Why Are Professional Photographers So Expensive?

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So, really… why are professional photographers so expensive?

Photographers’ prices vary depending on several factors such as their location, cost of doing business, equipment, whether they have a studio, level of service provided, etc. Read on to learn more about the costs of sustaining a photography business.

Cost of Equipment

It is important for clients to keep in mind that photographers are not just getting paid to show up and shoot a session. They must make enough money during a year to sustain their business. A photographer’s cost of doing business may be very low or very high. One main factor that affects their cost of doing business is their equipment. 

o   Professionals shoot with professional equipment. To give you an idea of the cost of professional photography equipment, here is a list of equipment that I own and bring to most of my sessions:

• Camera body: Canon R5. Cost: $4,000

• Backup Camera: Canon 7D. Cost: $1,800

• Compact Flash card x2: $300

• Backup SD cards: $100 each

• Camera Battery x 4: $320

•   Lenses:

• ·      70-200 f2.8. Cost: $2,000

• ·      24 – 240 f4-6.3. Cost: $900

• ·      50mm f1.4. Cost: $400

• ·      60mm f2.8 macro. Cost: $500

• Flashes:

• ·      Speedlight 430EX II x 2 Cost: $600

• ·      Quantum flash. Cost: $850

•   Tripod:

• ·      Slik x 2 Cost: $1,500

• Relectors:

·      Platinum 5-in-1 42” collapsible x2. Cost: $100

•   Camera bag. Cost: $400

•   Macbook: $3,000

•   Bluetooth mouse: $100

•   Custom flash-drive with business logo: $32 each

Total average cost of equipment: $12,902

And this does not include any props or studio equipment. This is just the minimum equipment required to show up to an outdoor shoot, or a wedding ceremony and do a professional job. Keep in mind also, equipment needs refurbishing and replacing with wear and tear which is additional cost.

Cost of Subscriptions

o   Professionals usually have several monthly or yearly subscriptions to pay for, including but not limited to:

•   Photoshop: Subscription starting at $120 / year

•   Portraiture: Subscription $200/ year

•   Website: Average cost $1,000 / year

•   Client Relationship Management: Software costs on average: $120 / year

Total annual average cost of subscriptions: $1,440

Cost of Goods & Services

o   Everything that your photographer gives you before, during, or after your session costs them money. This includes marketing materials, concessions at the studio, and any prints, frames, flash-drives, and packaging for your order, as well as shipping costs.

o   Travel

•   Gas and car maintenance to ensure reliable transportation to consultations and photo shoots.

o   Assistants

•   Photographers often pay assistants and/or second photographers to accompany them to their shoots. The cost of these assistants varies based on their role and level of experience.

•   Some photographers hire full-time assistants to manage their phone, email, and or studio to allow more face-to-face time with clients.

•   Some photographers outsource their editing or album design to assistants or other business so they can allocate more time to other areas of their business.

o   Time

Yes, your photographer takes time away from their families to photograph you and yours. However, photographers spend most of their work hours behind the scenes. Photographers spend countless hours on the following:

• Consulting with clients

  • Every inquiry, phone call, email, text message, in-person consultation costs a photographer their time

• Driving to and from consultations and photo shoots

• Editing and retouching photos

• Designing albums

• Building and updating their websites and galleries

• Designing marketing materials, writing blogs, creating vlogs, posting on social media, and assessing what forms of marketing are working or not working

• Cleaning, calibrating, and maintaining their equipment

Cost of Studio

Some photographers rent studios, some build them inside their home, some offer mobile-studio services, and some do not offer studio services. Depending on which of these the photographer offers, the location, the amount of props, backdrops, lighting, etc., studios can cost anywhere from only a few hundred dollars to several thousand per month.

Cost of Education

Professional photographers engage in ongoing education to ensure that they are up-to-speed on the latest equipment, shooting and editing techniques, marketing, and business management. Classes often cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and are another yearly expense.

Cost of Marketing

Professionals engage in several types of marketing whether it be social media advertisements, magazine ads, networking functions, trade-shows, or just plain business cards, marketing costs money.

Hire a Professional Photographer!

It is impossible to offer an average CODB for photographers, as photographers take an individual approach on how they run their business. However, at the end of the day, sustaining a photography business is very expensive. And ideally, photographers are not just scraping by, sustaining their business. Ideally, they are thriving and turning a profit so they can feed their families and buy their kids their school clothes.

I hope this article helped you understand why professional photography services can be costly. Try to think of your professional photographer as a friend but remember that they are a business owner. And when you hang that invaluable photograph of your family in your home that your photographer created for you, remember there is no price tag that is too high for that frozen moment in time.

So, go ahead and hire a professional photographer!

Support their dream.

Because their dream is to photograph YOU!