Wow. So much research done for this reboot here and I’m still feeling like a square peg in this world of photographic round holes. Basically I’ve come down with a list of things I *don’t* want to do or be:
- I don’t want to do themed seasonal shoots like ever. Apparently this is a thing. It’s Christmas and there are photographers out there planning for “Valentine’s Day Mini Sessions!” I picture those photographers as probably being really really perky all the time. I kind of gag a little just thinking about it.
- This aversion for themed shoots is partially because there’s no way I could ever do that out of my teeny tiny home (lack of storage!) and I really don’t want to be so big that I need a staff and/or studio. Same with baby shoots in buckets and wraps with lots and lots of props. Nope! Don’t have the space in my mid-century rambler.
- Do you have your own prop you want to use? Special baby blanket grandma made? Favorite stuffy? Cool looking wagon? I’m all for it if you provide it!
- I don’t want to be so big I’m not a part of every step of the progress. I’m not above hiring my children for tasks like packaging and organizing and prepping but shooting and editing will be by me. Control freak? Perfectionist? Anxiety disorder? Maybe a little of all three.
- I want to keep my operation as bare bones as possible in order to pass on cost savings to my clients. There are photographers that literally invest multiple $100’s in a family shoot and I’m agog with disbelief that normal people will pay so much more to cover this. I think it’s possible to charge a market worthy rate in order to pay myself a suitable wage and not gouge my clients with excess charges for props, commercial space, bespoke packaging, even extra time for individual consults on style/fashion and then again to sit down and hand over images.
- Likewise, I will never not post all my pricing here on this page. I will also not call it an “Investment.” There’s apparently multiple opinions on this – some feel posting all your prices makes you look cheap and others feel not posting anything makes you look mysterious and expensive aka more desirable. I have to come to terms with the fact that I may not be affordable for everyone every year but I’d hope that the skills I bring to the table would be worth saving up for.
- Lastly, I will never pressure you into sales. There’s a lot of talk out there among photographers about how to make people pay more – you offer this, then when you’re sitting down to look at their photos, you convince them to buy these prints. Then upgrade to more prints. Or a canvas. Or whatever. I’m going to stick to my guts and trust that my clients know their budget and what they’re looking for. Maybe that’s naive, but so be it. I do plan on starting to offer print and digital packages so you have options but again, it’s all going to be upfront and no pressure.
All this may go out the window one day but these are feelings I’ve had for years; researching the biz and my competition has been eye opening and simply solidified my stand on these issues. I see many of my clients as people like me: regular working adults, lots with kids, trying to make it in this world with minimal drama and confrontation. Some of my clients are *fancy,* they show up to shoots perfectly made up in amazing outfits and a natural presence in front of the lens to die for. Maybe you’re like that every day? Doesn’t matter because on shoot day you make my job so easy! But where’s the challenge?
I love my clients who “come as they are,” so to speak. I do hope that you guys at least put some minimal effort into your outfits and appearance but I don’t expect you to step out of the pages of Vogue. Mostly because I’m a firm believer that if you’re not dressed comfortably (which obviously is objective and different for everyone) you’re not going to be able to enjoy yourself. And if you can’t enjoy yourself during one of our sessions you aren’t going to get the best pics possible. It’s a bit of a generalization but I’d rather you all in jeans and tshirts instead of clothes we’re constantly having to adjust, tweak, fix the collar, not show too much leg, stop the buttons from gaping, etc. I want to capture you just as you are whatever that is.
I’ll finalize more thoughts on this as I come up with what to put on my “what to expect” and “how to get ready” pages. And consolidate it all so you don’t have to read soooo many words 😉