Why Are Professional Photographers So Expensive?

The prices that professional photographers charge for photos and print products can sometimes be a little shocking. And this happens whether you’ve never worked with a photographer before AND if you have. There is a wide range of prices out there for photography, so it can naturally be very confusing why someone is charging $300 for a hundred photos and someone else is charging $3000 for ONE.

So why the discrepancy? Shouldn’t all photography be valued similarly? And why are some prices so high while others are so low?

It can be quite the mystery to figure out what’s what in the world of photography. The problem is that there are no standards. No industry-wide pricing to guide new photographers. No certification to guarantee a certain level of work. And no clear source of information for customers who are looking for professional portraits of their family.

Confusion Point #1

The time it takes to create a photograph

This is the biggest misconception. As a client, you are seeing the person with the camera pushing a button to take the picture. It takes less than a second. So really, how hard can it be? It literally takes a second! Why in the world is the photographer charging so much for a second of their work?

And you’re right.

It does take less than a second to take a picture. And when photographers are just starting out, it’s a fairly quick and easy process. They take the pictures, upload them to their computer, trash the terrible frames where people’s eyes are closed, and deliver the rest to the client. Done! It doesn’t take long and they charge appropriately for it.

But as photographers learn and grow, the process becomes more complicated. They start to spend more time editing the images. Some do full hand-retouching in Photoshop of every portrait (that’s me, btw). Taking pictures becomes more of a process as well. There is styling and wardrobe prep beforehand. Posing needs to be learned and implemented to make those portraits more flattering. And as the photographer acquires more expertise, they start doing more of the work for you - like eliminating more of those throw-away shots that just don’t look good, making sure the colors are right, and learning photography rules and standards for good composition. This is when most photographer realize that they need to charge more. It’s no longer a few hours per client. They are spending 20 or 30 hours providing not only beautiful photographs but also a full service experience because they know they have the expertise their clients do not.. which brings me to point #2…

Confusion Point #2

Hobby vs Photography Business

There is a HUGE difference between pricing of someone who does photography as a hobby and someone who is running a legal photography business. And listen, there is nothing wrong with hiring a hobbyist to take your family photos! Go right ahead! You probably have a cousin, a friend, or an uncle who has a fancy expensive camera and is more than happy to charge a few hundred bucks (if anything at all) to take a few pictures for you. And that’s awesome! But it’s not the same as running a photography business - as having photography be the thing that pays your bills and feeds your children.. because if you had to actually support at least a minimum-wage income with photography, you wouldn’t be able to charge a few hundred dollars and still go grocery shopping at the end of the week.

I will spare you the math because there are plenty of detailed articles on the internet that go full-force with the numbers. The truth is, there are costs to running a business, there are taxes, and a small portion of the total actually goes to the photographer. About 25%, if you’re lucky. Does that surprise you? Because it certainly surprised me! And there are also self-employment taxes that small businesses often have to pay, which is something a large employer will cover for most people.

A person who does photography on the side often doesn’t have those costs. They’re probably not paying taxes or insurance (or Studio rent, for that matter). And not because they’re trying to swindle the government.. but because all that stuff takes time to learn. And if your photographer isn’t collecting state sales tax (which they must do, as required by law), you can probably assume they’re not paying taxes on their end.

So why does this matter? Why should you care whether the person taking your family photos is running their business legally? Well, insurance for one.. if something was to actually happen. And two, the person running a full-fledged photography business is probably going to take their job more seriously. They won’t flake out on you. They won’t take months to deliver your photos. They will make sure you’re happy and will probably fix any issues that come up. This is their livelihood after all.

And here is the real difference. When a person not paying taxes charges $500 for photographs, they take home that full amount. In contrast, a person running a legal business would have to charge at least $1500 to take home that same $500 (on average, 33% goes to running a business, 33% to taxes, and 33% is take-home pay).

Confusion Point #3

Quality of the final products

Buying prints from a photographer guarantees better quality, right? Professional photo products, much like consumer photo products, actually vary quite a bit.. both in pricing and quality. Some photographers spend YEARS testing out different product lines from various companies to find the ones that suit their taste and standards best.

In turn, it’s very easy to go to one of the standard professional photo labs and start offering prints, frames, albums, and anything else under the sun to clients.. but, as I found out, heirloom-quality products are often only offered by specialized companies who take as much pride in them as we do in photographs. And those companies take time (and quite a bit of money) to find.

So no.. quite often, professional photo products are not the same quality across the board. And better quality products cost more, which means the photographer who offers them have to charge more to their clients.

Confusion Point #4

All photographers are the same

A person with a camera is a person who can take a great picture, right? Just point and click! The camera does all the work for you.

I wish it was that easy! And hey, maybe one day our cameras will really do all the work for us. But as of today, the skill of the photographer is the ONE thing that will differentiate a great photograph from a decent one. To put it bluntly, some photographer deliver work that’s no better than your iPhone shots.. while others create stunning images that are decades in the making (and not as in it took a decade to take the photo.. it’s simply how long it takes to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for it).

The biggest problem is that most people can’t tell the difference.

And that’s ok. If you’re browsing through photographers and literally every single one looks no different from the other in terms of skill and quality of images.. then you can safely hire anyone and be happy with the result. But if you can instantly tell who has spend time and effort to learn their craft, then you know there is a difference.. and that difference that usually means a more expensive price tag in the end.

Photography is sometimes not the easiest business to be in. And I’m sure every industry has similar struggles. But here is what I’ve learned over the years.. most photographers aren’t trying to take all your money. They price their work according to very concrete costs and charge appropriately so they don’t run their businesses into the ground. They are the photographers who will still be around 5 years from now. They make up about 10% of the photographers who are out there.. which is why it’s sometimes a surprise when you run into one.

My work is guaranteed for life.. because I know the quality is on par with art galleries and the service should match. I work every day to improve my process and give my clients the very best.