Photography = Expensive

So, this is probably a post better suited for my photography blog, but I'll admit - I'm not quite ballsy enough to post it there just yet. It's a bit of a vent, and a bit of a PSA rolled into one....

Before I started getting into photography, I can honestly say that I did not 'get' why photographers seemed so expensive. I got lucky/spoiled with having a great photographer as a 'boss' for a time, and she took Eddie and I's engagement photos. When it came time for wedding photos, I was thrifty and took a chance on a photographer who was portfolio building at the time and therefore discounted. We got some nice shots, and I'm happy to report that she is an AMAZING wedding photographer now (who would probably cringe at the photos she took of us, but I am still happy to have them.)  Once Julian arrived, we didn't shell out money for newborn photos...or any photos for that matter until he was 6 months old and we finally broke down and took him to Sears. I remember scoffing at the $75 I spent on proofs. Insanity! Yes, I'll admit it - I was a bargain shopper. One of the worst. There was no way I'd shell out hundreds of dollars for a REAL photographer back then.

Now that I actually DO photography, understanding has hit me like a ton of bricks. I get it now - I REALLY get it. So many people think photography has no overhead...you've got your camera, your memory cards, your computer - what more do you need? I will admit that even I thought that, and not so long ago. Have you heard the saying that photography is an expensive hobby? Well, it's an even MORE expensive business. Doing a quick tabulation in my head (is that a word?) I would say that I currently sport about $1800 in equiptment...and that's NOTHING. I mean, really...literally nothing. That's my (practically entry-level) camera, a couple of lenses and filters, an inexpensive flash, batteries, memory cards, software, etc. I'm actually currently saving up for a new camera body and lens (both are MUCH needed, not just desired) which will set me back about $1800 just between the two...and while that could seem like a lot or a little to you depending on your circumstances, keep in mind that your equiptment is always in flux. Upgrades are inevitably needed - a better camera body, more or better lenses to be able to capture what you need when and where you need it, memory cards need replaced, as do batteries, software needs upgraded, computers need upgraded, external hard drives or data storage of some sort needs to be established to store and backup your files. THEN if you do indoor or studio work, add lighting to the list: strobes, umbrellas (I'll admit, I don't do studio work, so I'm sure I'll inevitably miss something here), backdrop stands and backdrops, props, supplies... all to the tune of hundreds - nay - THOUSANDS of dollars in many cases.  Then, if you have a studio, add rental fees to that (holy cow, some are as expensive as our mortgage, not that I plan on going the studio route any time soon.)

Ok, but we're not done yet - that's just your equiptment....what about the rest? How about marketing? It costs money to secure your domain name every year, add to that the monthly hosting fees of your website - heck, what about the cost to BUILD your website? Be prepared to shell out a few hundred dollars there at the VERY least....and ok, maybe you buy advertising space, or print and mail fliers to leave at doctor's offices or send out to announce specials or advertise your business. What about business cards? Print packaging? Custom logos?  $$$$$$     It all adds up.

Now for the last but most important aspect - your time. How much do you value your time spent at home with your spouse and your children? Or your time golfing? At the lake? Doing things you love? Like any job, photography takes away TIME, and a lot of it. This is the invisible aspect of photography as most people just really don't comprehend how much time it takes from the moment you take a photo until that photo is hanging on someone's wall, not to mention the time you constantly put in learning and improving your skills. The session itself is just the tip of the iceburg - once the session is over, you go home and the real work begins....backing up all the images in case something happens, going through each individually and finding those that have the best focus, expressions and exposure, then taking those and individually editing them to bring out all the best aspects of that photo.  Once the editing process is complete, you're uploading proofs online somewhere (or in some photographer's cases, driving to the client's home to show them face-to-face.) When an order is placed, you must put that order in via your software, wait for it to arrive, package it and deliver it. Assuming there aren't any custom cards to design or albums to prepare, you can pretty much count on the fact that you just spent 20 hours on that session between all the editing and uploading and correspondence with the client. Sometimes more... that's a lot more than that 1 hour session that most people assume constitutes the majority of the process.
So, 20 hours of your time...not to mention cost of goods, your overhead to keep your business running (did I mention licensing and liability insurance fees for that?)...gas prices, babysitter fees....Is it starting to add up now? Oh yes...and I didn't even mention the 30% you get to hand over the IRS for taxes!
How much do you make at your job per week? Is it $75? Would you work a job that paid you only $75 for 20 hours of work and then some? No, of course not....your time is much more valuable than that! So is it really fair for a photographer's rates to be compared to the kind of deals you can snag at JCPenney or Sears? Of course not...and hopefully, if you find the right photographer, the quality of what you take home will be above and beyond what you would receive from a chain retail experience...but that's another post for another day.

So, my reason for posting this...I have been dipping my toes in the business side of things with my photography - just offering a couple of shoots a month, and already I feel overwhelmed at times. I'm trying to keep prices where friends and acquaintaces can afford me as that was who I had in mind when I started this - I wanted to offer something better than the retail chain alternative when it comes to having photos of your family and children. The only problem is, I'm a crossroads where the amount I make is not worth the amount of time I put into it. Don't get me wrong, I love photographing people, and I love giving them nice pictures, but why put myself through the stress of a deadline, and put my time towards something other than my child or husband if I'm doing it basically for free? It just doesn't make sense. I've raised my prices a little for this winter, and will probably go through another price raise next Spring, and at that point if it still doesn't feel worth it, I might just have to go back to having an expensive hobby. At least then I won't feel stressed out by the one thing that has been my outlet and my happy place for the last year. It's really very unfortunate just how many photographers make next to nothing for the work they create - even some of those whose prices might make your jaw drop....you'd be surprised just how little of that makes it into their wallet at the end of the day.

Rant/PSA over.  :)