What is an affordable newborn photography experience?
I just got off the phone with a potential client. She was in a hurry to find a newborn photographer for her 3-weeks old baby girl. She hadn’t seen any of my work, just found a phone number on Google. She was asking for my prices. That was her only question. I briefly explained my process, how she needs to find someone soon, as her baby is getting older. Advised her she needs to check out every photographer’s portfolio before she books, so she doesn’t end up disappointed. I have had many clients who had booked a photographer, without looking at their work up front, and then coming to me after to take new photos, as they liked my style and were unhappy with the first outcome. So in the end their overall experience cost more. I told this lady my pricing for baby pictures and she said it was ” too expensive” and she was looking for an affordable newborn photographer in Sydney.
I didn’t engage further as I knew this woman wasn’t my ideal client. She was looking for ” just photos” for a certain budget. And that is OK! Not every person values custom portraits and the experience that comes with it.
The truth is actually some people want a “cheap deal”, and not a “reasonably priced” or an “affordable photographer”. If a professional is priced accordingly, many people would consider them ” expensive”. But does that mean they are unreasonable? No! As in every other business, in order to be profitable, one must calculate all their costs that have been invested in their business. Experience? I have had more than 5 years of experience with newborns. I have moved 3 times to 3 different studios across Sydney. My prop and dress collection are keep growing, so I can offer an amazing experience to my clients. All this goes into the price. Fast turnaround. Bookkeeping. Software. Websites.Social Media. Gear.
As I was starting, I charged pennies. But that is normal! A starting photographer will need to build a portfolio. Spread the word. I started by advertising in the local Facebook mum groups like inner west mums / or Ryde mums. It worked great for me as I was cheap. I was happy. I had lots and lots of work and was making money. Or at least I thought so!
After my first year in business, I had to do my taxes. And to my surprise, not only I didn’t make any money, but actually I was paying to photograph my clients. I have had invested too much into my photography, that nothing was left for me. No profit at all!
I had to make changes, as I loved what I was doing but if I wanted my business to survive, and not to be just a hobby, I had to do something.
I hired a business coach, we sat down made calculations and I fixed my pricing accordingly. My prices became ” reasonable”. My prices allow me to feed my family, work normal hours and not burn out from all the night editing, give my clients great photos and a good experience, buy new props, have a bookkeeper to work with me, replace my gear when old, and so on. I didn’t mention all the education – thousands of dollars spent on education and certificates – posing, safety, lighting, and editing.
Bottom line is that there is a newborn photographer in Sydney for every budget. Some are just starting out, some are volume photographers – they will do many sessions per month, that cost less but they will most likely have a slow turnaround and not the best attention to details. I have seen a few newborn photo studios in Sydney that offer really cheap packages, but the thing is they don’t spend much time posing and you don’t get edited images, just straight out of the camera.
Lifestyle photographers charge less and this is because they don’t spend hours posing your baby. Their style is documentary – they photograph an hour of your life with your new baby.
Another reason you will find cheaper photographers is that so many of them haven’t actually made the proper calculation and after paying taxes they can’t pay their own salary. With being more than half a decade in this industry and knowing lots of newborn photographers, I can tell you that if they have been operating for more than 5 years, they won’t be on the cheap side.
As a summary, I would like to remind you again that there are very experienced photographers out there with great quality of work who offer so many different packages that you can find something for your budget. But please make an educated decision – browse websites, talk on the phone, meet with them. Ask questions! It’s not only about the price! View portfolios and social media!
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