The surge of saturation in the field of photography...it happens every year at this time. Mom's receive a "good" camera for Christmas. She takes a few great shots and posts them on FB. Her friends say "oh my goodness...these are soooo good." And then a lightbulb comes on and this Mom With A Camera (MWAC) thinks, *oh goodness. I really AM good. People might actually pay me to do this.* So she puts together a cute logo and a cute name for her business and she creates a Facebook Page and a separate Instagram account (because that's all it takes to being a business, right?) and then she thinks, *boy, if I charge each client $50 and I just give them a CD of the images, I'm making like $50 an hour! This is such a great side-gig!*
Friends, I've seen this happen over and over and over again. I've had clients comment while they're in sessions, "I love taking pictures. I think I'll try this." And then they do. And then they fail. Granted, I have had a few clients who have turned pro and have done a great job, but for the most part, it just doesn't work.
The reason it doesn't work is because this MWAC realizes that there's so much more to running a business and before long, the $50 per session just doesn't cover it. But she already has a client base that expects her to photograph their family for $50 and then she tries to raise her prices to justify her cost of doing business, and she's left with no clients.
Luckily, I started my business with a SOLID foundation of how to run a photography business. I knew that I had to pay taxes (WHAT?!?!?) and I knew I needed to pay myself (you mean I don't just keep ALL the money??) and I needed to save for the slow months (wait... the 4th quarter madness doesn't last through January, February and March?) and I really do need more equipment than just a "good" camera. And all of these things are so important to know going into it. Yeah, it would be awesome to be in a field where you just need one piece of equipment and no overhead costs. Photography isn't one of those...
I know that my prices are still pretty low and it's been almost 5 years since I raised them. But I've ran my numbers and I know how much I need to charge to stay afloat and cover all of my bases. And you know what, I can prove that because I'm going on 13 years of being in business. And while you can look in FB Marketplace and find a photographer who you can pay $50, please know that you get what you pay for. I can almost guarantee that she isn't insured, she may or may not back up her files, she doesn't spend hours on you as a client.
My clients can attest to the fact that when you schedule a session with me, you're getting way more than good pictures. I try so hard to create a custom experience that allows you a stress-free time to capture priceless images of your family!