I never had senior pictures done. That is probably one of the biggest things I regret too. I wasn’t happy with my looks then and just kept putting it off thinking, “I’ll lose some weight and then get it done.” But I fell in that trap everyone does and never had it done because I kept striving to lose more. So when I went to college, I was walking through the mall one day and came across this big wheel to ‘spin-to-win’ at Sears. I decided to take my chances, and ended up winning a free photo session from Sears. I went home, got my appointment ready, and picked out a few outfits… SO now here comes the fun part of the blog because it makes me laugh and realize how much I am meant to do this job.
I walked into the portrait studio, waited my turn, and then went into this tiny room with a huge screen. covering the floor all the way up to the ceiling. The girl began moving me into horrible poses extremely quickly… I remember clearly that I actually criticized her on one pose and it royally upset her. She had gotten on the floor, asked me to cross my arms, and then look down at her while she shot a photo of me at that angle. I said, “What?! That is the most unflattering angle in the world!” For the record, at that time I hadn’t even had a thought in my head to be a photographer. I knew I wanted to go to school to be a Psychiatric PA. So she got all sassy with me and told me to pose myself then if I was just so knowledgeable about this. I told her where to stand, and I angled my body the way I knew would work. Guess what? She apologized to me and agreed that was the best shot of the session. I bought two packs of wallets to send to my families AND an 8×10 for my own family of that pose. I remember her trying to sell me on all the images despite how awful they looked… SO. CHEESY. I was in and out of there within 15 minutes and ended up spending about $40 in prints. That’s it. Anyway, the things I took away from this would be:
1) I knew poses better than she did and I wasn’t even a professional
2) She spent 15 minutes with me… That’s it. How could she get to know me and who I am in that amount of time? How would she expect me to be comfortable in that amount of time? Remember- I didn’t ever want photos so I needed someone to really hold my hand and tell me it was going to be okay
3) The photos I saw made me cringe. That cringe only reflects back into myself and thinking I am not good enough – I am not pretty enough
4) I walked out holding a dozen sheets of photos – either ones I knew my mom would want or that one pose I did myself that I actually like – and didn’t spend very much (but that experience was also not worth very much to me either)
It’s been rumored in the photography world that Walmart and Sears are both stopping their portrait studios. I kinda laughed at that because I never saw this becoming a reality… However, word was released publicly that this IS the case. Why? Because so many people walked in there expecting to get free services and barely spent anything after all was said and done, and it actually hurt the business to where they were drowning in debt for that portion of the company. I guess I added to it- I took up their time using their employee, someone had to fix the images as well, someone had to order the prints, someone had to make those prints, they had to ship them to the store, and then another employee had to sell them to me. All for my $40. It isn’t sustainable.
The first thing I’ll say is that every photographer charges based on what they feel they can and should while also knowing it’s what they deserve to keep their business going. I do not say that I am an expert at photographing babies or seniors, I don’t claim to know everything about capturing families… no, I have spent my time studying the art of boudoir and weddings. I am still learning and expanding with that, so to me, my prices are where I feel they are okay at right now. Unfortunately, there is no scale we follow to see what we qualify to charge, so make sure you do your research about the photographer you choose to ensure you’re getting the experience you want and the images you’re expecting.
I have never had a client tell me that what they spent on my services wasn’t worth it. In fact, I get told the opposite – that they would do it again in a heartbeat, that they can’t wait for their next session, and they thank me for allowing them to have fun while capturing some drop dead gorgeous images of them. Why is this worth it to them? I know poses. I know what will look good and what won’t. I also spend more than 15 minutes with my clients. I edit the best images to ensure my clients won’t walk away feeling the way I did after seeing some horrible images in the worst poses known to mankind. Regardless, time is money. Those taking more time to ensure each image they give you is perfect will usually charge more while also having professional gear and software. You get what you pay for. Photographers have to stay in business rather than struggle as Walmart and Sears have clearly done, and by hiring them, you are also supporting a local entrepreneur rather than a corporation so you are WINNING. The biggest difference between hiring a low end studio to photograph you instead of hiring a professional is this…. do they care about you? No? Guess what- every professional I know CARES about their clients in ways you guys may not even know or understand. The girl that’s standing at the entrance to the studio at Walmart or Sears is waiting on a family- any family- to come in and just get some photos snapped so she can get a paycheck. I get to know my clients before our session to ensure I capture exactly what they are looking for… to know the names of my clients… to know their favorite things… to know they are going to feel comfortable and fabulous. I stay in touch with my clients to let them know I am here for them. The only follow-up I had with the Sears girl is tons of unwanted emails telling me their SPECIALS almost every day. Uh no.
Some may also feel there’s never a need to hire a photographer to begin with – that it’s just a waste of money because they could capture the same photos at home using their own cameras. We also hear it a lot in the wedding industry- that a couple may opt to have their brother’s wife’s cousin do the photography because he just got a good camera. Are you truly willing to let these moments go? Hiring a professional ensures you are well taken care of so you can cherish those memories and moments forever since our goal is to make sure we capture what we need to for you. Relying on your own cameras or someone you aren’t going to pay won’t give you that. How many times have you been photographing your kid and you’ve said fifteen times to, “Look at me!” only they don’t so you give up while saying, “I’ll just try another time…” – anyone? With children, they grow so quickly and you won’t have that time back. With weddings, those moments are gone forever. We have passion for what we do whereas that cousin guy with a camera may not, so if he misses the cake cutting then who cares because all he’s worried about is getting a piece of the cake while hitting on that hot girl across the room (pun!). Having your time captured by a professional will allow you to keep and treasure them.
The value you get with choosing a professional rather than handing over your check to one of these portrait studios is not even remotely comparable; the experience truly is priceless. Times are changing, but there is endless value of your lives being captured properly. Support that photographer that spends every waking moment investing in their business to better serve you – that’s the best compliment you can give them.
