WHY CHOOSE A CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER?

I recently found this great article by Children's Photographer, Marianne Drenthe/Marmalade Photography. She discusses why custom photography costs so much, compared to the chain mall studios (which I will not name since we all know who they are). Marianne discusses why it costs more to hire a professional photographer to come to you versus going to one of the chain studios. Here is some of her wonderful article, which I couldn't agree to more:

"Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom photography print. Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile: "How in the world does a photographer charge $60 for an 8×10 when they cost just under $2 at the drug store?"

The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.

TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is traveling an hour to your on location session. Time breakdown:
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
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prepping order for shipping and getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot 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.

COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
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 up $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 the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

Discussing other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much more: including 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:
Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 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. Did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason 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 (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10). The reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place is to get you in their door so that you could spend more money with them in their other departments, the true "loss leader".

Going 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 or the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience. Keep this in mind when selecting a photographer.

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." Chain mall studios may be cheaper in these hard economic times, but in the long run... you ultimately get what you pay for.

We're Moving!

Happy April Fool's Day! LOL - what a day!

We finally closed on our new home this morning! Yay! That was the longest, most drawn out process I have ever been through! This means our studio will be relocating in the next month or two.

Good news is that it will be easier for you guys to find the studio - we will be closer to Winston-Salem and on a state highway! Bad news is that we will only be shooting on-location and outdoor sessions until we get all of our equipment moved and set-up.

I can't wait to get my new studio set-up! I will have windows on two walls, so I can do indoor natural light sessions and can also have room to set-up our strobes permanently! I am so excited! We will have a big room for consulting and proofing, by a nice cozy fireplace :-)

Be sure to check the blog often in the next few months - we may have a special event once we get moved in and set-up.

Spring & Easter Portraits - UPDATE!

Woohoo - looks like this weekend will be dry and rain free, so we will see you all at the park! Remember to call ahead and reserve a spot so you won't have to wait in line!

The details: This Saturday, April 4th, from 2-4pm at Central Park on Kirby Road, in King, North Carolina.

See our ad in the Stokes News this week :-)

Spring & Easter Portraits - RAIN :-(

Hello to all!

Sorry I haven't been able to post in a while! I have been busy filling Scout orders and planning for this weekend. We are also getting ready to close on our new home, which will have lots of space for our studio! I am so excited about this!

Apparently, it looks as if it's going to rain ALL weekend, so if the rain doesn't let up, we will be delaying the Spring and Easter sessions to NEXT SATURDAY at Central Park in King. *If by some chance the rain stops, meet us in the park - we'll be there!

Feel free to call ahead and reserve your slot for the mini-sessions so you won't have to wait in line.

If we're not in the park this weekend, look for our ad in next week's paper.

Preview for Jessica & Chris

I had the pleasure of shooting this amazing couple's engagement portraits in Tanglewood Park. The gardens were just beginning to bloom and the weather was perfect! I enjoyed getting to know this couple and look forward to documenting their wedding this summer. They were so easy to work with and fun!

I hope you guys enjoy the sneak peek - I will email you in the next couple of days with the link to your online gallery.

Scout Portrait Sneak Peek...

Scouting portraits were a lot of fun! All of the boys remembered to wear their uniforms and were very excited to have their pictures taken. Parents, please make sure you check out our website where more custom creations are available - such as custom holiday and greeting cards, custom collages and trading cards for the boys. The trading cards are very popular with boys this age, and are the same size as business cards. They can pass them out to their friends at school and new Cub Scouts that they meet at Resident Camp or other district level activities. You can include their name and pack number or any other information you want!

Below are only a few of the fun portraits we got that night.

A Class Assignment

Hello blog followers!

Most of you know I have a ten year old son. I have noticed not only with my son, but with my clients' children also, for some reason, once they reach the age of eight, they become extremely camera shy and do everything they can to hide from the lens. Sometimes if a photographer is quick enough, they can catch them in between hiding and giggling - it almost becomes a sort of hide-and-seek game to the children AND the photographer, so we have to play along in order to get that perfect shot. If you are really lucky you can bribe them with candy or cookies (make sure its okay with their parents!) or in my case, a trip to Pizza Hut sealed the deal. It also helps to talk to them about their favorite animal, if they have a pet at home, or hobbies that they have. Video games are ALWAYS an instant ice breaker!

In a photography class that I just finished up, our assignment was to pick a subject and photograph it at fifteen different angles. My husband chose a rusty padlock that he found buried outside in the mud. Of course I chose my son as my subject, and he actually sat in the grass in our backyard and let me take dozens of pictures of him. This is my favorite picture, purely for his expression (so serious!) and the ocean of blue in his eyes.

Cub Scout Portraits

I wish I could find more time to blog - it seems that the more time I think I am going to have, the busier I find myself! I promise to work on it guys!

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, February 24th) at 7:00pm is Scout Portrait Night at Pack 427's scout hut. I just wanted to remind parents to have your son wear his Cub Scout uniform (Class A) tomorrow night (Den Leaders should be in uniform too for Den and Pack photos). Also, parents may have their portraits taken with their cub if they are interested, so please dress accordingly.

Custom Creations are here!

I am sooooo excited to announce that the studio is now offering unique, custom Birth Announcements (such an adorable way to show off your newborn's portraits), Save-the-Dates, Photo Collages, Christmas & Holiday cards (share your family holiday portraits) and a whole lot more!

No matter what style you are looking for - cute, simple, whimsy, elegant - we have something to fit your personality in several different sizes (4 x 6, 5 x 5, 5 x 7, and even tri-fold). We have lots of designs, colors and fonts - the possibilities are endless! This has been long anticipated (and requested) and is finally here!

If you would like to view some of our samples, visit the custom creations section of our website at http://www.fantasyphotographyonline.com. Want to see some samples in person? Call the studio at 336.575.7088 and we will be happy to meet with you!

I am so happy to offer these to my clients!

We are Green!

Passionate about nature and wildlife, one of the studio's resolutions for 2009 was to do everything we can to preserve the beauty of our planet.

As Cubmaster of a Cub Scout Pack (for 4 years now!), I teach boys starting at age 6 ways to keep our planet green, recycle, conserve energy and we go on outings to pick-up trash, plant flowers and learn about nature and wildlife. We discovered that even though photography is a high-tech field, there ARE ways that our studio can be eco-friendly and not cause harm our planet or animals when we are on photo shoots, processing our images and operating our studio...

We have been accepted for membership to Greener Photography! Greener Photography is a non-profit organization for photographers and suppliers dedicated to conserving the Earth's resources and keeping our planet green. Photography is an art form that allows each of us to interpret the world around us. The nature of our tools and traditional materials makes photography a high-tech field; it is an energy-intensive activity. We can make our high-tech field more green by implementing environmentally-friendly practices, and encouraging suppliers to do the same.

Please visit our website (http://www.fantasyphotographyonline.com/) to see how we've implemented practices to leave less of a "carbon footprint" on Earth, or visit Greener Photography (http://www.greenerphotography.org/) for more information on how you can help conserve energy and our resources.