Digital technology is brilliant. The digital revolution has
brought amazing flexibility and amazing amounts of control for the photographer,
the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur. With flexibility comes a price
though. Camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in
its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images,
the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into all of
this.
Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for
film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you
may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom
photography print. Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:
"How in the world can you charge $60 for an
8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at the local drug store?"
The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time,
aforementioned equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the
photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.
TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will
that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is
travelling an hour to your on location session. Time break down:
- session prep time (30 mins - 1 hour, includes equipment
and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
- one hour travel time TO session
- 15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
- 90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
- one hour travel time FROM session
- 30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
- 30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
- 2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
- 1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
- 2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
- 1 hour sorting through and checking order
- 30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
- 30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
- any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from
just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of
service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer
charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours
of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time
for your session.
APPLES to ORANGES:
Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. According to several articles at the time, did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. The whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the true "loss leader".
The above is an excerpt from an article entitled "Why Does
Custom Photography Cost More?" by author Marianne Drenthe and is used with
the author's permission. We encourage you to
read the rest of this article, as well as other great articles to learn
more about what Custom Photography really is.
