WHY PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE EXPENSIVE

A lot of clients go around saying that photographers are so expensive, they charge beyond what they should be paid for, they don’t consider the pocket of the client before they hit you with their price, etc. All of these comments are not very encouraging to photographers. Every photographer wants to produce good work and expand their client base and in this process, they put so much into perfecting their skills, getting the necessary tools needed, and spending endless nights to give you the best. As one who has been a victim of these statements, I share with you some facts about photographers that will probably guide you through why photography is very pricy especially now that the cost of photography gear is skyrocketing.

• GOOD AND EXPENSIVE CAMERAS: Photographers acquire good and expensive cameras and lenses. Purchasing photography equipment can be very cumbersome and it really costs a lot to acquire, and also, mastering how to use them takes constant practice. I have encountered a client who told me that I am too pricy for her, commenting that it’s just to snap pictures. I responded, saying that cameras are very expensive and even if I were to get a low-grade camera, it would still cost a lot. Photography for me is more than just clicking the shutter button.
• WE SCOUT FOR LOCATION: One very surprising thing about clients that complain that photographers are pretty expensive is that they have a very high expectation from the photographers. They have specific demands on how they want their photo to look, the environment it should be shot in, the props, the light, the makeup, etc., and expect to get all these at a very low price.

• WE RESEARCH: So many people feel that photographers don’t much to capture an image but the truth is that we do some reading, we visit the client’s page for some research, we study the clients to know the perfect pose, angles, expression, etc for their shoot.
• SHOOTING/PRODUCTION: Photographers are one of the most patient creatives; we take time to set the perfect environment for a shoot, we help the clients find a creative pose and angles that will best bring out their beauty-making them feel uniquely different about themselves. We continue shooting till we get the right shot- the mental pictured of what we expect the shoot to look like.
• POST PROCESSING: In post-production, we have to sift through hundreds of pictures to get that perfect one with the sharp eye, great angle, and not to mention concealing things that the client is sensitive about.
• PHOTOGRAPHER’S COMA: In trying to get the perfect picture, we do a lot- from squatting to bending to get the right angles; we get into what is called the photographer’s coma where we get really tired and burnt out mentally.