I was reading forums and Facebook posts where people submit request to hire a photographer cover the event. While reading and looking at the responses, I was wondering why people bargain when they hire a photographer?
It is not wrong but it is a human nature where we as human bargain for everything in life so not that it is a big deal when it comes to hire a photographer but when you really look at what you get vs. how much a photographer earn, you will find that out side box everything looks green though it is not.
While thinking about all these things I put down some data here for review and realize that we as photographer do we really earn lot of money as what people think?
What I did here is put down some assumptions and some numbers for analysis
Before you read the numbers I would say that read the definition so that you understand the meaning of each column.
Here when I say average viewing life is “X” meaning that the number of years photograph would be seen many times e.g. say 1st birthday photographs were taken, now parents and relative would view those photographs more in first year only because second year it would be 2nd birthday photograph.
On the other end when I say Sweet Sixteen, it is a big thing for a girl and she would love to see how she was dressed up and what all she did for rest of life.
Now when it comes to wedding, it is a life event and photographs are getting viewed many-many times for the rest of life and also they are getting passed down to next generation as “Photographs do not de-valued” over the time as everything else would!
Now let’s do some analysis: here say that you have got a call to take photograph of 1st birthday and when you say $300 the parents are saying…that is too much because someone else would do the same in $150. Now if you really do the math and understand behind the scene, you will find that the photographer is actually making 8 cents per photograph when photographer is getting paid $300. do you think it is a lot? I believe a photo print cost more than what a photographer is making at the end (As per Walmart one hour 5×7 photograph to print they charge $1.47)!
As a parent we don’t want to think we just look at dollar amount and think that it is a lot of money and photographer is expensive!
I am sure many won’t agree with me and many would but I want you as parents to think before you ask a photographer on the price! I would say check the services that he/she provides for the charges and then decide!
A photographer also has life, family and has to make his/her day-to-day need so do math!
Let’s go back to Pricing!