Misc
Miscellaneous - stuff that doesn’t fit into any of the other categories.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes into creating your portraits… this is another great article by Marianne Drenthe on the costs associated with custom photography.
A few comments I have about the article…
Time
Marianne uses the example of a photographer spending on average about 13-19 hours per client. I’d estimate that I spend approximately 30 hours per client, start to finish… from the first phone call… to the personal delivery of their portraits. Many people assume the bulk of a custom photographer’s job is performed at the session, however, that is only the beginning of the process! So much more goes on behind the scenes after your session. I don’t mind spending 30+ hours on each client… this is just the level of service I prefer to give, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I take on a limited number of sessions per month.
Costs
I don’t even want to think about how much I have invested in my business (though I have it all written down somewhere). It adds up mighty quickly! Cameras, lenses, computers, printers, digital storage, software, hosting, printed materials, packaging, lab costs, product samples, taxes, insurance, travel expenses, advertising, marketing, education and training, professional membership fees… the list goes on and on.
Read more at the Professional Child Photographer Consumer Guide »
I realize that a good number of my dear clients budget in order to afford their session and portraits, and I’m very appreciative of that. It’s wonderful when you can work with people who truly see the value in what you do and the service you work hard to provide.
Thanks for your continued patronage!
An excerpt from a great article on custom photography:
“What custom photography ultimately is all about is choice and experience (as in THE experience). Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted 1:1 attention without worry of the next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio. A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities. Often the images are fully edited and color-corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed.
Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai… Nordstrom vs. Wal-Mart.
Custom photography should have you, the client, and your experience in mind.”
Read more at the Professional Child Photographer Consumer Guide - created by Marianne Drenthe.
I finally caved and bought an iPhone over the weekend.
My husband and I were out driving around in the snow and taking pictures when I had one final incident with my phone and T-mobile’s awful customer service… and drove straight to the nearest AT&T store to pick up an iPhone.
So far, I love it. One of my favorite things about this phone is the amazing clarity and resolution of the screen…. perfect for showing off your favorite photos.
And because I know many of my clients already have the iPhone or plan to get one soon… I’m excited to introduce… Digital Wallets™ for the iPhone and iPod Touch!
Each image you purchase as a printed portrait will be included with your order in digital format, perfect for sharing on the web, iPhone/iPod, and via email.
Complimentary with print purchase.
Updated - Here’s an example Digital Wallet (in action) on the iPhone:
