Photography pricing: A 3 part Equation and series
Posted on July 3, 2024
Hello to all of you lovely readers, and welcome to all of you that have not joined me here before! Today, we’re going to get a little nitty gritty with the truth of photography pricing, how that relates to the industry, what that means to our customers, and how that could say more about us than we think. This post is not written exclusively for photographers, but for everyone that has had a photograph professionally taken, or may have a need(you always have need for photographs!).
Part 1: industry Expectations
Many photographers will tell you there is an industry standard for photography pricing. It is a standard of which your pricing is dependent on what others around you, and of greater skill/more experience/success, charge. This standard of expectation for everyone claiming professional status, of what you charge, should be based on top down practices, meaning the leaders in the industry set the tone for what we should all charge, based on criteria they set forth. This is industry standard, right? While industry standard seems astronomical to some, lofty to others, and for those that run profitable businesses, necessary, only one thing I have just written here is true. Industry standard is an illusion if you are basing your pricing on anything other than running a business. While I want to jump directly in to the meat of the subject, I am going to give you some examples of the wrong way to price your services.
If you are in 1 photography group, let alone many, you will see people constantly asking what they should be charging for their photography services. It usually starts something like this, “I have been charging $150 for my sessions. I provide a 2 hour session, unlimited outfits, unlimited locations, and I give my clients all the files. I am not making as much money as I would like, I am burnt out, and people are constantly taking advantage of me. I am thinking of charging $275, do you think this is too much, or should I do $325? I don’t want the better photographers in my area to think I am better than them, or that I think I am as good as them. I have only been doing this 2 years, and it is not my main job. Help, Please!” I recently read such a post, and the replies varied wildly. While I saw some photographers attacking the person asking the question, stating they had no business charging above $250 due to their level of skill, or years of experience, and due to concern for clients’ pockets, other photographers were saying, Yes! They confirmed this $325 is great pricing, it’s what they charge, and people might not want to pay this, but it is feasible pricing. Then you had a select few, that pointed out factors like CODB(cost of doing business), profitability, business health and longevity.
Another group I am, someone could tell you that $5k is their minimum session price, and that if they aren’t charging that minimum of $5ooo, with multiple sessions a week, then there is no way they could have a business. That is a crazy difference with one group thinking that charging $325 is sustainable, to another group stating that anything less than roughly $10 k per week is not sustaining. Most photographers fall somewhere between those numbers, but what is really the right place to land? Is it this imaginary industry standard price, the price you can live with charging your clients for your services, or the price that provides you a client wardrobe closet with an upscale luxury service? Two of these are actually correct, and maybe the third is too.
The industry standard, is NOT a concrete number, but a concrete equation. When you are actually running a photography business, you are not pulling some arbitrary numbers from the sky, nor are you looking at competitor’s webpages to see what they charge so you can too, NOR should you be asking total strangers what to be charging, based on their opinions and their reasonings as to why you should charge what they think. Legitimate businesses do not run on the opinions of others, at all. No, legitimate businesses run on numbers with cost of goods, variable/fixed expenses, etc. factored in. If you do not look at these numbers, you won’t know what you will need to charge to break even, let alone make a profit. Remember those $325 photographers? I guarantee you that none of them know what it actually costs to run their business. They may be thinking in terms of hourly time, and specifically only 2 of those tasked hourly timeframes. Well, I spent 1 hour of shooting, 9 hours of editing, that has me making $32.50/hour. That’s pretty good, right? Who doesn’t want to make a nice hourly wage? Um, but this is not accurate, so how do you determine what you are making as an hourly wage? Let’s look at things from a better business perspective, in a quicker, easier aspect.
If I charge you $1500 for your photography session, you receive product, and I spend 20 hours with you from start to finish, let me tell you what I make, based on quick math. It is a good assumption in the photography industry, to break your income in to 3 portions. 1/3-goes to pay income taxes and sales tax, immediately, always. In Ohio, if we deliver a physical product, we MUST collect sales tax on product and session, and remit accordingly. 1/3-goes back to the business. Again, the business does not run itself, it takes a flow of money to keep it running. You can’t squeeze juice from an empty orange, just like you cannot pay for business expenditures without a business fund. Gear doesn’t magically appear, editing software is not free. Gallery and web hosting both have costs….all aspects of the business cost someone something. If you are not putting funds back for your business, you have another source that pays for the business, at that point you have a hobby. 1/3-the business pays you for your work. All that time you put in on consults, shooting, editing, delivering product, working admin for the business, you receive 1/3 of that…so, if I am paid $500, and I have put in 20 hours, I am then making $15/hour. Clearly not the same as $32.50/ hour, that is a lie someone tells themself to justify their hobby parading as a business. When you hand me a check for $1500, my business receives that, I get paid by my business. I am not my business, and it is not me. I am Erin Robinson, agent for E.robinsonphotos, LLC.
Listen, we have all pretty much been there to some degree, in this type of thinking or place in the process of becoming a legitimate business. If you are doing photography for charity, you are well aware of why you are doing it and who you are looking to benefit, and that is perfectly okay, great even to give to others. If you are doing photography as a hobby, which I also did for years, then you know you are not in it to make money, you are doing it for the joy it provides you and others. You may recoup some costs, but you truly are not recouping what you think you are. You are actually funding your hobby with another career, and you are okay with that. When you actually decide to look at your photography as a career, that is when you realize that $325 is not $32.50/hour solely for the hours you put in. It has taken me years to actually understand the importance and value of photography, how to run a business, and how my mindset all factored in.
On Friday, I will tell you how pricing relates to clients/client experience, how we can facilitate our clients with purchasing, and why pricing should not be the biggest factor in choosing your photographer.
A Lady Warrior in Motion
Posted on December 20, 2023
I am always up for shooting something a bit different for senior shoots, something more unique. When I consulted with a client about some action shots for volleyball, I saw the images of what I wanted to capture in my head. This is how I typically start with conceptualizing the shoot. Yeah, if you read this blog, you will read that tidbit often, as it is so accurate, true, and evidence of my muse striking. What I did not initially expect, was gorgeous Miss Eva joining her bestie, Brinlee, for a tandem shoot. I was overjoyed by this turn of events, and I love the sequences of Eva’s hitting, and her unique serving style. Let’s take a look at these shots!
While my photography journey started by capturing soccer players during games, the thing I loved most about capturing athletes in action was to witness the way the light hit them doing their thing. You watch someone giving so much effort, their muscles flexing with the movement, the intensity on their face, the thought that went in to the action of what they do. Volleyball is vastly different from soccer, but the elements of what I love are the same. I asked Eva to show me what her hitting the ball looks like, then I had her break it down for me so I could meter my shots. We repeated the action a few times and the results are simply stunning. The light loves this girl, showing you her strength, beauty, and poise. As her photographer, it is an excitement to capture her in motion, but for her to see herself looking so effortlessly dominating, even better!
When we were transitioning in the shoot, Eva’s mom, Layne, asked if we could capture her serve. Of course we can! Eva has a very cool serve and it was impressive to not only watch the power with which she serves, but the way she moves through her serve…add lighting and I am just loving it!!
That hair…I may have a bit of hair envy! I loved every minute of capturing Eva in motion, the way the lighting embraced her movements and motions, the way her planes and curves of her face and muscles were shown. Beautiful!!! I adjusted some of the shots so that the pride of her school’s accomplishments over the years were able to shine through too. It is only 4 years of a high school athlete’s career, but the pride and legacy that comes with being an alumni that made their mark with their team, having not only your school’s support but your village’s support, is lifeblood, and one that persists and continues for generations to come.
It is an honor to capture someone’s moment in time, and with Eva, we deconstructed that even further to the actual movement in time. Don’t worry, Eva will be coming in to the studio soon, so make sure you stay tuned to see what’s happening at E.robinsonphotos in January!
To schedule your own fantastic experience, send me a message, or call (740)418-9211!
What’s Your Why, It’s YOUR Session
Posted on November 5, 2023
Yesterday, I posted some fairly revealing photos of Allia, and I am overwhelmed by the positive responses I have gotten. When you share photos of skin, people are not always receptive to that, are often appalled by it, and sometimes you will get the oddest replies to a question you never asked someone. Why do I tell you this? It’s YOUR session, tell me YOUR why and we’ll come up with YOUR custom session.
When you contact me, are you wanting to see yourself through my lens because you like what you have seen or you trust I can deliver on your concept, maybe both, maybe more? Do you need visibility for your business, in your job, in your industry, or are you trying to elevate your ability to get hired? Do you want to capture this moment in time that is important to you? Have you made an accomplishment you are very proud of? Or did you see work that I have done and you love the concept for yourself? Maybe it is something I haven’t asked here, and you wish to inquire about making your ideas come to life in captured images by me?
When I contact you about a shoot, it’s because I have seen a vision of you in my head that I want to capture, and it then becomes a process of you telling me no, telling me yes, or working through details that match your expectation and comfort level and seeing how this will work. That last part holds true for both approaches, YOUR session is always about YOU, and your comfort level, and there will always be details to work through.
In both approaches, your comfort level is important, but it is my job to suggest ideas around the concept to help you see yourself in varying ways, ways you may not see yourself, ways you may not be comfortable seeing yourself, ways in which you would love to see yourself, ways in which you feel may be cliche, and ways in which make you think I have bumped my head. It is my job to capture you, authentically, in a safe environment, in a loving environment, in an objective environment, and in an environment where you can not only tell me no, but you can tell me hell no. And then we can laugh about it and move on. It is YOUR story, YOUR why, YOUR session. While I am the photographer, you are the client and subject. We are doing this together, for YOU!
I have been told no many times. I have been laughed at many times. I have had a senior look at their mom, with a help me expression, and me ask if they will try anyhow and I can delete it later. I have heard a yes, and a no on those. Sometimes those are the most cherished shots, other times they say please burn that image. I am good either way and take no offense. It is YOUR session.
So, what’s your why? Why are you having a photography session? Does it serve a purpose for business or work, is it for your self esteem, do you need a yearbook picture, or are you marking a moment or milestone with your loved ones? Maybe you just want to see how I would capture you if given free reign? Why do you want to capture this moment? How does that look to you? What is the importance of the image for you? What have you moved through to get you to this moment that you want to step in front of the lens and see reflected at you? In consultation, we discuss the why. Thoroughly. We discuss details, and we work through the information, communication.
I had someone that I have been working on to shoot a concept with me, tell me I did not want to see their ass. This is true, I don’t want to see your ass just because I saw Allia’s. In fact, I was very comfortable seeing Allia’s derrière because she was very comfortable with showing me. We worked on the concept, embracing ideas around it as we shot the session. We talked about it prior, in consultation, so she could have boundaries in place if any aspect was not good for her. It is about YOU and YOUR why.
During your session, I may throw out an idea, see my idea did not work, and I always acknowledge that isn’t about you, but that my idea was not right for you. Other times my client may make a suggestion that I am unsure of but when we work on it together, it produces pure magic. Again, the session is YOURS, and I never lose sight of that. We have the same goal…YOUR why, for YOU.
YOUR why. YOUR session.
My concept, YOUR session.
Either way, it is about YOU.
Now, I will tell you that your session will change your life. It may not be noticed today, or even tomorrow, but stepping in front of my camera will leave you seeing yourself in a different light, and that is all about YOU.
Allia, Studio Transformations
Posted on November 4, 2023
It has been roughly 6 months since I have written a blog post here at The Photographist Life, perhaps you missed me, as I have missed you. The studio has had an upgrade or two, but we’ll talk about that another day. Today is all about Allia.
I have known Allia for many years now, and I have always loved taking her picture. I never thought when I first started shooting her during soccer games, that we would ever get to this moment in time. Life often sets you up with people that will have a big impact on you, and Allia is having a big impact on my life!
Allia is so naturally beautiful. She exudes confidence, and is just the right amount of sassy and sweet. She is always aiming to better herself, takes direction with ease and gives me her best every single time she is in front of my camera. She is amazing to work with, takes honing her craft of modeling seriously, and is eager to learn how to step up her game each session we have. I adore her!
Look at her. Sigh. She is stunning! When I conceptualized this shoot, I had all black and white images in my head, with Allia’s white bodysuit and her black blazer. We aimed to shoot this outfit last session, but honestly, it deserved it’s own set of images, as I am sure you agree. While I was editing, I felt the call to use some color and to tone a few of the images differently. I am a very instinctual with my work from start to finish, and this was very much in keeping with our session that day. Allia and I were so on par, it made us get the giggles at one point, maybe two. Again, she is a joy!!
Same image, it is just desirable to look at either way! Allia has IT, don’t you agree?
In our last session, Allia suggested a pose that she wanted to try, which we both loved. It was the front version of this, in jeans and a black cami, Kim Kardashian inspired she informed me. This is all Allia Hoosier, baby. Strong lines, feminine, sexy, but also high end editorial and evocative in black and white.
This photo. This girl. Allia worked to make this pose happen. She is instinctive in her work, and can show me things I had no idea I wanted to see. She started with a base, took direction. When she put her personality in to this and made some adjustments, I am pretty sure I yelled “THERE!”. Sorry, but who looks that killer in a bodysuit and blazer?? Allia, that’s who.
I am so thankful for this girl, she is always down to try to bend more, reach higher, move here or there, and she does it all with a smile on her face. Allia, my girl, you are not only amazing, you are HER.
A Good Photo
Posted on April 24, 2023
Today, I am embarking on a short series that will be about photography, and why we don’t exist in photos. As a woman, I feel that most of us don’t exist in photos the way we would like, or for reasons we may not really be able to explain, or don’t want to explain. I am going to get vulnerable on you, open up about my reasons, and tell you what I have planned, to set an example for you.
First and foremost, my weight does not bother me. My double chin does not bother me. My close set eyes do not bother me. Being captured in a less than flattering pose, that bothers me. I have flaws, or rather, facts about myself that I don’t want accentuated, however, I would like specific things highlighted if I am being captured, none of which are the things I just listed. I believe we all want to look our best in photos, this is why most people will show you their “good side” when you ask them to pose for you. When we are taking quick snap shots, unless you spend time learning which poses work best for you, then you may end up looking less than your best, and maybe not even like the you that you feel you are. This recently happened to me, and it was in that moment I knew we needed to address this.
Secondly, mothers mainly are the family photographer, always capturing, never showing up in photos. When you couple being the family photographer with never being accentuated in a photograph, you will pass up every single opportunity to be captured and you will never exist in photos. You will become so adamant about not being in photographs that it will make you surly to the point of feeling violated if someone browbeats you in to being photographed, sorry to all of you I did this to. Mothers often put themselves on the back burner for their family, this is true, but more so, moms have a plan, and if you interrupt that plan to take a crap photo of them, they will definitely not be available for your snap the next time.
Amateurs: don’t browbeat people in to getting their photo taken, that is disrespecting their boundaries. Not everyone wants you to capture them with your camera just to prove they exist.
This bring us to a tertiary level, some people are so busy behind a camera that not being in the moment, but capturing the moment, is the more important place for them to be. Personally, I am a person that gets “in the zone” anytime I have a camera in hand. My mind is a constant state of shots, scenes, angles, lights…and sometimes just getting through the moment, such as a pre dance gathering where there are lots of people, lots of movement, and lots of chaos. The last thing I want in this moment is my picture taken, thank you very much. I am not here to be captured, but to do the capturing.
As a photographer, we are aiming to show the best version of our subject, something beautiful about our subject, maybe even something a bit hidden, but lovely, about our subject. This goes for all people, not just models. When you capture these aspects of others, there becomes a joy of existing in photos. Otherwise, people may shy away and refuse to have their photo taken. When I was more naive about taking others’ photos, I would browbeat people in to having their photo taken, for them, for their loved ones, to prove they did exist in life. I can honestly tell you, that was wrong of me, and I can now approach that in a different way, showing results that the hesitant subject not only wants to see, but wants to display for all to see, and maybe makes them want to exist in photos even more.
These photos of me are not something I want to frame and put on my walls. They are not photos I like to see of myself. Only one of these is preferred by me. I am not existing in the majority of these photos. I am doing something else, my focus and energy is not me being me in that moment, but either capturing others, or not being rude to others. This is not the existence I wish to show the world. So…
Where does this leave us? It leaves us in a place of importance, a good photo. Do you have a good photo of yourself? How many of you wish you had a good photo of yourself? How many of you try to not exist in photos, on purpose? How many of you hate having your photo taken? How many of you have a load of photos of you around your house? This last one was a trick, good for you people with loads of photos of you in your home, but this isn’t about you, it is for those that don’t exist in photographs. Don’t you all think it is time for you to exist in at least one good photo of yourself? I know I do, and that is what I will be showing you soon. A good photo of me. Maybe 5.
You are BEAUTIFUL
Posted on April 1, 2023
Happy Saturday to you all! I hope you are enjoying this fine, breezy, springy first day of April! Yesterday, I mentioned a recent senior photo shoot, and how amazing that session was. Today, I would like to tell you more about that, the importance of music during our shoot, how our first session’s results catapulted our second session, and the overall positives of knowing what really gets your client going. First, let me introduce you to Meadow!
Meadow was one of Brooke’s first friends when we moved to Chillicothe several years ago. She is a kind soul that is caring about her friends, but she is frank and honest too. Meadow is a very fun and funny girl! She is outgoing, very vocal, and super colorful, her style, hair and personality!
When Meadow asked me to shoot her senior portrait sessions, I was stoked for several reasons. One, she is a very beautiful person, her smile is endearing, ornery and captivating. Her personality shines through her pores, she radiates confidence. Meadow is also silly, she will do some out of the box thinking, which results in great shots. One such shot, I loved it so much that I submitted it for awards. When I received a Bronze for this image, she was the first person I told. This image was peer reviewed by those deemed as Portrait Masters through the acclaimed Portrait System powered by Sue Bryce, as well as some top notch educators in the portrait photography realm. The most frequent piece of positive feedback that I received from the judges was how the background color really enhanced my subject and her hair color. What the judges did not know, was that this was the perfect compliment to Meadow’s personality and her desire to make a process she did not want to really undertake, in to something fun that highlighted her, inside and out. When Meadow was gearing up for her second session, I told her that I wanted to take the submitted photo and let that be our inspiration for her indoor session. We were going to springboard off of this image and tailor the session to where she is now, while making her recent transitions more obvious through poses. We were going to add a bit of sophistication while keeping her images youthful and fun. This is where Dr. Dre comes in.
Meadow arrived looking beautiful and ready to go, but still a bit apprehensive to the whole process. I asked her what she would like to listen to during her session, and she replied rap. That is pretty extensive, so through further questioning, I was able to narrow that down to the OG, Dr. Dre. I too love Dre, so it was a treat for me as well. We began with some wall poses, moved in to seated poses and the magic just flowed instantly.
Meadow seriously is a lot of fun, even if she jokingly tells me she hates me because I am talking her in to poses she feels unsure of. She trusts that I am looking at her, seeing her amazing presence, and with a few tweaks, she is giving me gold. I show her the image captured and she smiles, BIG. She likes what she sees, herself, she likes what we are creating, and she likes how I see her truly, through my lens. BEAUTIFUL!
Color is this girl’s vibe. She is so stunning in an array of colors, although she prefers purples and reds. I asked her how she felt about dark hot pink, she wasn’t too keen, but when she saw this image, she was delighted and called herself cute! Yes girl, and then some. When I sent her finally gallery over, she said they looked so f*ing good. This is what I want for my clients. I want them to see themselves as I see them, and when I look at Meadow, I see a beautiful young woman, powerful, ready for the next chapter of her life. I like to play too, and because I knew Meadow would soak this up, I went old school on an edit with a suggestion from my husband.
Meadow posted this to her social media, “I am that bitch”. THIS is everything. I see you my little badass. She loves her gallery, she had a great experience and she absolutely killed it during her session. We had a blast, and I doubt this is the last time this beauty will be in front of my lens, Thank you Meadow for trusting me to capture your beautiful soul, I am truly honored!
If you are interested in a photography session, hit me up, we’ll custom tailor a session just right for you!
Behind the Lens
The Photographist Life 