Cost of a "REAL" photographer

Why do we charge a session fee or creative fee???

Since professional photographers  usually shoot digital negatives, called RAW files, a creative fee includes  time spent on all parts of the job, including processing the images- just like in the days of film- only it happens on the computer instead of in a darkroom. Just like a chemical dark room, anyone can have a digital one, if they are wiling to pay for the expensive software and learn to use it properly over a long period of time, but that’s how professionals get those creamy skin tones and deep, rich colors that drip off the page. It is a tedious process requiring skill.

The creative fee also includes: client contacts, backing up data from her memory cards, uploading RAW images {digital negatives}, culling {choosing the most flattering images}, converting RAW to JPEG {images that can be read and printed without the aid of specialized software}, retouching, resizing images for proofing and uploading to the web directory or gallery.

The fee can also cover cost for  photography equipment, self employment & sales taxes, set up and breakdown for the photo shoot and travel- in other words "the cost of doing business".

By: Marla Michele Must

 

I had to reblog this because soo many people wonder why professional photography is so expensive.  This is just the majority of things that are factored in - not to mention rent for a studio, hard drives, computers, cards, monthly fees like web hosting, organization memberships to separate us from the rest of the crowd and continuing education.

Not your uncle's brand new DSLR

In today's economy everyone is trying to save money and many skimp on photography.  As a professional photographer, I am often asked, after the fact, how much it would have cost to have me cover an event.  The reasoning is almost always the same.  We needed to save money so we had "Uncle Fred" or our friend's friend who is in school for photography... take our wedding photos, babies first year photos or son's senior portraits.

This usually breaks my heart.  I know that in looking for a place to cut expenses they cut on the photography - and now that moment or occasion is lost forever.

Yes, "Uncle Fred" may have the same camera that I have - if he has the money he can buy it - maybe even the newer and "better" model.  BUT, does he have insurance?  Education?  A backup camera?  12 memory cards?  An assistant?  The Professional Photographers of America and all of their lawyers and Drivesavers (they can rescue erased images off cards).  10 years of experience dealing with crazy divorced families and drunk grandmas?  I could go on and on but won't.

When you hire a professional photographer, many things come with that.  All of the things listed above plus the continuous education, experience with people, distance from your friends and family (so Fred can be in the shot) and the piece of mind that the person is there for you - not as a guest of yours and a friend that you will most likely not be able to "unfriend" if they screw up.

For my wedding ceremony, I had 6 wonderful shooters.  All were either professionals in their own right or assistants that I had trained myself.  Of the 6, I was emotionally attached to 3, just met 2 and one was myself.  I still have shots that I wanted and didn't get.  Why?  I didn't ask myself and communicate to my photographers what I really truly wanted.  There were only a few things that we missed, and truthfully it was almost 100 degrees.  I wish I had given them a list - or stopped to check out the shot they were about to take because my only formal shot of everyone there - didn't have everyone there - them.  (And it was out of focus).

The truth is you get caught up in a moment and forget details.  A professional will capture those for you.  They will ask what you want and have you think about it ahead of time.  They will not become lost in the moment as I did with my wedding.

When you get a cavity filled you go to the dentist.  For surgery, a surgeon.  I would never let my "friend's friend" fly a plane full of my closest friends anywhere.  BUT, that is what you are doing when you trust someone other than a professional with your memories or occasion.

I know it seems like I am on a rant, and maybe just a bit... but I have heard too many horror stories to not share my unsolicited advice. 

Some time this month I will do a portrait of a couple married for more than 64 years.  What if they let their son's buddy do that?  What if something happened to them the next day and all their children had was an out of focus, sun in their eyes shot of their parents and no one to blame but their buddy?  How awful would that be?  I would never wish that on anyone - but it can happen and does.

I know that when I take that portrait, I will watch for shadows, position them so they look their best, focus the camera and do my best.  As soon as I get home I will load the images to my computer, back them up onto a hard drive and a "time machine."  That's a double back up and then I will edit those images and save them again in their edited form before I even consider using that memory card again.  That way, if anything happens to that card, my hard drive, my computer or my time machine - they are in three other places.  If the card was bad, I will immediately send it to a company called Drivesavers - who will recover every image for me - for my $400 co-pay for being a PPA member (which costs no less than $650 a year). 

What I won't do is lose those images.  I have every safeguard in place and even then, if they choose to sue me for some reason - I have the lawyers for one of the largest photography organizations who will go to court for me (I will personally never set foot in a courtroom).

While I love "Uncle Fred" as much as the next person and trust my friend's friend to take a pic on my cell phone for FB...  I will not trust either with my memories.

And neither should you.

Trust someone who knows what they are doing - many times they will even listen to your money issues and have some suggestions for you.  I want to make money doing what I love but don't want to be a millionaire tomorrow by milking people out of their life savings.

Let the professionals do their job and let Uncle Fred and your friend's friend enjoy the party.  They don't just have a nice camera.

Will our children have any photos to remember us by?

Granted at this time I am not "officially" a parent of actual children, I am an aunt, puppy mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend and luckily and auntie to many, many adorable children.

My father recently retired after a 41 year career in education and there was a wonderful kid focused retirement party for him.  One of the things that people asked for - to make the party interesting - was old photos of him.  Someone found a photo from the first year he was a teacher - with black hair no less!  My mom brought photos of him with the "5th grade graduation classes" from his various schools.  There were newspaper clippings and magazine articles documenting all of his accomplishments - many of which were scanned and made into a slideshow that ran throughout the event.  All of these were actual prints though, some framed and others just loose for people to pick up and pass around. 

What will happen when we retire?  Will someone go through their iPhone and pass it around?  Will we all bring our computers and search through thousands of images for that one that means something?

Please don't get me wrong, I adore my smartphone, my digital cameras - all 5 of them, my flip video camera and seeing pictures online.  BUT I still value that piece of paper with an image on it.  I still print my favorite pictures and am just as excited to get them back as when we used to turn in film to be developed.  Now I am a known procrastinator - so not all of my images are in albums - many are in boxes - but I can throw 10 pictures in my bag and show off my niece's cartwheel from her recital and the funny time that one of the girls I babysit for decided a bowl containing chocolate pudding was really a hat. 

So, what do you do with the thousands of pictures in your camera phone, in your computer and on a memory card?  There are so many options that still compete with the digital age but give us something tangible to hold and pass around. 

What is the one thing that almost every disaster survivor says they will miss most?  The photographs.  The memories that can only be shared in photos.  The albums and framed family portraits that were swept away in a hurricane or distroyed by a flood. 

On one hand - if we do it right - we won't lose those precious memories in a disaster and will be able to pass them along to our children and their children.  There are ways to back up our digital images - even if the prints are lost - and for that - I am very thankful.  Problem is - are you doing that?

I admit that I will ooh and aww at the pictures on a cell phone with everyone else.  I show off the latest accomplishments on my phone to my family and friends.  Unfortunately, those are the ones we must save.

My advice - as a professional photographer and a worrier?  Download those images to your computer, label and date them, use one of the free sorting and catagorizing programs to keep your favorites, upload them to an online viewing service, back them up to an external hard drive and of course, PRINT SOME!

Believe it or not - some of the online printing services (and as a professional photographer I will probably be ridiculed for saying this) do a pretty good job of printing images for around $.10 each.  So for a dollar - I can take those 10 pictures and show them all off.

One of the best examples of what I recommend is what my friend and mother of 3 does with all of her thousand of pictures.

First, she puts them on iphoto and sorts them by month and occasion.  Then the best get uploaded to one of the online services such as snapfish.com or shutterfly.com.  Once an event is uploaded, or a year has gone by she makes a book or multiple books.  When the girls are grown, they will each have books of every year of their life to take with them.  Each has photos of all of the significant people in their lives at that time.  She also prints some of the images and shares with grandparents, cousins and even "aunties" like me.  If something were ever to happen to those books - she could go online and order more of them.  That way those memories aren't lost forever.

Now if I will just follow this advice for my personal images!

Ron Finch's Latest Bike - Sidecar

I have the privilege of knowing the daughter of the legendary motorcycle artist Ron Finch.  He is one of the most creative and interesting people I have met in my photographic endeavors.  I will be out at O'Tooles in Waterford on June 9th 2010 photographing for Walgreens and Ron and his latest bike will be there to meet and greet and have your photo taken with him.  These photos were taken to get the first images of the bike and for advertising purposes.

Part of what makes Ron's bikes so unique are that they are ride-able art.  He was riding with his daughter Gail in the sidecar and I got to hang off the back of a jeep to take the shots - I love my job!

Summer Photo tip #2

So we all keep hearing how we should wear hats and sunscreen and sunglasses because of the UV issues right?  Well, it presents an issue for photos.  Have you ever looked at your images after shooting a great shot on the beach or at the park and realized that you can't see any faces?  It's the same problem as my last tip.  Shadows! 
If you can - take of hats and sunglasses and take the photo in the shade.  If some of your subjects won't take off those baseball hats - I know I am one of them - make them tip the brim up so you can see their beautiful eyes.  Also if they lift their chin - they will look thinner (another one I do!) and they will appreciate that you want to see them in the photo. 
My goal in presenting these tips is to make sure that you can take great family and friend photos without having to sit at the computer in the beautiful weather and "fix" those pictures afterwards! 
Do you have any problems that you would like some help fixing in regards to personal photos - please leave a comment here or on my facebook pages and I will try to help you out!  Enjoy the beautiful summer weather this Memorial Weekend!
Peace and Love
Sherry

Senior Portrait Ambassador Program

Sherry Kruzman Photography is announcing a new Senior Portrait Model Ambassador program. 

I am looking for a few new models to take their senior portraits early and try a photographer that isn't your "school's photographer."

There is no required photographer for a school and they can't tell you where to go to have your senior portrait's done. 

I believe that your portraits should reflect you - not faked in a studio - but outside and wherever you are.  If you play sports - I will come to photograph you actually playing or competing.  If you want to go to a few different locations, we can absolutely do that. 

What I want is for you to be excited about your senior portraits and show them off to your friends.  If you like them and refer your friends to me for their senior portraits, then you will earn credit towards prints.  The more you refer - the more you earn. 

If you think that you are this kind of a model - looking to do something different with your senior portraits - please contact me!  I am looking to work with you.

sckruzma@gmail.com
248-672-8447

Bathing Beauties

Sometimes the best portraits are simply catching kids doing what they love.  Today I let some of my favorite girls play in their bathing suits and a water table.   Check out some of the expressions!

Natalie was quite happy with herself and her cute little suit and crocs.

Big sister Julia.

All three beauties playing with the water table.  Simple as that - and they had a blast.  Staying at their level and being willing to get a little wet allowed me to get the shots I was looking for.  These aren't professional wall portraits, but they are their true personalities shining through - and that is priceless!