Hi! I’m Krista Campbell… writer for Prop Insanity, lover of vintage props, golden fields, backlight and momarazzi-extraordinaire to my 4-year old who dons pink tutus and cowgirl boots. I am also an on-location portrait photographer serving Northwest Arkansas. During my career as a photographer, I’ve been asked the question…
“Why Does Custom Photography Cost More?”
Often times, people wonder why custom photography costs more than chain store studios. With a large chain portrait studio, your time is limited and you are often rushed in and out of the studio. Not to mention the wait time that you will most likely experience before and after your photo session. After your images are taken, the studio assistant uploads the images right from the camera to a computer for you to view. You are then given a few minutes to decide on your order. Large chain studios have portrait packages under $100, but these mostly come with just one pose. Before I was a photographer, I would visit these big chain studios for my portrait needs. I remember how hard it was for me to choose just one image when I wanted the opportunity to preserve my memories of my young daugther. I’d usually order the package, but then would end up with a ton of prints of just one pose- and would realistically only frame one of the pictures, put one in my wallet and give the others away. Your custom photography experience with Krista Campbell Photography and other photographers like me is very different.
You will first be given a questionnaire or information will be gathered on the type of session you’d like, location ideas (and location is always your choice), advice on what to wear and what to expect and you have the opportunity to tell me, the photographer, exactly what type of images you hope to get from the session. On the day of a regular photography session, we are never rushed and I can take as much time as I need to get the images of your family or loved one that I know you will treasure. Newborn sessions often last up to 3-4 hours, so that I have plenty of time to work on your newborn’s schedule and get those cherished shots of your little one. After your session is over, within 4 days a “sneak peek” from your session will be posted on my blog and within 3 weeks, you will receive an email letting you know that your private, password-protected gallery is ready for you to view. You will then have 7 days (not 7 minutes like in the chain stores) to preview your images in the privacy of your own home and make your decision on which pictures you’d like to order. All of my discounted collections include both prints and digital images with print permission. In addition, you can also opt to have your images posted to Facebook where you can share them with family/friends.
So why does custom photography cost more? Well, essentially it’s because of the amount of time that it takes to present you with your gorgeous images.
30-60 min. booking time
30-60 min. pre-session prep time (scouting locations, equipment and backup equipment checks and prep)
60 min travel time to and from your chosen location
45min – 4 hours shooting time (newborns take much longer than a regular session)
45-60 min uploading time from camera to computer and backing up originals
6-8 hours of editing time
1 hour uploading to gallery, pictures on blog and Facebook
1 hour spent preparing images for print or to be placed on a disc for you
2 hours preparing prints or CDs for delivery and delivering or mailing the products
The average time that I spend on 1 client session is about 18 hours.
Besides all of the TIME that it takes to shoot, prepare and develop the pictures is the COST of running a photography business. Here are such a few examples of my costs:
- $7000+ in my camera, back-up camera, lenses and flash
- $1300 in editing equipment and software
- $1000s for props
- $50/month to host my website, blog and private gallery for client pictures
- $800 on professional books and magazines
- $2000+/year for photography classes, training, workshops
and additional costs such as collage and blog templates, album and card templates, studio equipment, digital scrapbooking materials such as frames, fonts and clipart, bags, cards, CDs, business cards, referral cards, advertising, studio samples, etc… As you can see, the costs of this business are great.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to see the difference between a custom photographer and a large chain studio and helped to illustrate the time and costs of running a photography business. Take the time to research a photographer who can provide you with a custom portrait experience. Find a professional photographer who cares about your happiness as a customer and one who is dedicated to providing you with gorgeous images and art that are a priceless investment for you and your family.
Visit my website http://kristacampbellphotography.com to see my portfolio of work, details about my custom photography services, current prices and products that I offer.
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