One of the most common posts I see in photography forums and groups are those upset about the prices other photographers are charging. While this may be a bit of a controversial post, I’d like to offer another way to view this oft argued subject.
It never fails, after a year or two of charging for your services, you start running into the novice shoot-and-burn photogs. They sprout up out of nowhere and seem to multiply like rabbits. You see post after post of sessions for $50-$100 with a CD full of images. Immediately, your hackles rise and you feel immense displeasure towards someone you’ve probably never met. The competitive side comes out swinging and the need to vent becomes inevitable. Queue the rants in Facebook groups or on your forum of choice. Does this sound remotely familiar?
When I was in my early 20’s, I was a young mother of two and finances were tight, as is often the case in young families. Back then, DSLR’s were not as easily accessible as they are now, so my only option was disposable cameras. It didn’t take long for this to become too expensive to continue. There were a few years that I didn’t even take photos, aside from family photos at Sears after months of pinching pennies. I would have given anything to have had access to a cheap photographer over having no photos at all.
For some families, those shoot-and-burn photographers may be all they are able to budget for. Are those families any less deserving of images than the person who is willing to spend $1500 or more? Not in my eyes. These individuals are more likely to see the value of portraits and are probably going to be repeat clients. I would be willing to bet that as time goes on, the budget for photos will become larger and someday will be that $1500 purchase.
Now, think back to when you started charging clients. Did you start pretty low, charging only what you felt your limited abilities were worth? Are you currently charging low prices out of fear of being told “No” or “You charge too much!” for the first time? I know I started out asking $150 for a disc of 20-30 images. I tried to be “competitive” with the photographers in my area, and didn’t thoroughly consider the cost of doing business. I was ok with that price, at least at first. Over time, I learned that there was far more work involved with running a photography business than clicking the shutter and a bit of editing. This journey of learning and figuring out what is sustainable for the long term is common. I don’t know a single photographer that earned thousands of dollars the moment they started charging, regardless of the genre they work in.
If you find yourself frustrated with those low prices or charge those prices, there are two things you could do. If you are an established and confident photographer, consider reaching out to help educate. Some individuals may not be willing to listen, but there are many that would be so grateful to have even the smallest bit of mentoring. Otherwise, worry about you, take care of your business and don’t pay attention to what other photographers are doing. Everyone has a different journey and there’s room for every photographer.
Hi Nicci, thanks for brining this up, it is a sensitive topic and one that is essential for any beginning photographer. In my view, there are two scenarios that the established professionals can consider. Either the new photographer is talented and just looking to build a portfolio, and then they should know that soon that photographer will start charging the market price; either the new photographer is just mediocre, or bad and then there is nothing to worry about. Customers can often see the difference, and if they’ll have the money, they will pay the price. Truth is, most people… Read more »
Claudia – I’m happy that you agree. It can be a very touchy subject for photographers, and too often, we feel defensive. Thank you for sharing your view!
Just felt so heart melting that you have empowered photographers. It is indeed not easy to take shots, you need to learn so much from this field. It is not just as simple as one click. Cheers to all photographers out there who stay humble!
It is so great to see that this has been well-received, as it could have turned into a heated debate. I truly believe we need to be in more of a community over competition mindset. Thank you for your lovely words!
A very interesting point of view. Just one question: is using a camera make you a photographer? Thank you Nicci for this article.
Great question! Personally, I believe if you are using a camera to capture how you see the world/people, then you are a photographer. It’s a title that a person chooses to wear or not. However, that does not make one a professional photographer. That’s a whole different subject that I may touch on in the future.
As a hobbyist photographer working toward getting more serious, I struggle with what to charge. I believe you have to have built credibility before you can charge the serious dollars. Clients are not going to be willing to pay $1500 for a session until they can see the value they will get from you. So if someone is starting out, they can’t credibly charge that much until they build their portfolio and reputation. I think the people who contract with the shoot-and-burn photographers know what they’re going to get (or at least they should), so if they’re happy with that,… Read more »
I think in the photographer comunity there’s this huge context gap, because we have very different backgrounds, we’ve come from different professions and even if some started this for a new carreer or just a hobby we all started the same, knowing nothing about photography and this magical journey of emotions and experiences but I believe we often forget this, now we are photographers and we think about the future sometimes thinking that all photographers know as much as we do, or have travel the same path but every path is different to each one of us. This article reflects… Read more »