I know boring stuff... Why someone charges their prices! Money is money and who really likes to part with their own $$$! I get it but the value of the why is the value the photographer values you. Say what? It all boils down to the CODB. What's CODB you ask? It's their Cost of Doing Business. Yes we all know everyone does a job to make some money but sometimes in art and creating people do not realize the actual cost that goes into being that artist. 

Tiger nd Baby Sailing the Ocean
 

Being a photographer is just buying a camera, taking pictures, then giving me those pictures and BOOM that's all. So once the photographer pays for that camera...okay and maybe some extra lens... a few lights.... a backdrop or two and some props here and there they are done. So WHY should they charge sooooo much when heck they've been doing it long enough to already pay for the stuff they have. 

Boy do I wish that was all it was BUT there is so much more! The first most valuable expense that truly shows your photographer values you is they are insured! That means every month they are paying for insurance to cover their equipment and general liability insurance. So without one session ...one dollar coming in, they are spending money to value their clients and protect their clients' memories. So okay, 1 expense that doesn't explain the $$ they charge. Next, you know those images you love.... well, storage of them is NOT free! Monthly subscriptions to storage, editing, and professional resources are a monthly expense, again NO matter how many sessions they have in a month, this is an ongoing expense every month. The only way for your images to be available, edited, and saved for any period of time involves MONTHLY ongoing fees. No matter if they are a natural light photographer only working on location or a photographer with a studio and monthly rental or ownership fees, they MUST incur these monthly professional fees. That is, if they are a Professional Photographer. Now there are many people with a camera collecting fees from people that do NOT incur these fees, but they also aren't a Professional Photographer. Just because you hold a camera and set it to automatic doesn't mean you are a professional photographer. They probably are not licensed, not insured, and maybe even not a real business. You want your doctor to have that license and insurance right? You can head over the your state SCC  to search to see if who you are paying is even a real business. 

Now on to the next part of the cost.... So we talked about some of the FEES but that wasn;t even an inclusive list... now those all-important digital images. Some photographers do not give an option to buy AT ALL while some offer them, but the cost may seem much to someone that doesn't think about what they are receiving. Photography is art.... a true photographer enables many factors that most people would not notice, but lighting, composition, the subject, and everything in the detail of a photograph are the art of photography. A photograph tells a story. With every private client, I ask for a Client Questionnaire, which is to assist in the telling of your story. The detail in your session is a part of the professional process of telling your story. Creativity and imagination for telling your story go into your photographs. So how much is that worth? If you receive the digital file from a photographer, you are receiving a piece of art. Art costs money. So while you can purchase a copy of the print for less, the actual piece of art of the digital file allows you to continue to reproduce the photograph, so it will have a higher value, which results in a higher fee. Advanced post-production often adds more to the fee. I say if an image takes a trip to Photoshop then it is now valued more. This is an extensive process .... and nothing that is extensive is easy. This type of post-production is extremely time-consuming and has a higher value. Editing vs. Advanced Post Production Editing is an entire blog topic! 

So the next time you think WOW why is that so much remember you are the art the photographer is capturing, and it's not going to cost "your arm or your leg" because well, your photographer can't pay their mortgage, their electric bill, or buy groceries with your arm or your leg but they value you and we hope you value the art we are creating!

QuinnChildhood Beach Scene

YOU make ME HAPPY when YOU choose

When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise!

Denise Powers is the CEO and creative force behind When Skies Are Grey Photography, Media, & Designs Studio, a Coastal Virginia-based studio specializing in photography, media marketing strategy, and custom designs. With a passion for storytelling and a background in both visual content and marketing, Denise helps individuals and businesses stand out through imagery that connects and content that converts. From families, seniors, brands, volume photography, headshots, and pets, her work is rooted in creating meaningful, memorable experiences, on camera and beyond.