Why Newborn Photography Costs What It Does
Two of the main questions that I hear a lot are ’Can’t I get a price for just 1 picture?’ And ‘Why is the other Photographer so much cheaper?’
...And of course we can’t expect people to just know... so I thought I’d take some time to explain what goes on behind the scenes before and after your shoot.
This blog also explains why we charge what we do, as there are so many things to factor in when looking for the right Photographer.
Equipment - Technology is always changing and although I am not someone that needs all of the latest gadgets I still like to get my equipment calibrated, updated and also repaired if need be.
Clothing & Accessories - A photo shoot would be very boring if I didn’t invest in lovely outfits and cute accessories for your little one.
Flexibility - As we all know a lot of babies decide to arrive on any day other than their due date.. so unfortunately this often means changing our scheduled session date.
In order for me to do this I need to save a few days per month just incase any babies need to switch their session... but as you can imagine those dates aren’t always used... and so they then become my days off where I don’t have the opportunity to earn any money. This needs to be factored too.
Your packaging - In order for me to present your beautiful images to you I need to spend out on cute little USB sticks, pretty boxes, and bags.
Marketing - To keep my business running behind the scenes I have to pay for an excellent website host, business cards, flyers, online advertisements and more.
Tax - This one is self explanatory.. unfortunately the tax man is just a factor of life :(
Other outgoings and running a studio - There are lots of other costs that come with running a good photo session. A nice warm studio, lighting, electric equipment etc.
My Time - This is a big one, as you can’t buy more time. When I am dedicating myself to my business I am doing so 100%. Now that I have my own little one on the way my time is even more valuable. If I am going to be spending time away from my baby I need to be paid for it unfortunately.
Here is a rough guide of the amount of time put into running my business:
Marketing (8 hours a week)
Accounts/Book keeping (2 hours a month)
Other admin (10 hours a week)
Cleaning the studio (30 mins per session)
Planning & prepping for your session (30 mins per session)
Shooting time (1-3hours per session)
Cleaning up after the session (30 mins per session)
Editing (10 hours per session)
Preparing your gallery for viewing (40 mins per session)
Your viewing meeting to choose your images (30 mins per session)
Training - I am someone that likes to constantly learn new skills and techniques, so investing in good training is super important to me and something that I always budget for - especially baby safety courses.
As someone that is handling your precious new baby that is just a few days old it is always worth researching and finding the right Photographer for you. A good photographer is something that is well worth investing in.
If a Photographer has been up and running for a little while now, yet are still charging very little then the chances are that they are either still very inexperienced or not running a legal business.
I urge anyone looking for a Newborn Photographer to consider all of the above when you are pricing Photographers in your area. If you find a Photographer who’s prices seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
✅Check they are safety trained
✅Check they have business insurance
(Don’t be afraid to ask)
These days it seems like everyone calls themselves a Photographer, however it takes time, money and passion to give your customers quality and professionalism.
I will close this with a good motto ''Good work isn’t cheap and cheap work isn’t good''
Thank you for reading.
Annie x
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Photo sessions covering Camberley, Frimley, Aldershot, Farnham, Farnborough, Bracknell, Egham, Windsor, Reading, Guildford and other surrounding areas.