There are many ways to go about this, and I need to caution you against selecting a photographer by price alone. It is tempting to narrow down the field based on an initial price point (i.e. session fee), but in doing so you may miss an opportunity to truly understand a photographer’s pricing structure and/or get caught in a situation you didn’t think about ahead of time and then the moment has passed for capturing the memories.
First, yes price does matter. But take a good look at ALL the prices. Most photographers charge a session or sitting fee for their “time and talent”. This can be minimal, or HUGE. It is somewhat dependant on the area you live in, but also on the photographers talent and experience. You can get better images from a photographer that has experience in the style you are seeking if you hire someone with experience. With experience, though, comes a true understanding of the cost of doing business. An experienced photographer will have made a large investment in equipment (and in the digital age that needs to be constantly upgraded) and will also have a marketing plan, and a business plan. That means they are registered with known associations, the local government and the state. Any photographer who isn’t “in business” officially is actually a liability to you – so be careful. If they don’t have insurance, or aren’t set up to collect sales tax and pay their own business taxes, are they really going to be there for you? Will you get the prints you order and if so, what quality will they be when they get to you?
I am not saying you shouldn’t find an eager start up. But most folks starting up will be honest and tell you they are “portfolio building” – either completely or in just one area. Once they put a name to their business, they need to be legitimate with their local governing agencies. And ask them if they have a business liability policy to cover them and YOU in case of accident on the set, or otherwise. It happens, so ask. Even portfolio building start ups should have a business plan in place before they taken your money.
Don’t overlook the back end of the session – the print costs. If you find a photographer that lists a really low session fee – check out the offerings for prints and more. Do they have a large minimum order policy? Or do they only allow you to order a la carte (meaning one 5×7) AFTER you’d spent a lot on a big package of prints? And what do they charge for 5×7’s and 8×10’s? Contrary to what most photographers will want to tell you, there is still a large majority of folks that want 5×7’s and 8×10’s from their session. It is not unreasonable for a photographer to NOT offer 4×6’s – most commonly considered a snapshot size by photographers, but does your photographer offer the sale of digital files reasonably? If they are selling the whole session and the all the digital files from it for $200 (or less!), think about it – how can they afford to be in business for that? What kind of investment have THEY made into their business? Are they in this long term? And do you want to drag your family out, do the session to find the images aren’t what you expect them to be and then be disappointed in having missed your window for the portrait?
Another common term is “print credit”. I use it in many of my session types. If a “print credit” is listed as part of your session fee, it is like a gift certificate you get to use towards products the photographer offers. So if, for example, you pay $200 for a session and it says you get a $50 print credit – you will get $50 taken off any print order you place after your session. So you pay $200 for the session, have your session and decide to buy $450 worth of images/files/designed items. Your order totals $450, but you’ll only pay $400 as your print credit will be deducted from your total.
So why are some session fees higher than others? Well, in most cases it’s the photographers insurance that they get paid a certain amount for their time and talent. I have to bring the same equipment, the same insurance, pay the same business taxes, etc to every session I do. I have a certain cost associated everytime I leave the house with my equipment. I’ll spend quality time with my customers before and during the sessions – by the time the session is over I have usually spent 4+ hours on prep, travel and session time. I am now looking at spending another 3+ hours downloading, sorting, filing and getting prints ready for proof. Showing you those proofs has taken me time and in many cases, more investment (via websites, hosting companies, software, computers, backup systems! etc) to support. So I show you your proofs. You have two weeks to order. If you decide to only order 2 5×7’s and 2 8×10’s, how much do I expect to make after I pay my printer the cost of printing your prints? If I had only charged you $50 for the session fee, I’m in the hole about $150, or more in some cases if I value my time. Not a good business model. So when I say you pay a session fee that includes time and talent – I mean just that. I’m a real business and I’ve made the investment in not just the equipment to take the pictures, but the whole process from start to finish.
Above all, you are the consumer, but you are buying a product. Anyone can buy a DSLR and call themselves a photographer to try to recoup the costs. Even you can do it. Heck, some folks have spent more with me than it would have cost to buy their own camera. But just buying the camera doesn’t really make you a photographer. You have the right to ask questions and you should. You have the right to check out your photographer and you should. If you pick a photographer just because they have a “shoot and burn” offering – meaning you get the session, or the WEDDING for $200 – will you get what you think you will get in the end?
I could talk all day about the costs of being in business. This business starts with a love of the craft. But it continues with ongoing education, and a savvy business model to make it work. It is rarely enough to be considered full time income to support an entire family, but it can be with the right investment of time, talent and dedication. And yes, your photographer has probably spent as much on their equipment that they will bring to your shoot as they did on their first car – sometimes, more. That kind of investment is long term. You deserve that.
How much do you value your photographs? What will you ask the firefighters to grab in case of a house fire after your family and pets are safe?
