The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process. Photographers, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur all benefit from this ability to manipulate pixels. However, with flexibility comes a price. Digital camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into creating a work of photographic art. We all know that you can go to the local Walgreen’s and pay a $1.99 for a print – as a client you may wonder why you may pay upwards of $50, $70, $90 for a custom photography print. Photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

“How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at x store?”

The truth of the matter is the answer to this question is multifaceted. Much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer not to mention expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business. The cost of TIME Approaching it from a time standpoint, let’s imagine that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love. This photographer is traveling an hour to your destination to photograph your session. Here is an example of a time break down:

booking time: 30 minutes to one hour (client contact time + paperwork)
pre-session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

In this example, the time spent per client can range from just under 13 hours to 19 hours – dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to ONE session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot (aka SESSION FEE) you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

The COSTS of Maintaining a Custom Photography Business:

Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run from $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer. Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows their professional lab is an integral part of their success. These labs often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for the discerning client.

Discussion on other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip many of the intricate details. An overview: the costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.

APPLES to ORANGES to BANANAS: Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $19.99 for an 8×10 “sheet” or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. In February 2007 a company who has leased photography retail space in a rather well known discount retailer closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation. The reason it happened is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ “professional” prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing vs. many custom photographers (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10).

A little history – the whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait services in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your “PORTRAITS” are considered the “loss leader”. Your portraits that are meant to symbolize a once-in-a-lifetime stage in your child’s life are part of what a store considers a way to get you in there door to spend more money on goods that you might not really want or need but because you’re there “anyway” you buy.

Also keep in mind that when you go to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for as well as the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, “SAY CHEESE” experience.

REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER: There is an old story about a ship that cost a company millions of dollars. Something went wrong in the engine room and the ship was stuck in dock. They called various “experts” who spent weeks trying to fix the issue to no avail and at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Finally a older gentleman was called in who simply brought in his small tool bag and a hammer. He set about pinging on various parts of the vast engine with his hammer, finally settling on one area. He spent a few minutes pinging in that area, took out a few tools and fixed whatever what was wrong. After a few moments the man straightened up, looked at the captain and instructed him to “start her up.” The captain disbelievingly went to get the engines started while the man sat in the engine room listening as the engine roared to life. The man tipped his hat as he exited the ship to the staff who sat dumbfounded because they had seen all the experts come on board for days with their expensive equipment only to have the ship not fixed. This man did it in a few minutes with a few pings of his hammer!

A few days passed and the man sent the shipping company a bill for $10,000. The accounting department contacted him immediately. Why all the rumors mentioned that this man had only spent “a few minutes” fixing the ship “with his hammer and a few other random tools”. When questioned about why his bill was for $10,000 – did he accidentally leave an extra zero on the bill? The man confidently responded: “In fact the time was worth the $1,000. The other $9,000 was for the years of experience and the ability to discern the issue as quickly as possible for the company.”

Now I’m not saying that photographers fix large ships but being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part (years of practice, study, experience, etc). A photographer’s expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? These photographers often undervalue what they do because they have the realization that they do not have experience or expertise but are very adept at pushing the shutter on the camera. Many times these casual “professionals” neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc.. When you hire a photographer of sound reputation, you are hiring an expert, one that knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work a photographer possesses not only sound knowledge in the technical and creative aspects of photography but also good, reliable equipment and back up equipment.

The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.

I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family’s most precious investment.

Reprinted with permission from Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography

used with permission from pinkletoes

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These tips are seriously helpful because as a wedding photographer I get asked this question a lot! How do we cut the cake?!

The one thing I see a lot of bride and grooms stumble with is the cake cutting. It’s definately not something you do every day and it’s not something you get to rehearse!!! So here are some tips on how to cut the cake and some cake ideas in general.

1. Cut immediately! One new trend I am seeing more this summer is couples are starting to cut the cake right after they make their grand entrance into the ballroom. I think this is a spectacular idea!!! The attention is already on you and everyone should be seated at this point so no one should miss the moment. Sometimes after dinner people leave or tend to get into the groove of visiting (and so does the bride and groom) and hate to be taken away from whatever they are involved in to do the cake. It also gives the caters time to cut the cake so that when its time for cake no one has to wait for it! Finally, if you have a fragile cake, it lessens the chance of a tumble from the cake getting too warm.

2. Remove all non-edibles! The current trends have cakes almost as dressed up as the brides! Make sure that all ribbons, jewels and any other pieces that are for decoration only are removed from the section of cake you intend to cut. I’ve had a few couples not remember this and it could have been scary!

3. Cut from the bottom layer! This makes the cake remain stable if it is a tiered cake and easier for you to get your slice of goodness out and ready to eat.

4. Cut in a V and remove with a server! Make cuts into the bottom layer in a small V and remove with the cake server. Grooms put your hand over your bride’s hand as she slices and dices.

5. Have a Plate AND fork(s) at the cake table! I don’t know about you but I hate having sticky fingers and oftentimes you won’t get the chance to wash your hands right after. Having a plate and a fork makes the moment sweeter and cleaner for you both (and lessens the chance for stains on your formal wear). If you can’t have a fork make sure that there is a damp napkin at the table.

6. Play nice! Even though I can’t say much since I didn’t play nice on my wedding day, it really does make for nicer pictures when you play nice. No matter what you do groomies, don’t take tips from that video on You Tube and make your bride do a header into the cake. You will pay for that for a lifetime!!

7. Include the kids! If you have children and want to include them in some of the wedding day festivities this is a great family event!! Have the kids ‘help’ cut (help meaning placing their hands ABOVE an adult whom is cutting) and give them a bite as well.

8. Enjoy the cake! Don’t feel like you have to take one bite and run away. As a lover of cake, I fully condone you actually FINISHING your slice of heaven. This could very well be your only slice of cake and after all these months of researching the cake and taste testing, you better be able to remember how good it was. So savor the moment and feed each other more than one bite – it’s OK!

9. KISS! Finally, kiss after you eat the cake! Nothing is sweeter than a kiss from your sweetie with sugary goo on their lips! YUM! Oh…. it also makes a great photo op!

As for me, after a wedding I can come home with 1000-2000 images depending on the size and length of the wedding. I will then go thru all of the images and narrow it down to a few hundred to edit. I edit my faves first then I will usually post a sneak peek to my blog a couple of weeks after the wedding. All of the rest of the images are processed to make them look their absolute best. I prefer not to show clients any of my unedited work. That’s just my preference, not all photographers process this way. After all of the images have been edited I will resize them to post to my online viewing gallery a.k.a. my print shop. The turn around time for me is usually 4-6 weeks but can vary depending on other sessions or weddings that need to be finished.

Hope this helps!

Formals, Tips to Make Them Quick!

By: Corey Ann

One problem I seem to run into again and again is that formals are taking a lot longer than the bride and groom budgeted time for and it is leaving less FUN time to play with me outside of the church. Most of you have booked me for my photojournalistic approach to your day and not for the posed shots that your Mom and Dad had when they got married. So, when your time gets cut short and we can’t play as much, I feel that you haven’t got what you paid for from me and you are sad at the end of the day because you didn’t get as many pics as you had hoped. Keep in mind that I do everything I can to get through the formals and to our play time – but without help from the bride and groom I can’t always guarantee that we can do it without arriving later at your reception than planned. So below are some tips from me to make sure we get our time together!

1. Add 30 minutes at least to the time you THINK it will take for pictures! Most brides and grooms think an hour after the ceremony ends is sufficient time to take pictures. However, most fail to realize that even with a grand exit, people never leave as quickly from the ceremony venue as you think they will. People get to chatting with friends and families and time goes by and you are still waiting for them to leave. Also, if you are doing a recieving line, that takes a LOT longer than you expect it will. I don’t think I’ve had a bride yet turn to me and say “gosh that went quick!.” Same thing with the formals before the ceremony, someone is always running late, someone didn’t get the right tux etc. You will be thankful for that half hour buffer!

2. Know your bustle! Another huge time consumer is the bustle. Practice it in the store at least twice and practice it again the day before or the day of so things run smoothly. Have at least two people that know how to do it incase one person is too busy when you want bustled. You may think it isn’t such a big deal now but that is probably one of the biggest time munchers!

3. Let Family Know Who is in the Pictures! Make sure that everyone knows before the big day if they are wanted or expected for formal pictures and when they are needed. This includes the bridesmaids and groomsman. Make sure if it is before, that everyone knows what time they have to show up READY by and if after, that they need to stay and not leave with the crowds. Most often grandparents leave because they didn’t count themselves as “immediate family” and then you have a shot at the reception with them but it’s not quite the same. So make sure EVERYONE knows that they are wanted.

4. End Pre Ceremony Formals 30 Minutes Before Arrival Time! Another huge time sucker is when guests start to arrive as we are taking our formals before the ceremony starts. It’s a temptation to talk to you, congratulate you and then start wanting pictures with you, their family and their friends. I am more than willing to take them – but each one of those shots you hadn’t planned on because Aunt Betsy wasn’t supposed to be there until an hour later will eat into your time you had set aside for pictures with your friends. If you say yes to their request for a picture, I cannot say no.

5. Have a Plan of Action! Going along with number 3 – have a plan of action of the set up of pictures that you want. I do not accept shot lists (the ring, the ring in my hand, the ring in his hand, him picking up the ring type lists) but what I do like are the lists that let me know the groupings that you want. Me and the bridesmaids, me and my parents type list. This then lets me know ahead of time where we need to start and how things need to roll. I will come up with how to pose you, but if I am already able to know that I need your family and the family dog, I will be that much ahead of the game making things run that much smoother.

6. Just Me… I really hate to say this, but I’m going to have to say it. To ensure that not only your formal pictures go fast but that also they are quality shots I do need to ask that you ask your friends and family to hold back their urge to take pictures alongside of me. Not only does this take extra time from your formals by having to wait on up to 20 people to take their shot of the pose (no kidding, it’s happened many times to me and other photographer friends) but the other problem is that almost 100% of the time when there are other people taking pictures I do not have all eyes looking at me for the pose. I can tell everyone to look at me but naturally you are going to most likely look at your camera, your best friend etc. than me – a virtual stranger. If this request makes your friends and family upset, I do at least ask that they wait until I am finished taking my shot. When they are shooting at the same time I am, their flashes can ruin my shot when my flash goes off at the same time making everyone ghost people.

7. Start Big, Go Small. My main goal is to whittle down the people staying afterwards for formals by taking the largest group shots first and allowing those people to leave as I work through the group. This way your guests can head on to the reception and it is less people to slow down the process. So make sure everyone knows that they’ll be staying for shots but they will be free to leave as soon as they are over so to plan carpooling accordingly. My goal is to end with just the group going out and taking the fun shots afterwards so if the bridal party is going with, let them know that they will be last for the formals in the church.

8. Ask the Expert! When you are drawing up your timeline for the day, feel free to call me, shoot me an email or whatnot to ask me how long you think you will need for formals. It all depends on your bridal party and family size for what I would suggest. Typically I say 1 hour for formals, 30-45 minutes for the fun shots (again depending on what you want).

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope that maybe this helps your day run a bit smoother and enables you to have time to enjoy your husband and have some fun times with me!!