Why are you so expensive?

"Why are you so expensive?"

I hear this statement a few too many times while I am responding to emails and messages inquiring about sessions, and while I do sympathize, I have numerous reasons why I charge what I do. Honestly, none of them are to rip someone off. Although, occasionally, the thought might pop into my mind when I have a particularly difficult client… I’m totally joking… kind of haha! But, in reality, it’s simply because I have a family to support, business expenses to cover, and I do donate what I have left into the community. I promise, none of it goes to support my coffee addiction, that’s why I have to work a day job as well. ;)

I know, I know. Not everyone is going to believe that, and that’s okay. But for those who are generally interested in why I am priced the way I am, please continue reading.

Photography is a luxury service.

Yes, this is true. It’s not a requirement to have your family photos taken every year, or to splurge on sessions for your child on each of their birthdays. I totally understand that. But it’s worth it. It is always worth having something beautiful of yourself and your family to show off to the world, to hang up in the house when you have visitors.

Sure, phone photos suffice for updating your friends and family on Facebook to how life is going for you, but have you ever hung one of those up on your wall? I take millions of photos of my son daily, enough to actually drive my family crazy, but not a single one has moved off that phone. You want to know what happens when I lose it or get a new one? I lost them. EVERY SINGLE ONE!

So if I understand that, why do I still charge so much?

Simply put, its because I put so much time and effort into each and every session I shoot to make them personal and unique to the family I am photographing. I spend countless hours dreaming, imagining, predicting every possible outcome and planning out your session. All of this takes time away from my own family. I spend hours scouting out locations for sessions, I work with each of my brides for a good wedding day timeline and together come up with ideas to make the only tangible item to come out of their special day absolutely perfect and showcase it in all of it’s gloriousness, I spend MONTHS on call for each birth I photograph, to ensure that I don’t miss a beat when they go into labor. And let me tell you, and my family can vouch for me, I barely sleep in that time because I want to ensure I will never miss a birth. I will rarely shoot the same idea and concept twice, because I know how important it is to make your family photos just that, about your family. Sure, I could do cookie cutter posing and recycle the same process for everyone and cut my price down in half, but what are you getting out of that? Nothing… exactly, except maybe less than subpar photos that not only am I not proud of, but I guarantee you won’t be either.

I don’t want anyone to feel like I didn’t put any time or effort into their session. I care deeply about each and every one of the families and individuals that I photograph, and I don’t want anyone to walk away feeling like they should have invested their hard earned money into someone else. Because, I do understand, it can be a lot to book one of my sessions. But it will always be worth it.

My work isn’t done after I stop shooting your session.

I wish I could say that once I am done shooting, I just upload the images to you and call it a day. Sadly, and thankfully, I don’t. I spent countless hours, some nights of no sleep, and multitasking with taking care of a toddler and working full time to ensure that everyone receives their galleries in the allotted time I promise them. Many of the times, actually 100% of the time, the vision I have for your session cannot be done in the camera alone. I sort through, make sure I only provide the best images of the session and then I artistically edit each one of those to ensure that they each meet the criteria for the vision I promised you. Which, many times is not done quickly, as all beautiful artwork takes time.

I carefully and thoughtfully pick out each sneak peek for social media, so everyone’s anticipation can be relieved a little bit. Because, let’s be honest, I’m beyond excited to share them with you as much are you are to receive them. To do this, I have to navigate around a curious toddler when his daddy is at work, or if he escapes his clutches when he is at home, who loves to play with Mommy’s laptop each time she pulls it out. Normally, I hide in a corner or under a blanket to edit and post these sneak peeks. If I didn’t, they all would be posted at 3 am, and no one likes that lol.

Even after I deliver your session, I am still not done.

Taxes, Fees and Everything in Between.

Oh, the beauty of owning your own small business. Uncle Sam wants a share of it all. Automatically, 30-35% of anything I get paid for a session goes to him. 3-5% for any credit card and/or Paypal payments accepted goes to the processing company for them to allow me to use their payment system. Then, the 6% sales tax to Michigan for qualifying sessions. That adds up, and fast. It sucks.

So, for a regular portrait session at my price listed at $250, I take out $87.50 for Federal taxes, $12.50 for processing fees, and if I provide a custom USB, another $1.80 in MI sales tax. That leaves $148.20, before I deduct expenses for the session and my time. These could range from $25 for a simple gender reveal smoke bomb to $244 for a beautiful custom maternity gown, and that is just props to make a session unique and special.

General expenses for running my business include education expenses, loan fees and interest, liability insurance, along with general business, rental, and auto insurance costs, business registration fees, gas, mileage and depreciation on my car, domain and website hosting fees, editing software costs, internet and phone to run my business, gallery fees, along with costs to upkeep my equipment to ensure nothing fails during a session, especially if it a session that cannot be redone. Honestly, these all add up to the thousands range, leaving me many times breaking even with a session depending on how much I charged, or discounted for it.

And this is all before I even take out the time I spend at a session, the hours after it editing, and the time before it planning and organizing. Which, generally for a standard session, is about 6-10 hours a piece.

So, believe me when I say, I empathize, and I understand that working with me is an investment.

And I love helping people out when they are in tough times.

I donate services often to families that I truly feel deserve something great to help them through a hard time. It makes me so happy to be able to do so. In 2016 alone, I donated over ten thousand dollars worth of sessions to deserving families. It warmed not only my heart, but theirs as well and a majority of them have become close friends with myself and my family after their session.

This all comes directly out of my pocket, and I don’t regret a single moment. To see children smile because they received a new toy from the session, or a mom shed a tear because she now has something to put on her wall of her family makes every single struggle I face running my business completely worth it. I would charge $1,000, if that was feasible, to solely continue to be apart of these special times. So, when you are investing in a session with me, you are also giving back to those who might not be able to.

If I know you are tight on funds, I will work with you.

I have put together so many ways to ensure those that can’t just drop hundreds on a session can still have a beautiful work of art to showcase. Seasonally, I offer small discounted sessions for a limited period so families that want to work with me, but can’t on a frequent basis, can. For important events, I offer payment plans. These are something that we put together together, so it doesn’t hurt you providing for your family, but when paid off gives you something to love and cherish.

Which is why it hurts me so much when people complain about my prices.

No, I am not trying to hustle you. No, I am not crazy. No, I am not a rip off. No, I will not lower them to match someone else. Yes, I understand they are cheaper than me. Yes, I understand you can take your business there. Yes, I appreciate the support that all of my previous clients have given me. No, exposure does not pay my bills. No, I am not being stuck up, nor bitchy, nor thinking I am better than you. Yes, I understand that you have a family to feed, because guess what? So do I.

I am only a HUMAN. I can’t move mountains, I can’t fly, or make the trees sprout money.

All I can simply do, is treat each person with the respect and appreciation that I feel they deserve. Many times, that means biting my tongue and taking a brutal computer warrior beating. Why? Because I am a professional. For each person that doesn’t appreciate me, there are three that will. Those are who I want to work with, invest my time and energy in, and give THEM the photos they will rave about for generations to come.

When the day is all said and done, I have built something I am proud of. That deserves to be respected, appreciated, and invested in. If that feels too expensive to someone, that is their opinion and choice to think. I will not hold it against them, for I have been there as well, which is what brought me to starting my business. But, unfortunately, costs add up, and I have a family to support. They are my number one priority, with my clients a close second. I appreciate and cherish each and every single person that has helped me in becoming the successful, talented photographer I am today.