Brent Clark Photos: April 2016

Brent Clark Photos; Where prices are competitive and fair.

Recently, I have had people come up to me expecting me to sell them photo sessions with a CD for a grand total of $30. No self respecting professional photographer will ever agree to such a deal. I will say this again; No self respecting professional photographer would ever agree to such a deal. The question then is what is a professional photographer and what is a fair price?

A professional photographer is not just a person who gets paid to do photography. The person that professional photographers call a “Guy With a Camera” or “GWC” gets paid for that aforementioned $30 CD is getting paid. A professional photographer is a photographer who produces professional quality photos at an industry standard price. Most people who are GWC's not only charge way below the industry standard, their photos are amateur at best. Whether they are self taught or have been to school for 2-4 years, professional photographers have spent time and money honing their craft. They take time studying lighting, composition, photo editing, and business practices, as well as time shooting and peer critiques to produce the best photos possible. You can't just pickup a camera and become a pro.

How do professional photographer come up with the prices they set? A professional photographer treats his or her photography like a business, not a hobby. They take into consideration the amount of time they want to charge for the session. This will also include the time it takes to edit the session. Professional photographers also have to charge enough for equipment repair and sometimes new equipment. This would include camera bodies, lenses, computers, editing software, lighting equipment, and the like. Then there is insurance such as liability insurance, equipment insurance, health insurance. Marketing also is a factor too. Nobody can run a business without a solid marketing plan. This can cost as well. Some photographers also have to pay rent if they have their own studio. The photographer also has to pay himself. They have to be able to pay rent, the bills and be able to survive and provide for their families. This makes a photo session a lot more than a $30 CD.

So what do I charge for Senior Photos? Here is what you get;

1 hour photo shoot: 40 Photos with two outfits for $530.39

1 hr and 30 minutes: 75 Photos with three outfits for $877.50

2 hour photo shoot with unlimited outfits for $1023.00

These prices are competitive and industry standard. They both meet my needs as a businessman as well as it provides me with a living. There are some other studios that charge a lot more for Senior Photos, some charge less. Those who charge more are bigger studios with more needs. Those who charge less will not survive because they have failed to take into account how much it takes to run a business.