Why do photographer’s rates vary so widely?
The answer is twofold.
- The skill and artistic vision the photographer brings to their work
- The level of client experience that the photographer creates for their clients
Photography businesses generally fall into two categories: Full Service and Shoot and Burn.
Full-service photography studios personally guide you through each step of your photography experience until you have finished art to hang on your walls and a custom-designed album to share with friends and family.
Shoot and Burn photographers are less hands-on. Your end-product is just the digital files. It is up to you to order prints and products in order to enjoy your photos in the real world, and what happens to most people is that they never find the time to make prints and end up not enjoying their photos to the fullest.
It’s like eating out…
A good analogy would be fine dining vs. fast food. When you go to a fine dining restaurant, you are seated by a hostess and assisted with your meal choices. Your meal is served at your table and made with the finest ingredients. The waiter regularly checks in with you to make sure you have what you need and are enjoying your meal. When you go to a fast-food restaurant, you walk up to the counter, order your food, and wait for it to be handed to you at the same counter. In either scenario, you have a meal, but the experience is completely different, and the price of that meal reflects that difference.
Here’s a simple comparison:
A Full-Service Studio:
- Creates beautiful images for you
- Personally reviews images with you at an in-person selection session
- Gives you the opportunity to touch and feel products in person, and discusses sizes and options for prints and display art
- Reviews your selected images and discusses retouching
- Guides you through the ordering process, answering any questions you might have
- Custom designs your products
- Packages and delivers your order, including digital files
A Shoot & Burn Photographer:
- Creates beautiful images for you
- Mails you a flash drive or emails a download link with digital files.
I truly believe that making sure you are able to enjoy your images in the form and prints and products, and not just as digital files, is as important as creating beautiful images for you. That is why I offer a Full-Service photography experience.
If you’re ready to book your full-service portrait session experience, fill out this form or email me to get started!