or composites. That’s an 8-hour day in itself for 25 proofs. And trust me when I say that you do NOT want an unedited image - see the before/after examples below.

6) Proofing and delivery of your images

There are additional costs involved in proofing and making sure you receive the finished pieces you desire. Any extra time spent with you, such as time spent at a proofing session to select prints, is added value because it eliminates the time and stress of having to do this yourself.  Believe me when I say that your photographer's time and expertise in helping you choose and receive your finished images will save you from ample frustration in the future, not to mention the costs associated with having to redo large prints that you're unhappy with, and the additional waste of time and money when your prints are still not colour correct, cropped optimally, etc.

... BUT THERE IS MONEY LEFT OVER! After accounting for the photographer’s costs for one photography session, if the photographer is priced properly (and sadly many are not, earning them less than minimum wage), there should be some funds leftover from your photography fees. But they do not go straight into your photographer’s pocket, because she will need to reinvest them into the business! Keeping that business operational has allowed her to take clients in the first place, so you can have things like:

7) That pretty light/soft blurry background/film look/insert other special effects that give an image that "wow" factor

The gorgeous, sought after effects are the result of lenses, a professional camera, lighting equipment, editing software, etc, which all costs thousands upon thousands of dollars to purchase and maintain. In addition, the operator of said equipment has invested hundreds if not thousands in education to be able to effectively use the equipment. Which brings me to the next point…

8) Looking like a cover model in your photos

Your photographer will have knowledge of the posing, lighting, angles and overall composition that will ensure that you look your best for your images. This knowledge comes from hours of education and training in each of these separate areas of study.

9) Safety for your baby, comfort for your kids

This cannot be stressed enough. A newborn photographer should always be putting your baby’s safety first, and a family photographer should be comfortable with kids so they can achieve that connection with them that results in beautiful images. These skills also require training and education.

10) The ability to hire a “professional”

In order for your photographer to hold her status as a professional, she must be running a legal business AND have her marketing in place in order to keep the business operational. There are countless business costs that I won’t bore you with, but long story short – a professional photographer is running a business, and running a business costs money.

11) The ability to have a photographer who you can work with in the future

The photographer charges $200 all in, digital images included, is working for far less than minimum wage after all of the costs of doing business are factored in. She or he may be booking clients now, but will eventually burn out and go out of business. So where will your photographer be when it’s time for those one-year photos of your little one, or future family photos, or senior photos? I personally LOVE working with the same photographer repeatedly, because they already understand my style and I’m already comfortable with them.

Sure, there is always someone cheaper around the corner: there is uncle Bill with the DSLR, your hobbyist friend, and the new photographer who charges $200 all in. There’s nothing wrong with going those routes, but before doing so, think about everything I’ve just mentioned and ask yourself “what can I do without?” and decide if you're okay with the answer.