What SHOULD Photography Cost?

Six dollars for green beans feels like a lot, I mutter to myself. But then I pause. Is it? How much should a pound of green beans cost? They’re organic, after all. I’m not a farmer or a grocer, and I apparently don’t really pay enough attention to how much beans cost in the grocery store, to know if I’m being charged too much or not. I care about how much the beans cost only because I don’t like being overcharged for things. But what’s a good measurement to weigh against a pound of organic green beans?

If you’re not a photographer, or surrounded by photography on a daily basis, you might feel the same when it’s time to hire a professional for your own photography. How much should a session cost? What should you compare it against? What’s the difference between photography that costs $100 and photography that costs $1000? How do you know if you’re getting a good deal, or if the beans are rotten? So to speak.

In order to help illustrate my point, I’m moving to a new metaphor. I really don’t know beans about beans.

As I have previously covered, there are approximately 150,000,000 photographers in the Richmond area. Which is really amazing, considering the whole population of Greater RVA is significantly less than that. But regardless, there are a lot of people around here who have a camera and the skills to photograph you, in one form or another. Which means that finding someone to photograph you shouldn’t be that hard. I have talked before about how to find a photographer when you’re searching for one, and that basing your search on price is really going about it backwards.

But when you are looking at the numbers between two different photographers, when one is (perhaps much) more than the other, how do you know what it should cost? What do you look for?

The answer, of course, varies. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a hard and fast number and say “base your assumptions on this” because there are too many factors to consider. Wedding and event photography is not/should not be priced the same as family photography. Newborn photography costs can vary between studio/posed and lifestyle methodologies. Even comparing family photographers, there are factors like length of session, what is included in the price, and the amount of attention the photographer gives you before, during, and after the session. It’s less apples-to-apples comparison, and more like trying to compare fruit salads when the salads all contain different types and quantities of fruits. (Also, keep your bananas out of my fruit salad. Thank you.)

Switching to another food metaphor, let’s talk about bread. The cost, and quality, of bread will vary widely depending on where you get it. A loaf of sliced white bread from the convenience store is not the same quality or price as a loaf of sliced bread from the grocery store bakery, which also varies from the experience and cost of shopping at an independent artisan bakery.

The convenience store offers the barest of bare necessities, and the loaf of bread you get may be squished or stale, and is full of processed stuffs to make it last longer, since it’s made in a factory hundreds of miles away. Grocery stores traditionally have lots more options, and may have someone in that section of the store who can help you choose the bread you need. Their bread was probably baked on site by employees who may or may not care about bread.

The folks at an independent bakery, though, have a lot invested in their business. They care about the quality of their product, and put time, money, effort (blood/sweat/tears) into each loaf. They’ve chosen “baker” as a profession and their identity is tied into their business. It’s not a side gig for them. It’s their passion. The same person baking the bread is probably the same person running the social media and keeping the store open. They remember customers’ names and orders, and work to create works of art, not just a food staple.

Your choice of where to buy your bread is tied to your needs, and what you want out of it. What do you intend to do with the bread? If you’re making emergency PB&J for toddlers, you might not care as much as if you were making french toast or a charcuterie board.

Photography is similar. Someone who specializes in what you’re looking for is likely going to cost more than someone who does every type of photography. They are also more likely to have more experience producing the specific type of photography they’re showing on their website. (Side note: most convenience stores don’t have a website. Taking that metaphor a step farther, if the photographer doesn’t have a website, are you sure they’re a legit business?)

A photographer who photographs everything and includes everything for a low price is going to give clients a different experience and end result than a photographer who focuses on a specific type of photography (say, newborn, maternity, and family photography) and who gives a more curated experience and spends more time perfecting each “loaf.”

The tl;dr is that photography actually costs more or less depending on you. What are you looking for, and what do you plan to do with the photos afterwards? Do you care about the experience? Do you want help in the planning beforehand, or want to just show up and smile?

Clients tend to hire me as their maternity, newborn, and family photographer because they want a fun, easy photography experience, and they tell me that’s what they’re getting. They want a small upfront cost and the flexibility to choose the best collection of digital images and print credit that works for them, after they see what we got together. While I’m definitely not the least expensive option in town, I’ve been told that it’s been worth it.

Wondering what kind of photography my clients and I make during our fun and easy sessions? Here are some family photos, some newborn photos, and some maternity photos.