I deserve not to starve

I've read TWICE this month about 2 photographers, one local and one not, closing their doors FOR GOOD. WHY?

Because they BOTH said they could NOT survive and support themselves off their FULL TIME self employed photography income.

I checked both of them out on facebook. One had an ok number of likes with ok work. Alright- so that makes sense, perhaps there was room for improvement, on marketing and on technique. I've seen worse though! One had 5,000+ likes and beautiful work. Clearly people saw the beauty in her work and she had quality images!!

So what gives? How can 5,000 people like your work and you not be able to live off that? I don't KNOW, but I can make an assumption... These photographers were not charging what they were worth. Plain and Simple.

As Artists we love what we do- but this is also our job. We're here to have fun but we don't have hours to throw out the window either. So to anyone who wants something for free, or next to nothing- remember- we aren't just selling paper, or are required to give away digital copies bc they are "free." That "paper" holds cherished memories never to be seen again, those files took us hours to envision, capture, and artistically perfect, AND we have to survive just like you.

We have thousands of dollars in to our gear (and if you don't, I honestly don't feel as though you can call this your REAL profession... I'm not talking about hobbyists who have another job, I'm talking about the people who give it their ALL EVERY DAY.) We have years of knowledge. We have a talent no one else has. We have an eye and artistic mind you can't just borrow. And yes- if you want a custom, specialty service, you have to pay for it. Just like a painting, or a limited release item, or a product built just for you!

The SAD part is- I'm still not saying you have to charge $10,000 per session but you can not be the photographer shooting, editing, burning, and gifting EVERYTHING for $100 either.

WHY? Because you will SINK just like these people did unless you have another job or have someone else to support you. AND bc you have a GIFT that is worth more than what it cost me to buy a pair of over priced jeans from the Mall.

Please think of it this way- $100. approx. for 10 hours broken down in to emailing, meeting with a client, shooting, editing, viewing, making a disc / prepping ordering, (whichever you do), delivering products. Done. $100 divided by 10 is $10 an hour. Then uncle Same takes out 30%. $7 an hour. Then you have to pay all your studio bills, your business insurance,  sales tax, or... or... OR.... the list goes on. SO NOW you are working for yourself for like $3 an hour. Really!?

NO! STOP IT! YOU STOP IT RIGHT NOW! YOU are worth more than that and so is your work, and so is your time!!!!!

To all of my clients- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for seeing the value in what I do. Thank you for accepting the fact that I LOVE having fun with you but I am NOT here to play all day and that I create beautiful things for your home to support me in mine. YES- I love what I do but I am also very proud to say my full time job is a business I built, myself, from the ground up, and that it's in a field that many put the word "starving" in front of.

webblog

(self-portrait created during my 365 project in 2011)

Think of it this way- I have the drive and the fire behind me that a starving artist does, except I choose to eat, bc I deserve to.

5 BIG reasons why you could be missing out

When I take on a client, I don't just look at them as another person I have to photograph. I look at them as a beautifully bound journal, that holds years and years of tales. I look at them as unique and beautiful pieces of art, just waiting to be captured. I see smiles, I see passion, and above all else I see someone who deserves an amazing experience that's all about them.

If you aren't getting that out of your photographer... what else are you missing out on?

Here are my top 5 reasons
to commission a professional photographer
for your portraits

Education:
I don't mean a college degree or a fancy certification. I mean knowledge, experience, and the ability to take what you know and explain that to others clearly.
I am a self taught artist, I have pushed my way through a lot of unknown things over the years. Being at a place where I can HELP my clients is the best part of that whole struggle.
I expect A LOT more out of the companies I deal with now, and I expect A LOT more out of myself. That education leads to better products, better images, and an overall better experience. 
I encourage people to ask questions, there are no secrets here- if you are investing in something, especially memories, you have the right to be properly informed!

Time:
This is HUGE!
On average, I spend about 10 hours on each client, from the beginning of our process to the end. This includes several emails answering questions they may have /  a pre-session consult to form their ideas and build their session / more emails to answer questions and give help and suggestions on wardrobe, location, goodies to bring / shooting / editing and more editing / album viewing and interior design help for orders / designing specialty items / prepping orders for print /  and order display for pick up.
If you are dealing with someone who simply states, "Yeah, I can take your pictures, meet me at this park." and 2 days later presents you with a disc or you spend 15 mins in the studio with a crying baby and then they ask you to come around the corner to purchase your selection... you are truly missing out on a lot of help, details, and opportunities.

Quality:
To add on to being educated- be informed and know what to look for. That adorable smile is great, but is it actually in focus? That iamge is breathtaking but will the photographer size it properly so when you get a 20x30 it's not going to be grainy? That disc is awesome, but are your prints from the grocery store really doing them justice and hold up over time? Will that image eventually warp and bend?
Demand quality, at a minimum, no matter what price, or what level of professionalism you deal with. If they are bold enough to call themselves a business, you can be bold enough to ask them if their images and products are of quality.

Attention to Detail:
This I feel is highly over looked, but when it comes down to it, is just as important as those BIG things you think people might notice. I remember when I first started shooting and my boyfriend (now husband) pointed out that my horizon line was slightly off. I thought- jeez, way to be picky! No- now I understand, being picky helps you grow, trains your eye, and brings every image to a whole new level. Random objects in the background and tilted horizons soon turned in to relaxed looking hands, natural smiles, comfy looking poses. Perfection was never met by over looking those small details, at the same time, it was also never met by dwelling on them. Know when to fix things and also know when to let those things go in order to get the shot!

On A Personal Level:
I love this one. I am a people person. A lot of the clients I have, I am so sad to see them pick up their last print order. Luckily, a lot of them come back again, so I get to see them every few months or every year. We have so much fun together, and we get to know so much about each other, that by the time our session roles around, it's easy, calm, fun, and comfortable. I have also been known to tell people to please come relaxed bc I more than likely will do a lot of ridiculous things to make their child smile... or if a hubby is mildly grumpy we have a lot of good laughs and it goes over well. You're not coming to a stuffy studio where I don't care about you and we just need to click, click, click until the number of shots are complete. I want to know you, I want to have fun, and I want you to feel at home.