But why?

Good Afternoon!!!!
Over the last week or two I have noticed on social media that there are a number of people that are becoming angry with the inability to find a decently priced photographer. This is not something that I understand at all.

Each and everyone of us have to have an income. In order to pay for your home, the things that you have, your transportation, everything. There is nothing in this world that is free. I know that this seems crazy when it comes to photography. I mean all it is pushing a button on a camera right?

Actually no it is so much more than that. For instance let us start at the beginning. There is the time that we must take to market ourselves as photographers and to get our names out there for our customers to find us. Marketing not only takes time, but it also can take money. There is also the initial cost of our equipment and then the upkeep of that same equipment. For the photographers who have studios and such there is also the money that it takes for the upkeep of all of these items as well. Now when you meet with your photographer there is a contract. I can promise you the paper that it is written on, and the time that a lawyer invested into making sure the contract is legal was not free. Now lets think about the actual shoot. Did you use props, did you go to a location that requires a fee? These are all things that do not come free to the photographer. Now think about why you hired that photographer. You hired them because of their talent, and their ability to create art. In order to create art many photographers use programs such as Lightroom and Photoshop, yet again another cost.

As you can see with each step in the process to get your photos there is a cost involved, and this cost is only to get through the process, it does not even pay the photographer. This photographer still has to be able to pay all of these costs, and be able to pay themselves in order to support their families.

So the next time that you are looking for a photographer and the cost is more then you would care to pay please take a moment to think about what all it entails, and that is before you are even paying for the actual talent and time for your photographer.

Here are some additional links if you would like to read them about the cost that photographers have to consider when developing their pricing guides. I hope that this helps bring an understanding as to why photographers cost more then what you may think that they should cost.

http://www.themoderntog.com/cost-start-a-photography-business
http://clickitupanotch.com/2012/06/photography-business-start-cost/
http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-calculate-your-cost-of-doing-business/