The Real Cost of a Photo

These days, it seems everyone has a digital camera, and knows how to get pictures printed inexpensively at the local photo processing shop at the supermarket; so why does it cost more to go to a professional photographer?

First, the fact that the portrait is created digitally or on film really has no bearing on the overall price; I often find that perceptually, a digital file does not seem to hold the same value as negative to most people.

Yet, the same work goes into producing that image digitally - often, more!

It is a photographer's knowledge, training, and artistic ability that allows them to create images in the way they do; not to mention the equipment, backgrounds, props, lights, time (both during the shoot, and afterwards, with retouching, ordering, etc).

Of course, our portraits are never printed at the inexpensive photo shops; We only use a state of the art, professional photo lab for all of our printing and finishing. All prints are laquer sprayed for protection, and all prints 8x10 and larger are professionally mounted, ready to be framed.

I personally am continuously furthering my education in the craft, all in an effort to provide you with the best portraits possible, as well as to be able to offer you new, fresh ideas that you cannot get anywhere else! But in order to do this, I must keep my prices competitive.

Rather than focusing on the cost, you really should judge by the value of a photograph; an image that costs $50 this week becomes priceless when someone in that image grows up, moves away to college, or is no longer with us.

So while some may say it's just a piece of paper, the paper is actually FREE... it's the memories, the love, the time spent together, the time spent apart, the thoughts, and the prayers that is represented by the image on that paper that give it it's true value.

Photography is not something you purchase just for yourself - it's an investment in time, an investment in the future; it's what you do, for those that you love the most.