Well, this subject has risen once again and I find it necessary to help educate the public on why we charge what we do for our finished prints. Yes the price for a finished print at our studio is considerably more that what you would pay if you went to Costco® or your local retail photo finishing lab. However, when you look at it from the opposite standpoint of the small business owner, you can quickly see that not everything is as equal as it seems. Take in point our 11x14 print. Our price is $105. Odd number but that’s just how the math comes out. I get parents of the brides who say that this is an overcharge. I say not. For one reason, most of my clients are not generally proficient at Photoshop© so when they take their images in to get prints, they are normally straight from the camera. No adjustments of any type other than a small bit of color correction by the lab technician. (Let’s be honest here, this tech is not going or cannot spend a whole lot of time on any one image due to the sheer volume of prints at the local one hour photo lab) Your professional wedding photographer on the other hand is much much different. I personally retouch each image by hand and can spend 30 minutes or more on an image gently massaging until it has just the right blend of contrast, color saturation and density. Removing blemishes, and clarifying eyes, teeth and skin is an art if you expect professional and natural results. OK now comes the business expenses.
· We have to purchase the finished print at a professional color lab.
· Mounting (An extra step that preserves the print and not available at most 1 hr labs)
· Shipping expenses to receive the print.
· Handeling and storage of the print.
· Packaging
· Invoicing (to the customer)
· Delivery
So when you factor in the time it takes to successfully complete all of these items, it is not too much of a stretch to understand why we charge what we do for our finished prints.
Remember, when you hire a professional photographer, you are investing in his/her talent and time not only to create memorable images but to be able to deliver professional quality and you should expect professional results.
1 comment:
Excellent review!!! I also find that people underestimate the value of my work in my profession and find it difficult to get people to 'pony up' to what I need to charge to stay in business. I on the other hand feel that true professionalism is rarely demonstrated in todays society. More and more people are simply looking at the bottom line with little regard to real quality. What is it going to cost me is heard more and more so business owners need to sacrifice somewhere in order to make a profit! Don't skimp on your wedding images. They are all you will have when the day is over! Trust me. Rick and Lee did a wonderful job on our daughter's wedding pictures and the quality is outstanding! Truly worth the extra money for true professional pictures!
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