Why is Professional Photography so expensive?

Pro Photographer Pricing, Production Rates & Creative Fees Explained

Part II

NOTE: If you missed Part I of this Blog…

Read Part I first - it’s a lot funnier!

Commercial Photo Licensing Explained

When we left off, I gave you the breakdown of how I personally choose to price my photography services. But in Part II, I’ll cover why all the other pros charge an arm and a leg for a few pretty pictures…

Full Disclosure

Here is one of my old “Rate Sheets” (Above)

Why did I stop using this to book my services?

Because nobody ever booked my services.

But it’s not because I am not a good photographer - or even because these prices are too high; they are not.

It’s because when people see OBJECTIVE RATES for SUBJECTIVE SERVICES, they run for the hills! (Just like the folks in these photos below!)

Remember when you were a kid and you said to yourself:

“Self, when I grow up, I wanna be rich and famous and go on all the exotic vacations; live in a mansion; sail in 200-foot yachts; be like Tom Cruise and not only fly my own vintage fighter jets, but get paid to literally jump out of them; send my kids to all the fanciest Ivy League schools; Oh and I wanna drive a Lamborghini plus eat out at Michelin 5-Star restaurants every night of the week…”

You definitely don’t start a career as a “Professional Photographer!”

Instead, you’ll probably make a far more intelligent choice and go to law school, medical school or a vocational / technical trade institute. Then you’ll hyper-specialize in some micro-niche sector - or at least at a specific job market within those verticals that will be in-demand for the foreseeable future. Smart move.

But the reality is, all those professions take a tremendous amount of TIME to learn; work your way up the food chain etc. And then, eventually, if you’re really really lucky and everything went exactly to plan, you can pat yourself on the back because tah-dahhh, you’ve become “successful.”

Lawyers join or start firms. Doctors affiliate with hospitals or run their own practices. Technical Pros get hired at $125-$225/hour to do really cool stuff nobody else can do. (Even some plumbers can charge $100+/hour!) All this makes sense because you “value” what these professionals can do for you or your business. Or you really need their help - like right now - so you gladly pay them what they’re “worth” with no haggling.

So why do the vast majority of people think being a professional photographer is any different? And more importantly, why does everyone who considers booking a photographer try to get a discount or a “reduced” rate?

The answer is surprisingly simple:

CELL PHONES

Everybody has one so, these days, everybody thinks they are a “great photographer.” Well, here’s the thing: You’re not.

No offense. Seriously, I’m not trying to insult you. The technology helps you take decent snapshots, but they are not great photos.

Just like you might be able to pull-off representing yourself in Small Claims Court, but you sure wouldn’t show up as the Defense Attorney to your own murder trial, would you?! Yikes. Bad example? Okay, here’s another one: I’m just guessing, by the same token, you wouldn’t operate on yourself if you found out you had cancer, would you?

I know I might sound like I’m being crass or complaining - I apologize. That’s not my intention. I’m being blunt because I’m trying to make a clear point:

Becoming a legitimate Professional Photographer who has the equipment, availability and ability to show up, take amazing photos that last a lifetime or sell your product / service across the entire Internet takes a lot of TIME…And money…And technical skill…And perseverance…And hard-earned experience to accomplish. (No, we don’t need nor are we asking for a participation trophies!)

There is zero difference for successful attorneys, doctors and Joe the plumber. Just think about what he has to do on a daily basis to earn $100+ per hour!

So, in summary…

Why is hiring a professional photographer so expensive?

Because he has:

Education / “Experience” Costs:

Not every “Professional Photographer” went to the Brooks Institute or RISD, but many professionals have student loans just like everybody else. And the reality is, their photos are as good as they are because they’ve been actively capturing and creating images since people still used darkrooms! This is true - my favorite photo is actually still a shot I took on 400ASA Kodak Tri-X… Twenty years ago…

Business Incorporation & Startup Costs:

If you’re en entrepreneur or mid to upper-level manager of a business, you know exactly what I mean!

Business Tax Costs:

Not even going to get into “The cost of doing business…”

Overhead Costs:

Most pros do not have full-production studios, but they still have housing costs that often include a dedicated “Studio Space.”

Equipment Costs:

Some of my cinematographer friends have taken out loans to pay for single cameras or lenses alone that cost more than most peoples’ cars…

Liability Insurance Costs:

We have to carry it so you don’t have to. And if we don’t, then you are potentially liable for any accidents or damages that may occur during the shoot.

Healthcare Costs:

Everybody is required by law these days.

Livable-wage Standards:

Because minimum wage simply does not cover all of these costs in-between paying shoots.

Pre-Production Costs:

The TIME spent prepping for a shoot, organizing gear, charging batteries, loading, unloading, assembling, disassembling, re-packing-then-re-unloading…you get the point.

Transportation Maintenance & Fuel Costs:

Auto Insurance, maintenance, fuel to and from locations etc.

Production Costs:

Specialty equipment rentals, repair, assistants, make-up, location fees, special coverage location insurance…

Creative Fees:

For the actual talent and experience that allow for a “Quick and Easy” professional shoot that yields the content you are happy to pay for. No, unfortunately, it’s not magic…

Post-Production & Photo-Mastering Costs:

Because those photos don’t just take themselves then all of a sudden become masterpieces! They have to actually get “Photoshopped” and mastered then uploaded so you can use them. Seriously, some photos I will literally spend up to 30-60 minutes to blend the crows-feet and wrinkles in a way that doesn’t make you look like a plastic Barbie doll! We’re making art here, people! Now multiply that times 30-100 MASTERED photos per shoot…

Website Subscription & Admin Fees:

Monthly subs - I have 5 or 6 separate services I HAVE to subscribe to to keep my website(s) up and running, editing programs active and ready when you are to shoot/process images quickly and on-budget.

Marketing Costs:

When I worked at marketing companies along the way, I saw the spreadsheets. Some companies (even the boring ones like an event tent-rental company in Ohio) spend $10K, $15K, $20K PER MONTH on marketing alone. So just imagine what I have to spend to compete with SEO standards and rankings just so you can actually find someone like me when you Google: “Photographer Near Me…”

And finally, Licensing Fees:

Imagine the photographer who takes the most amazing photo of a girl holding a Coke can the world has ever seen. Coke doesn’t get to just go off and make a bazillion dollars on that one image and leave the guy who took it with no residual income!

Chances are, if Coke actually hired him for the shoot, his agent made sure he was paid between $10-$50K (Yup $50,000) in creative fees alone plus national or international licensing fees for that series of shots. There’s a reason why some guys get known as “Celebrity Photographers” - they get paid big bucks. We can all dream…

But don’t take my word for it… If you didn’t do it before,

Google: “Why is professional photography so expensive?”

What did you find? You found a boatload of blog posts, forums and instructional videos about how and more importantly, WHY professional photographers charge what they do. Because we’re professionals.

However, if you feel you can take better photos on your cell phone… Or find someone cheaper who will show up on-time, with all his gear ready to go and not try to nickle-and-dime you on creative fees - and is not super creepy - have fun browsing Craigslist!