this is for YOU. {thoughts on pricing}

Once photography was simply a hobby and a passion...  But now I look around and feel so fortunate to do what I love for a living - and I love every minute of it (well, almost every minute)!!  Over this past year I have been so blessed.  Brandilyn Davidson Photography has been expanding quite quickly during the past several months.  In light of this, I have decided to completely restructure the way I offer my products to clients.  But before I do, I thought it would be helpful to share some behind the scenes info on the editing process and the amount of work that goes into producing high-quality images from what may seem like a relatively brief photo session or event.

Most professional photographers will spend anywhere from five to over twenty minutes (!) thoroughly editing each individual image from your session.  Each image undergoes a series of fine-tuned adjustments to important aspects of the photograph such as cropping, tone, exposure, contrast, white balance, and sharpening - just to name a few.  Many photos require additional work - including but not limited to: blemish removal, color and texture effects (ex. vintage, retro, black & white), skin smoothing, background editing, etc.  I've included just one example below:

Taking the info above into consideration - a typical wedding package includes roughly 200-300 finished images and can take up to several weeks to complete.  This makes the seven or eight hours a photographer spends actually taking photos on the wedding day just a small fraction of the time required to produce the final products. 

In addition to the time spent taking and editing photos, another reason going with a professional isn't cheap is because professional photography equipment and editing software is extremely expensive.  A high end DSLR can cost several thousand dollards just for the body - before it even has a lens on it!!  A good lens often runs well over a thousand dollars - and most photographers have several.  Then there's computers, hard drives, memory cards, flashes, reflectors, bags, etc. etc. etc.  Further more, you must take into account years of schooling, interning, classes, tutorials and all that practice practice practice!!!

 

So, even though professional quality prints can seem pricey -  just remember - you're not paying for the ink and the paper it's printed with/on.  You're paying for the talent - the time and the artistic energy that has been put into that very image.  For you.  If you want a cheap 19 cent Walmart print - well then that's what Walmart is for.  If you want a high quality image that beautifully captures you and your loved ones in a moment in time - a moment that will last for forever... well then that's what professional photographers are here for.

 

I welcome any and all comments.  If you have a question, please feel free to leave it below and I will do my best to answer it.  Thanks for reading!!!                                                                                   

Comments

[Tiffany Zito]

I agree that a "professional copy" is way better then a Walmart knockoff. Great example of photoshop, I still don't understand how you made those cars disappear.

[Vanessa]

Whoa...I looked through all my pics last night, and I never in a million years would have ever thought there were ever cars in the background. So cool....and I love my pics...thank you!! I will be in touch soon to discuss prints, etc...

[Audrey]

I love you work! I can take decent pictures of Madalyn, but I have no clue how to use photo shop and from seeing everyone's pictures it makes such a difference how things are edited. My pictures are by no means close to being professional quality, which is why I'm excited to get you to take some for Madalyn's 1st b-day pics.

Just curious...what are you thinking about changing in the way you offer your products?

[Brandilyn Davidson]

My main point of posting this was to just mainly inform. There's so much that goes on besides just 'taking pictures' or 'having a nice camera' and I like for my clients to know that. To answer your question Audrey - a couple of the biggest changes I'll be making are 1. having a minimum purchase with each session and 2. offering both a la carte options (prints by themselves) as well as collections, which will be a groups of pictures and products at a discounted rate. I am still in the process of working everything out - but I think it will be a more client friendly, especially because I don't currently offer any discounted packages.

Vanessa - so glad that you like the pictures, I think they turned out great! You guys were so natural, happy and relaxed and it shows in the pictures. Congrats again!!

[Karen Parker]

Your pictures are beautiful and you do excellent work. I think you should charge for your time and effort. Anyone in business would. Congrats on your company taking off and doing well.!!
Karen

[Brandilyn Davidson]

Amen Karen!! Thanks for your support!!! =)