The cost of professional.

It's a rant day today. The disclaimer, I am in business to MAKE money. My kids need to eat, they have teeth, eyes and occaisonally get sick which require denist, eye doctor and medicial doctor. Becuase they eat, they grow out of their clothes. Like you own children, mine like to get gifts on their birthdays and holidays. They prefer a house over living in a car or cardboard box. They attend school that requires we pay school fees and like your child they like to go on field trips. They prefer being warm in the winter so we pay our DP&L bill and propane bill. We have a mortgage, insurance, buy gas for our cars and ALL those expenses that you pay for from that check you get every week or so from your employeer. The difference, I am my employeer. Hence, this is my JOB.

I'm in a very expensive business, my accountant pointed that out Wednesday night. I already knew that.

There are a LOT of photographers to choose from out there today. There are a lot of electricians, plumbers, hairdressers, bakers, on and on and on. A LOT of them are CHEAP! But is cheap worth it? You know that old adage, you get what you pay for. Think Walmart here.

But, this is about my business, my industry, Professional Portrait Photographer.

I'm not cheap. I'm not the most expensive either. And believe me, there are A LOT cheaper out there. And some of them are pretty darn good, others, well, what were they thinking? Interested in cheap? I can give you a list, I don't recommend them, but I can give you a list.

But, this isn't to blast other photographers. This is to explain in some detail why hiring a professional portrait photographer is going to be an investment. See disclaimer at the top.

Equipment. Obviously I can't take the first picture without a camera. Yep, I take beautiful images from any camera. My personal choice for capturing yours is a pro camera? Why, I like really big wall portriats. 16x20 and bigger. My camera lets this happen with NO photoshop help.
Lights, I can do natural light, but I'm trained in studio, and I don't have a natural light studio yet, so I use strobes, they didn't come from camera's r us.
Lightmeter, what the heck is that? THAT is how I nail that image in camera and not fix it in photoshop. It's the second most important piece of equipment I own. Camera being first.
Third most important? My MAC becuase I swithched from film 5 years ago. Sure I can use any old computer and if I were printing at Walmart, any old camera and computer would work. Lucky for you, I care about you more that that. I use a pro lab.
I have more equipment, it would blow most people's mind. Glad my hairdress knows how to use her sissors and clippers. The alternative scares me.
But professional equipment is NOT a requirement to be a professional photographer. Acutually, there is no requirement.

You are required in the state of Ohio to pay sales tax on ANYTHING you sell. That means you have to have a vendors license.
Equipment insurance.
Liability insurance.
I pay rent, I personally don't want people I don't know yet in my children's home.
Electric
Propane, unless you LIKE seeing your breath when I do a boudior and I'm sure that naked newborn is 100x's happier in a warm studio.
professional memberships like PPA for indemnity insurance and training
software like photoshop
batteries, cf cards, processing, frames, accountant, printer, ink, paper, stamps, website.
And don't forget assistants. Even part time assistants.

Want to add this up? I know I missed lots of stuff. Oh yea, since I own my business, I'm responsible for my income tax and thanks to recent changes, I can't hire an employee without having HEALTH insurance.

What do you make a year? Like this or would you like to make less? Like working 40 hours a week, or do you want to work more so you don't have to go see you child star in the school musical? See the disclaimer at the top.

Why do professional photographers charge so much? Because it's expensive to own a business and make a living. AND you get what you pay for.

Sure, I can do it cheaper. Can you add my children to your insurance and feed them for me? They would also like to take a family vacation, all there friends take them. Trust me, that "cheap" photogrpaher you went to, has a full time job where someone else rights the check, or they don't feed their kids. Just saying.