WHY ARE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS SO EXPENSIVE?

Behind the Scenes

The prices that professional photographers charge for photos and print products can sometimes be a little shocking.  This happens whether you’ve never worked with a photographer before AND if you have. There is a wide range of prices out there for photography, so it can naturally be very confusing why someone is charging $75 for a hundred photos and someone else is charging $2000 for ONE.

So why the discrepancy?

Shouldn’t all photography be valued similarly? And why are some prices so high while others are so low? It can be quite the mystery to figure out what’s what in the world of photography. The problem is that there are no standards. There is no industry-wide pricing to guide new photographers, no certification to guarantee a certain level of work, and no clear source of information for customers who are looking for professional portraits of their family. So let me clear up some of the confusing misconceptions that people have in general.

MISCONCEPTION #1

THE TIME IT TAKES TO CREATE A PHOTOGRAPH

This is the biggest misconception. As a client, you are seeing the person with the camera pushing a button to take the picture. It takes less than a second. So really, how hard can it be? It literally takes a second! Why in the world is the photographer charging so much for a second of their work?

You’re right!

It does take less than a second to take a picture. When photographers are just starting out, it’s a quick and easy process. They take the pictures often in auto mode, upload them to their computer, trash the terrible frames where people’s eyes are closed, and deliver the rest to the client. Done! It doesn’t take that long, and they charge appropriately for it.

But as photographers learn and grow, the process becomes more complicated. They have learned and mastered the settings on their cameras, proper lighting technique, and composition. They start to spend more time editing the images. Some do full hand-retouching in Photoshop of every portrait (that’s me, btw). Taking pictures becomes more of a process as well. There is styling and wardrobe prep beforehand. Posing needs to be learned and implemented to make those portraits more flattering.  As the photographer acquires more expertise, they start doing more of the work for you - like eliminating more of those throw-away shots that just don’t look good, making sure the colors are right and learning photography rules and standards for good composition. Their work is consistent.

This is when most photographer realize that they need to charge more. It’s no longer a few hours per client. They are spending 20 or 30 hours providing not only beautiful photographs but also a full-service experience because they have the expertise their clients do not.

MISCONCEPTION #2

HOBBY VS PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

Disclaimer: I am not putting the hobby photographer down. Most Professional photographers started as hobby photographers. Running a profitable business takes years to learn. However, there is a HUGE difference between pricing of someone who does photography as a hobby and someone who is running a legal photography business. There is nothing wrong with hiring a hobbyist to take your family photos! Go right ahead! You probably have a cousin, a friend, or an uncle who has a fancy expensive camera and is more than happy to charge a few hundred bucks (if anything at all) to take a few pictures for you, and that’s awesome! But it’s not the same as running a photography business, by having photography be the thing that pays your bills and feeds your family.

If you had to had to support yourself or family on at least a minimum-wage income with photography, you wouldn’t be able to charge a few hundred dollars and still go grocery shopping at the end of the week.

I will spare you the math because there are plenty of detailed articles on the internet that go full force with the numbers. The truth is, there are costs to running a business, there are taxes, and a small portion of the total goes to the photographer. About 33%, if you’re lucky. Does that surprise you? Because it certainly surprised me! There are also self-employment taxes that small businesses often must pay. Other overhead costs also include image processing software, gallery subscriptions, website platforms, camera and lighting equipment, data storage and props.

A person who does photography on the side often doesn’t have those costs. They are  probably not paying taxes or insurance, or Studio rent and utilities. (Yes, I rent my studio from myself). If your photographer isn’t collecting state sales tax (which they must do, as required by law), you can probably assume they’re not paying taxes on their end. So why does this matter? Why should you care whether the person taking your family photos is running their business legally? Well liability insurance for one. Two, the person running a full-fledged photography business is probably going to take their job more seriously and client satisfaction, quality and their client’s experience is their first most priority.

Here is the real difference. When a person not paying taxes charges $500 for photographs, they take home that full amount. In contrast, a person running a legal business would have to charge at least $1500 to take home that same $500 (on average, 33% goes to running a business, 33% to taxes, and 33% is take-home pay).

MISCONCEPTION #3

QUALITY OF THE FINAL PRODUCTS

Buying prints from a photographer guarantees better quality, right? Professional photo products, much like consumer photo products, vary quite a bit in pricing and quality. Some photographers spend YEARS testing out different product lines from various companies to find the ones that suit their taste and standards best.

It’s very easy to go to one of the standard professional photo labs and start offering prints, frames, albums, and anything else under the sun to clients but, as I found out over the years, heirloom-quality products are often only offered by specialized companies who take as much pride in them as we do in photographs.  Those companies take time (and quite a bit of money) to find.

Quite often, professional photo products are not the same quality across the board, and higher quality products cost more, which means the photographer who offers them must charge more to their clients.

MISCONCEPTION #4

ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE THE SAME A person with a camera is a person who can take a great picture, right? Just point and click! The camera does all the work for you. Highly skilled photographers wish it were the case.

As of today, the skill of the photographer is the ONE thing that will differentiate a great photograph from a decent one. To put it bluntly, some photographers deliver work that’s no better than your cell phone shots, while others create stunning image.

Why?

It’s simple, it takes time to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for it.

If you are shopping for a photographer and literally every single one looks no different from the other in terms of skill and quality of images, then you can safely hire anyone and be happy with the result. However if you can instantly tell who has spent time and effort to learn their craft, then you know there is a difference.

That difference usually means a more expensive price tag in the end.

Most professional photographers aren’t trying to take all your money. They price their work according to very concrete costs and therefore charge appropriately so they don’t run their businesses into the ground and can make a livable wage. These are the photographers who will still be around 5 years from now. They make up about 10% of the photographers who are out there.

My work is guaranteed for life, because I know the quality is on par with art galleries and the service should match. I work every day to  give my clients the very best.