…. photographs draw meaning from memory and emotion. Photographs have the power to tell their own stories, shaped by the feelings and emotion of the person you are at the time you see it. Photographs are nothing but mere seconds in time, but they last entire lifetimes.  ~Neal Santos

Photographs are powerful.  The emotions they can evoke are deep and wide.  We know that as time passes on our memories fade.  We also know that photographs can help us hold on to those precious “mere seconds in time”.

Photographs can also be expensive if they are done by a professional.  And since purchasing portraits can be a very emotional laden task one must have a strong since of their budget even before the process begins.

You may spend two hours with the photographer and pay $1000 for essentially a few pieces of paper.  What you need to keep in mind is that you aren’t paying the photographer $500 an hour.  If you factor in prep time, travel time, set up, uploading, sorting and editing, printing, prepping and sharing proofs, more editing, printing, prepping and sharing final images, the photographer puts in around 18-20 hours for a two hour photo session.   So their making $50- $60 an hour in reality.  But, then let’s factor in the high cost of quality camera equipment and lighting, the cost of maintaining a studio (if they have one), accounting fees, insurance, taxes and so on.  Hmmmm…may they’re not charging a ridiculous fee after all.

But, I can hear some of you screaming…..”I don’t have $1000 to pay for senior portraits.”   Well, that’s just an example, a realistic one, but just an example.  The point is that professional portraits can be expensive and we need to go in with an idea of how much we can spend.  We need to do our research to make sure we understand our choices.  We want to make the best decision based on the type of image and experience we are looking for without spending more than we can afford.

It’s often quoted in Senior Portrait marketing, that teens choose the photographer but the parents pay the bill. So teens and parents you need to sit down and try to talk realistically about how much you can afford.  After doing more research you can always re-evaluate.  Maybe your budget was unrealistic low for the type of images you want. Or maybe you found someone whose work you love who charges less than you thought you would find. Just make sure you start the dialogue about money from the very beginning.

Next time we’ll talk about how to evaluate photographers/studios based on your budget.