This little fella was one of the happiest children I have photographed in a while. Seriously, I would call his name and he would look and smile. He had such a precious, sweet personality and he was so patient with his mom and me as we moved him from location to location. He made my work really easy and for that I am grateful! 
Hanging out with C. and his mommy was lots of fun!
in posting sessions from this week. I remain committed to my Blog but some really busy weeks it feels a little overwhelming. So, as I sit here at midnight trying to get this done, I am sorry that I cannot be more witty or creative in what I have to say.
for the Chapman family. Last week when I heard the news that Maria Sue died l I literally pulled my car to the side of the road and cried. The whole story is so tragic and as a mom I can not imagine the loss of a child. I have always believed there is no greater loss then that of a child. It is not supposed to happen. We should all outlive our children…. it is what God intended…. but then the plan somehow changes for some people… I do not understand. Ever since I heard the news, my heart has ached. Steven Curtis Chapman is a very important person to Jeff and me. Most of you do not know our adoption story but I promise to share it all with you in the next few weeks. I do want to tell you though that Eliza would not be a part of our family without God using S.C.C. to speak to our hearts at just the right God ordained moment.
Last Wednesday, the day Maria died, Jeff brought lunch to my studio for me. I was not here. I was out with our oldest son running errands. When I walked into the studio I heard music coming from my office. I walked in to find lunch sitting on my desk and Cinderella (by Steven Curtis Chapman) playing on my computer. He left me a precious note about how he had heard that song on the radio on his way over and how much it reminded him of Eliza and how very special she is to us. She is our Cinderella. If you have not heard the song yet then I highly suggest you grab some tissues and have a listen!
Anyway, I feel a little better now. I know this is a highly personal note for my fun business blog but with my heart so heavy I wanted to share with some of you. I know if it has saddened me so much, I am sure some of you too are feeling the sorrow of the loss of Maria Sue. You do not have to know her personally to know that she leaves a huge void in her families lives.
The last post with an article from this blog. Enjoy!
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:
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.
COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a
selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums
and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the
photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR
for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A
good lens for portrait photography can run up $900 to $2500. A
dependable computer system with software loaded for business and
creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer.
Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer
knows the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated
to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of
products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new,
innovative products for you, the discerning client.
Discussion other costs of running a photography business could take
awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much
more: including costs of running the business, taxes, studio
rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated
studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of
sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session,
etc.
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. Interestingly
enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often
charge much much more for their a la carte pricing (as high as $40-50
for an 8×10). 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”.
Going to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit
of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed
to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do
you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for or
the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare
bones, “SAY CHEESE” experience. Keep this in mind when selecting a
photographer.
REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER:
Being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good
reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part. Their
expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning
the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end
to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A
great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that
they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business
of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in
thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how
expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their
dream? They often neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost
of equipment, software, back ups, etc..
Being of sound reputation, a better professional photographer knows
that they must always reinvest in their business to create the
reputation of being top notch. To create good work good equipment,
reliable equipment, back up equipment is a necessity. The photographer
who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise
knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is
reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built.
Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good
reputation.
I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom
photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories. The
photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and
dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime
(or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into
hiring who is right for your family’s most precious investment.
content
is inspired by discussions with other photographers, my own personal
experiences as well as a well an outline based on an article by San
Diego Photographers Caught On Film Photography
Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom
photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of
commitment, investment in time and money, forethought and planning on
the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment
for the photographer as well.
Clients who enjoy taking a more active role in the creation of their
families’ memories have the desire to have portrait art that is truly
personalized. These more discerning clients have been known to budget
and allot time for a custom photography session. Many
clients opt for it to be a once a year special experience, some opt to
have custom photography sessions done to record their child’s stages in
life. Having said this, it is clear that custom photography is
not in everyone’s budget, it is something that most families save for
to splurge on from time to time to memorialize their children as they
really are (not posed and primped in the cookie cutter studio setting).
There is a great deal of time involved in creating high end custom
photography sessions for a client. The luxury of great service, better
choices and a supberb end product. The result of all this are heirloom
quality images. The time invested at the session is only a small portion of time involved in this process.
Custom photography has been likened to
purchasing a fine vehicle. To get to point B from A let’s face it,
even a bus ride would suffice. If you want to luxuriate
in a finely appointed vehicle, customizing your own experience by
listening to smooth jazz while sitting in a climate controlled setting
adjusted purely for your comfort in a body hugging leather interior,
perhaps that Lexus you so desire is your cup of tea. Custom
photography is much the same cup of tea. It is the Lexus of the
photography world. It is where the intangibles make the experience
truly wonderful and the images themselves make the investment of money
and time truly worthwhile.
Custom photography can be broken down into even more levels. There
are on location, studio, mixed studio/on location, specialty location
and destination type photographers. The beauty of custom photography
is in the choices and in the luxury of thoses options. The customized
service level you are sure to experience will be amazing. The
knowledge that your final images are the result of someone caring about
those moments so much that they take extra time ensuring that the
artwork you receive is good enough to stand by with their name on it.
That level of quality and commitment is all but lost in the age of
"mass produced," "mass marketed," corporate "everyone is a number".
Custom photography is based on being unique to you. How great an
experience would be, to be able to sit back and allow a photographer
to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely
cherish for a lifetime?
Keep in mind more than anything that the Lexus will never appreciate
in value the way your portraits will. The portrait art you become
invested in from your custom photographer will no doubt increase in
value and become more priceless as the years pass.
My blog is doing all sorts of funky things on its own. I have no idea how the images became so small or how posts have moved around to different days. It is all weird but I am not too worried about it because I have something new and exciting on the horizon…. So, stay tuned to the blog for some big changes in the next couple of weeks.
