Sometimes the best place for a shoot is in your very own backyard. Niraja’s yard had a variety of spots for both family and individual shots.

Do you know the photos that we look at the most, though? It’s the ones that are hanging on our walls and to a lesser extent, the ones that are on our nightstands/corner tables in our home.

Why do photos that are hung on walls give us the most enjoyment?

• The photos tend to be BIGGER, and BIGGER is BETTER! It’s like watching an awesome movie on a 19 inch TV vs. a 46 inch HD LCD TV. The movie is still good regardless of which TV you watch it on, but it’s AWESOME to watch it on a bigger screen and preferably, with surround-sound. That’s where we get the most bang-for-our-buck and the most enjoyment.

• Photographs that hang on our walls actually get viewed more often. The more we see the image, the more value we obtain from that image. We don’t have to find the 4×6 album and flip through it. The image is already out on display.

• Photos hanging on our walls are the ones that start conversations when people come over.
  • “Awww, that’s a wonderful family portrait”.
  • “Your son/daughter is soooo cute”.
  • “When/where was that photograph taken?”

The next time you hire a photographer, think BIG if you want to get the most enjoyment out of your images.

Check out our Gallery Wraps and Portrait Collections to see some of the possibilities.

What are the benefits of studio photography?

• Cheaper
• More prints for the same price
• Controlled lighting

What are the benefits of on-location photography?

• Your family will get more than 15 minutes with the photographer
• Your family will get a variety of creative poses
• Your family will feel more comfortable in a natural setting, not boxed up in a small room
• Your family will walk away with more candid shots
• Your family will not be rushed because someone is waiting in line
• Your family will have photos that are edited with care
• Your family will receive personal attention because the focus is on your family and only your family

There’s nothing wrong with going to a studio. In fact, that’s the only place my family ever went when we were growing up. The times are tough and price is important. However, there’s nothing like creative, candid, quality photos. If you can make the investment, I highly recommend hiring a professional. Chances are, looking back, you’ll be glad you have those precious moments of your loved ones frozen in time.

A photographer had to spend

• thousands of dollars for the camera body. The body of the camera itself, without a lens, can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.
• thousands of dollars for the lenses. Each lens can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.
• thousands of dollars in photography education whether formal or informal
• hundreds of hours learning their craft much like any other professional (dentist, lawyer, consultant) had to spend learning theirs

It’s true that you can take a good photo without a fancy camera. However, the professional photos that people are wanting can only be taken with professional equipment. If people want beautiful photos to hang in their home, they’re going to have to pay a photographer for his or her expertise and use of equipment.

Hiring a professional photographer is not any different than paying a doctor. Both have gained knowledge that provides value to the customer. Whether the customer appreciates the value is another story. Even I have walked into a doctor’s office and thought that nothing amazing was done to justify the expense. Does the doctor really deserve hundreds of dollars for shining a light up my nose and sticking a tongue depressor in my mouth? Without much thought, I’d say “No.” However, it’s easy to discount the service a professional can provide. We must remember that doctors, for example, have invested thousands of dollars and hours into their education and occupation to get to this level. The customer is borrowing that expertise for a short period of time and doesn’t have to spend as much time and money as the professional has.

It is difficult to quantify the value of an image. What is each of the following worth?

• The stunning wall portrait hanging in your bedroom of you and your love one that captures just how much you love each other
• The canvas art collection hanging in your living room of your 6 month old baby who has 2 itty, bitty teeth showing
• The 20×30 family portrait hanging above your fireplace taken the last time all the kids were living underneath the same roof
• The senior portraits of your son or daughter documenting a milestone in their (and your) lives
• The wallet photos that you pull out of your purse to show family and friends just how big the kids have grown

Is the value of each of these just the physical material the image is on? I doubt anyone gets much enjoyment from an empty frame. The value is really in that image and the value of that image is truly in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone is able to appreciate the value of a professional photo, which is completely OK. There is nothing wrong with that. To those who cannot appreciate the image, it will seem as though the photographer charges too much. However, to those who can truly appreciate the art of photography and the everlasting joy it provides, perhaps what the photographer charges is fair and proportional to their level of creativity, skill, knowledge, and type of equipment they own.

Keep in mind we didn’t account for all of the following that comes out of the photographer’s pocket:

• Gas
• Vehicle wear-and-tear
• Overhead
• Taxes
• Equipment
• Insurance for their equipment
• Time spent talking to potential clients
• Time spent traveling to the location
• Time spent at the location
• Time spent traveling back to the photographer’s home or studio
• Time spent editing (1 hour for every hour of shooting — yes, it takes that much time)
• Time spent during the portrait consultation when the images are ready
• Time spent submitting orders to the photo lab
• Etc.

I hope this sheds some light on why photographer charge what they charge.