Why Choose a Professional Photographer?

This is an article I found by a man named Kevin. I really think he says it well.I do want to add my own comments to this article. You'll find mine at the end. Hope it sheds some light on our profession and expertise. Becky

In this digital age where everyone has digital cameras, scanners and home "photo printers", when people upload their photos to a local drug store website and pick them up a few hours later, we hear this all the time - How in the world do Professional Photographers charge $55 (actually more then what I charge) for an 8x10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drug store?

Here's why.

Simply put, you're not just paying for the actual photograph, you're paying for time and expertise. You get what you pay for. First, let's look at the actual time involved.
If you don't read this entire page, at least read this first part.

For a two hour portrait session:

- one hour of travel to and from the session
- two hours of shooting
- 30 minutes of setup, preparation, talking to the client etc.
- 30 minutes to load the photos onto a computer (2 - 4 Gb of data)
- 30 minutes to back up the files on an external drive
- 3 - 4 hours of Photoshop time including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, saving a copy for print and a copy for the internet and backing up the edited photographs
- 2 - 3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive their order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment and drop package off at Fed Ex.
- For local customers, we also print a set of all of their photos, and meet them at our studio to review the photos and place their order. Meeting and travel time averages 2 hours.

You can see how one two hour session easily turns into more than ten hours of work from start to finish. So when you see a Photographer charging a $200 session fee for a two hour photo shoot, you are not paying them $100 / hour.

For an eight hour wedding:

- I won't bore you with the details, but an eight hour wedding typically amounts to at least two to three full 40 hour work weeks worth of time. Again, if they are charging you $4,000 for an eight hour wedding, you are not paying them $500 / hour.

Now for the expertise.

Shooting professional photography is a skill, acquired through years of experience. Even though a quality camera now costs under $2,000 taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.

Most Professional Photographers take years to go from buying their first decent camera to making money with their photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera itself, there is a mountain of other equipment involved, as well as numerous software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website etc.

And let's not forget that you actually have to have people skills, be able to communicate, make people comfortable in front of the camera - and posing people to make them look their best in a photograph is a skill all by itself.

Think of it this way - the next time you pay $X to get your hair done, a pair of scissors only costs $1.50. But you gladly pay a lot more to hire a Professional.

What about the cheap studios at the mall?

Please don't compare us to the chain store studios. But if you must, consider all of the time and work that we put into our photographs, compared to what they do. Good luck getting a two hour photo shoot at a chain store. Not to mention they won't come to the beach! And of course, look at our work compared to theirs. You get what you pay for.

The truth is, most of the mall and chain store studios lose money. In fact, in 2007 Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios because of the financial drain they were putting on the company. What the chain stores bet on is that you'll come in for some quick and cheap photos, and while you're there, you'll also spend $200 on other things. They don't have to make money, they are just there to get you in the door.

Conclusion

We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographers charge more than others.

Becky's comments:
Anyone can buy a nice camera and take pictures of their family, but it takes a professional to know the ins and outs of their field. There is lighting, posing, backgrounds ect. that I use during every shoot. I take classes all the time to improve my skills. I'm always using new techniques throughout my shoots. I want you to LOVE the photographs I take and proudly display them throughout your home. My passion is to create memories that you can cherish for a lifetime and beyond.

Jackson

A big welcome to our newest star Jackson! This handsome little guy will steal your heart with his adorable smiles and facial expressions! He is the apple of his parents eyes. For more on Jackson please visit http://www.simplytaken.net/

Megan Thompson

Megan is Glamorous, Sophisticated and Beautiful. She'll make a very sweet bride next Saturday. I really enjoyed working with her. She was a great sport about standing out in the cold. As you can see from her pictures it was well worth the cold temperature. To see more of Megan please visit http://www.simplytaken.net/ click on Megan Thompson.

Suzannah

Suzannah is turning 8! She has a flare for beauty and independance. Suzannah is Simply Taken's fashion pick of the week. Her coppery features stand out against her all white dress. She has a one in a million smile and a personality to match. Check out her gallery at http://www.simplytaken.net/ 

Baby Jada

Baby Jada has arrived in style! We had a fabulous time on this shoot just before Christmas. This little princess knows style. From her sweet curly hair to her cute baby toes, Jada will steal your heart. Watch the slide show below for a sneek peak, then click on the link to http://www.simplytaken.net/ for more on this adorable little girl. Stay tuned in the future to see who else will be making their debut.

Something Old, Something New

As 2011 is already underway, I've been thinking about what my goals are this year. The popular wedding phrase "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" has been running through my head. So with that said, I'm out with the old (last year); In with the new (2011); I'm borrowing ideas from family & friends (others always have great ways of doing things that I've never thought of) and something blue would be this new blog. Perhaps that's a bit on the cheesy side as those closest to me would say.

Christmas Morning dawned bright ,sunny and very cold. Outside was crisp and sparkling. I took some great pictures from inside as I was to chicken to go out in the cold.

I Love how the fog hangs low in the valley while the peaks stand clear and bright. "Joy to the World... Let Heaven and Nature Sing!" We are so blessed to live in a beautiful place. I wish you all the very best in 2011! Come visit often, as one of my goals is to keep this blog regularly updated. I'm sure that I can do it, as its a business blog. (I'm not real great with my family blog, last time I updated that was Oct 2009).