There are some professions, especially the ones that involve art in general, that are hard to value. When you see an oil painting, you might think that to create that painting you just need, colors, brushes, and a canvas. But, if it were that easy we would all be Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, or Renoir!
Photography is very similar. People often think it only takes a decent camera and a computer to create great pictures.
What’s behind a photograph?
- Skills
- Equipment
- Premium Service
- Time
- Uniqueness
Skills
I’ve been in the business for five years now, but I started studying photography eight years ago, and before I even thought of putting myself into business, I spent three years studying the technicalities of photography. This doesn’t mean that my knowledge about photography stopped 5 years ago. I invest every year in education. I’ve been working with photographer mentors every year since 2006.
The average investment per year in education is $3,500.
Equipment
I don’t compromise quality. I own two professional body cameras, 6 lenses, tripods, light stands, backdrops, props, and carrying and storage cases. I have insurance to cover damages that can be caused by my gear and that I can cause to others while I’m working. Good quality equipment is reliable and can deliver the best quality image currently available in the market.
The average value of high-end equipment level is $15,000.
Premium Service
I constantly search for the best customer experience for my clients. This comes from a personal desire to be warm, sensitive, and empathetic. All the details count to me. Even the link that all my clients receive to view their photos is extremely important to me – I want it to be inviting and breathtaking! I work to surround my business with things that fit together seamlessly. This goes for my website, business cards, contract pages, proposal sheets, invoices, and album deliveries! Everything is custom-made. I want everyone to feel important to me and heard by me. I pay premium prices for the services I deliver.
The average investment for service annual subscriptions is $2,500
Time
You hire me for two hours. This is not the time you are actually hiring me. You need to consider my travel to you, my time to go through all the photos I make (culling process), toning the photos, creating a slideshow, setting up the photo album, and finally sending the photo gallery back to you.
For a couple of hour of shooting, I approximately invest 10 hours of work.
Uniqueness
Not every photographer is the same, like each person has its own characteristics, the same is with photographers. Sense of art, perspective, color, mood, composition, light, moment are all aspects we as photographers mix together and create what we call photography.
I can’t put a value tag to this.
As you can see, we don’t just push a button.
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