Providing a paid service as a creative comes with some challenges. Every artist can agree, you charge based on your value, worth, and operating costs. There is so much going into running a photography business that clients don’t see. There is a huge difference between being a professional photographer and a person with an expensive camera charging a fee as a side gig. For starters the administrative and operational fees that goes into running the actual business. Operating costs are built into the client fees, along with post-digital processing, albums, flash drives, and website. Photographers’ time is also a factor. While taking the actual photos is pretty fast, its the travel, post-processing, album. creation and edits are where the majority of the time is spent.
The cool photos you see on Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest were done with a camera and the artistic technical creativity of Adobe Photoshop and LightRoom. The software to achieve those magical shots is not cheap. So ask yourself this, would you get a cheap tattoo? Would you hire a cheap contractor to build your house? How about a cheap haircut, or a cheap back-alley surgeon? I am a firm believer in you pay for is what you get. Now everyone’s pockets are not deep or disposable, your decision to invest in service is driven by your ability to pay. Even with limited funds do you really want to take short cuts on something you want to hold and maintain for years to come?
I am going to just come out and say it. Everyone with an expensive camera and fancy lenses is not a professional photographer. This is just my opinión. Taking photos of a handful of Instagram Models does not make you a professional photographer. Some folks are what I call professional hobbyists. They do it for the love of the field, they will spend thousands on gear, and will take money for their services as a hustle. Some will get published in magazines because they love the craft. But will not make it a business. The difference between a professional hobbyist and a professional photographer is they have a business license (depending on your state, my state Virginia you are required) an LLC and an EIN. A professional does it full time and it is their source of income.
A professional photographer who is serious about their craft and trade will spend a good amount of time and money learning and refining their technique. I will tell you those fancy effects that are a preset it took skills to create. Presets do save a great deal of time on editing but they cost money.
As a client your decision to hire a professional photographer was due to wanting high quality, high-resolution photos, a camera phone, or point and click camera cannot do. The budget will drive the train on what you will pay for. Something to consider, the event you want to be captured. Do you want to look back years from the moment and reflect on the positive memories or do you want to constantly be reminded of the lack of quality from crappy photography? You want to invest in a professional who is passionate about their craft and respect the fact they are capturing a memory for you to immortalize? Or do you just want some random person who is cheap? A true professional will do more than just shoot and burn without taking the time to enhance your photos.
Some people think the sophistication of smartphones ruined photography as a trade. As a professional photographer, I completely disagree. There is a lot a smartphone cannot do that a digital single-lens camera can. There is more to just photography than point a camera and pressing the shutter button. It is a fine balance of technical and creative art.
It is breathing life to an image and telling a compelling story without words. It is evoking an emotional response whether it was candid or posed. It’s the art that takes experience and training to refine and cultivate. The technical is the ability to process, color correct, and make the frame compelling.
Each style of photography is different and should have a specific style to fit the genre. A wedding photographer will shoot differently from a Boudoir and Maternity Photographer. Even though there are Photographers who are Generalist a Photographer that specializes in a focused area will fit your needs better. For example, do you want a Pediatrician treating you if you need brain surgery? No, you would want a Neuro-Surgeon right? Even though both doctors went to medical school they branched off and specialized. The same applies to a Photographer.
Bohemian Visions specializes and is certified in Portrait and Boudoir Photography. Both fields are focused on intimate settings of telling a story of the client. The sessions are focused on building trust making the client feel connected, comfortable, and safe. It is not a rushed process. Because I specialize in two areas I can focus on making my technical and artistic craft better and refined. It is about creating art that is specific to the client’s needs.
A quality Photographer should be a good investment in your overall experience and memories. They are the key to preserving cherished moments that will outlast the physical bodies and pass down to future generations. Contrary to what critics may think. Invest in a professional who understands the importance of cherishing your most important moment and memories. There is no real price on an amazing experience and the ability to look back on it years later.
Do you, Be you, Love you
Bohemian Life