Question: “Why is photography so expensive?”

 

Answer: I’m going to be totally honest. I feel different than a lot of other photographers, because most have always valued photography. For me, it’s a more recent development. Before I got into photography, I was suuuper cheap. I was so focused on getting the best deal I could get, not necessarily the best pictures and experience. I thought it was ridiculous that a photographer had the audacity to charge hundreds of dollars for only one hour of taking pictures. And I feel like this is actually a really common misunderstanding. Right? If you’re agreeing with this, keep reading.

 

 

I was incredibly naïve about why photography costs what it costs until I became a photographer myself. So, I want to shed a little light so that you can hopefully understand why photography is an investment.

 

Photographers are business owners. Every business has costs that are super obvious on the surface, like a camera for example, but there are also so many hidden costs you would never know about unless you were a photographer yourself. To help you understand, here are some of my costs along with general photography costs. Every photographer is different and spends money on different things, but as a general rule, we are dedicated to giving you amazing images and that doesn’t come cheap.

 

• My equipment – the better the equipment, the better your images
  • Main camera body: Canon EOS 5D Mark iii
  • Backup camera body: Canon EOS Rebel SL1 with Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
  • Lens: Canon 50mm f/1.8
  • Zoom lens: Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6
  • CF card
  • 4 SD cards
  • 4 batteries
  • Battery charger
  • Flash
  • Camera bag
  • Laptop and monitors
  • Editing software
• Website, advertising, branding, etc.
• Business licensing – a legal photographer pays to be a licensed business owner
• Taxes – self-employment taxes can be pretty pricey, setting aside 30% of business income is the general recommendation
• Business insurance
• Equipment insurance
• Education – every business owner should constantly be learning, so good photographers consistently invest their time and money in educating themselves
• T.I.M.E. – Before a photo session, we spend time prepping – finding that perfect location, staying on top of emails and schedules, going through poses, etc. Then we spend time driving to and from and actually capturing the session. After a session, photos need to be sorted through and edited. Then there is the time we spend serving valuable content on our blogs and social media, educating ourselves, and running a business. Like any job, our time is a huge factor.
• All those little extras – when you love that your photographer sends you a little gift after, or has props for you to use, or brought snacks with them to the photoshoot, etc.

 

If I were to account for my equipment alone, it would be worth around $4,000. That doesn’t include anything else, just equipment! And I still am working on upgrading my equipment. I probably haven’t even covered it all, but hopefully that gives you an idea.

 

 

Another point to consider, expenses aside is that when you book a photographer you are also paying for their expertise. Learning how to pose people, use a camera, edit, etc. – those are all skills. Just like another profession, you are paying for the photographer’s skill.

 

 

It really is a blessing that photography doesn’t cost more than it does. It can be easy to think that it’s ridiculous what photographers charge, I’ve been there. But I share this because I want you to know that there really is a reason for it. We’re not trying to rip you off. We’ve carefully evaluated what we feel like our art and skill is worth, we need to cover our expenses, and we need to be paid for our time away from our families, so that’s why we charge what we charge.

 

Hopefully this helps!