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The true price of a digital photo

21st March 2017 by adeleannett Leave a Comment

It’s just a click right….

Not everyone wants or has to have professional photographs taken, I know this. It’s not compulsory, or necessary and not everyone needs a beautiful canvas in their baby’s nursery showing off those tiny features in those very early days. We all have phones with great sensors, so we can do it all ourselves, right? It all depends on what you want. I for one believe that those in-the-moment phone snaps have their place but so do beautiful professionally edited images. They are timeless, printed, tangible and last a lifetime.

Those who choose to use a professional photographer because they want those gorgeously edited professional results usually have the dilemma.. “How much are those photos worth to me? What would I be happy to pay?”

As photographers, we often feel uneasy about quoting prices, and many of us have undercharged for our work because of this. We do however need to make a living, just like everyone else. But we see so many comments and requests on social media such as…. “I just want a few cheap snaps, you don’t need to edit them, I’m happy to take unedited ones” or “My brother in law has a camera and offers all images on disc for £50”  You are only clicking a button. Digital photos do not cost you anything. Right?

Here’s what goes into “clicking a button”

Yes, there are people offering services at a fraction of the price, and if that’s the service for you then I am not here to convince you otherwise. If you’re interested in what the difference might be between an “all images on disc for £50″ photographer and the images you can expect from a professional photography business then this might help explain it…

Our Kit: Professional cameras are a big investment and often need replacing every 3 years or so. And that’s not including lenses, of which we need a few. For those cute close ups of your baby’s tiny toes and eyelashes, you need a professional macro lens. You really can’t get the same details using any other lens or indeed a mobile phone. Then there are lenses for just baby and wider lenses which can capture the whole family each costing a small fortune, but they are worth their weight in gold. Good quality lenses produce good quality images, scrimping on such a crucial element would mean less beautiful results and would you expect anything less than beautiful images from a professional? Both camera and lenses require regular servicing and insurance, which comes at additional cost. Lighting for studio shoots or speedlights for those times when natural available light just isn’t bright enough to get a good quality image. Batteries and replacement bulbs also come at a cost.

Insurance: Like any business photographers need insurance. There’s not just equipment insurance we also need professional indemnity insurance, building insurance and public liability insurance. It’s a must for any professional business. For wedding photographers a venue won’t even let you work there without these insurance documents, they’re important and necessary and also quite expensive.

Advertising: Website building, hosting and regular maintenance. Business cards, brochures, Facebook advertising, posters, leaflets. Sure, I don’t have to advertise, but then how would you ever find me?

Tools of the trade: Editing software such as Photoshop and Lightroom come with an annual subscription fee. You’d like to see your images in a password protected secure online gallery? For this service photographers are charged a monthly fee and there are limits to how much you can store in these galleries without having to upgrade and pay more so if you’re ever wondering why we don’t leave your galleries up forever it’s because there are costs involved. When you view a slideshow, the slideshow software comes with a monthly charge and a licensing charge is paid for any music that is played. Photography requires regular training to keep on top of the ever evolving industry that we operate in. I have to invest in regular training both in terms of advancing my photography skills and ensuring that I am practicing safe techniques with you precious little bundles.

Boring but necessary: Book keeping and accountancy costs. Back up and storage software to ensure your images are safe and secure. Payment processing fees. Small things such as subscriptions & memberships to organisations such as BANPAS can soon add up too.

At the shoot: Props such as hats, scarves, headbands, wooden crates, buckets, nappy covers, helium balloons, stands, backdrops, wooden bowls.. the list is endless. There is usually more stashed away than what has been hand selected for your shoot too. Then there’s refreshments and usually plenty of washing required post shoot to ensure everything is perfectly clean for the next little person to use the props and blankets.

Taking photos professionally comes at a cost and these are only the tangible expenses.

Time…

Now consider the time it takes to provide a professional service to each client…

At least 15 – 24 hours broken down as follows

Communication prior to shooting: emails, phone calls, pre-consultation, instructions, answering questions, confirmations (1 hour).
Session prep: Based on your requests and requirements I need to work out how to approach your session so that it run smoothly for you once you arrive. You wouldn’t want me to miss a shot you really wanted and I don’t want to be making up the shoot as I go because I want to make sure you get well thought out images. So each pose and prop I would like to cover is planned, I choose backdrops and props which you have either requested or in a colour or style that you’ve indicated you would like. I also have to prepare the work area, setting up the backdrop, making sure everything is clean and tidy and picking up things like helium balloons from the shop in town. (1-2 hours)
The session:  (1-4 hours) depending on the type of shoot a session can take anywhere between 1 – 4 hours.
After the session: Cleaning the studio, cleaning all props used (not only the ones soiled) (1.5 hours)
Image selection: (1 hour)
Post production: editing of approximately 30 images (6-12 hours) Does that sound a lot? That is on average 12-24mins per image and given I shoot in RAW and need to convert each image into a beautiful jpeg for you that’s working pretty fast. Any retouching or cloning takes a little longer. Composite images can take hours to pull just one image together as so much work has to go in to seamlessly blending together the component parts.
Preparing online gallery: Using software to create your slideshow (1 hour)
View & Order Session: (1 hour)
Preparing your order:  Depending on the order, I then design an album including client approval & changes upload images for print, prepare USB and check products (1-4 hours).
Delivering your Order: Whether it’s packaging up your order and taking it to the post office or delivering it to your door by hand, it takes time to ensure what you receive is beautifully packaged and arrives in tip top condition (30min – 1 hour)

Is this everything? Well.. not exactly. There’s the small case of running a business, on top of working in it. To have a steady income I need to treat my work like the business that it is. So marketing is a must, as is responding to enquiries that may or may not turn into bookings. Writing engaging content for my blog and keeping my social media up to date. It’s what clients expect to see and it all takes an extraordinary amount of time.

Speaking of time, it took me many years of training to get where I am today. Not only did I have to pay for the training, I dedicated (and still do dedicate) hours and days of my time to have the technical skills required to do my job.

As a result, would I expect to at least earn the minimum wage for the work I do? Would you? £7.20 per hour is the current minimum wage in 2016. The average employed photographer with no business running costs earns £17 per hour. So to provide the level of service outlined above you can start to see why all your images on disc might not just be a click of a button and may cost a little more than £50 to produce.

So yes there are people out there willing to click a button and give you some images for very little but knowing all of the above I hope you understand that there is a cost to providing you with a professional service and all that comes with it. I hope you would expect all of the above from me and as a result I hope that you would also expect to pay a fair price for it.

Clicking the shutter might only take a few minutes. Providing you with a bespoke portrait experience and beautifully edited images that will stand the test of time takes so much more.

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Hello

adele from beautiful little moments

I’m Adele the owner of Beautiful Little Moments. I am a Photographer & first time mum to my daughter, Emilie.

I started Beautiful Little Moments before Emilie was born, before that I was a Wedding Photographer & Wedding Stationery Designer. I've been photographing & collecting memories since I was a child & I had my first paid job back in 2003.

Since having Emilie I've wanted to provide new parents and new mums in particular with support and found myself following a desire to create a website Epsombaby to help connect new mums with local services that can help them during that sometimes challenging first year.

I then went on to design baby milestone cards with a reverse that can capture every single memory and detail. Mummy positivity cards and a day planner to help mums on their journey through motherhood.

My hope is to one day create books for little people but that's a little slow in the making as I spend most of my week being a mum or creating baby portraits for local families.

A little about me... I am mostly known for enjoying a good natter and a little bit of cake (and a lot of coffee) and on certain evenings a cheeky G&T with a slice of lime. My guilty pleasure is a bit of X-factor which drives my husband nuts and I’m always turning the thermostat up just after he’s turned it down. I’m definitely a morning person (thanks to the aforementioned coffee) and I love a cold crisp morning with a bright blue sky.

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Beautiful Little Moments specialises in baby photography. Each newborn is treated with care and creativity. The safety of your precious little bundle is paramount. Your photoshoot is careful curated to offer a one of a kind photography experience, to create memories that will last a lifetime.

I offer more than just baby photos, I have an array of props and wraps and I provide an experience which includes full professional editing of all your images. I'm based in Epsom and cover surrounding areas within Surrey.

Kind, Patient, Amazing. These are just some of the kind words my clients have used to describe their experience of a photography session with me.

I offer newborn and baby photography coverage in the Epsom area. Including but not limited to Epsom, Ewell, Banstead, Tadworth & Chessington. Capture all those amazing first milestones with the Milestone Package - a professional album at the end of your babies first year full of amazing memories.

Beautiful Little Moments is based in Epsom, Surrey. You can contact me on hello@beautifullittlemoments.co.uk

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I’m Adele the Creative Mind & Photographer behind Beautiful Little Moments based in Epsom, Surrey. Please start at the welcome page and take a look around. If you have any questions please get in touch!

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LOVELY REVIEWS

Would highly recommend

"We would highly recommend Adele at Beautiful Little Moments. We had a newborn session with her and she was so...
5.0
2016-10-06T09:30:47+00:00
"We would highly recommend Adele at Beautiful Little Moments. We had a newborn session with her and she was so patient and the session didn't feel rushed and we were put at ease from start to finish."
https://www.beautifullittlemoments.co.uk/testimonials/would-highly-recommend/

Lovely Images

"So glad we decided to to do the newborn session. We now have beautiful images of our gorgeous little boy."
5.0
2016-10-06T16:44:33+00:00
"So glad we decided to to do the newborn session. We now have beautiful images of our gorgeous little boy."
https://www.beautifullittlemoments.co.uk/testimonials/lovely-images/

Adele was well prepared, and efficient, ensuring all the styles we had previously shared on Pinterest were covered.

Adele was well prepared, and efficient, ensuring all the styles we had previously shared on Pinterest were covered.

Alison & Joe

2017-02-28T20:55:39+00:00

Alison & Joe

Adele was well prepared, and efficient, ensuring all the styles we had previously shared on Pinterest were covered.
https://www.beautifullittlemoments.co.uk/testimonials/adele-well-prepared-efficient-ensuring-styles-previously-shared-pinterest-covered/
20x20 inch single image frame

Oh my gosh I love them, keeping looking at them all & I just can’t pic a favourite!

Oh my gosh I love them, keeping looking at them all & I just can't pic 1 favourite!

Vickie

5.0
2017-07-05T09:30:58+00:00

Vickie

20x20 inch single image frame
Oh my gosh I love them, keeping looking at them all & I just can't pic 1 favourite!
https://www.beautifullittlemoments.co.uk/testimonials/oh-gosh-i-love-keeping-looking-i-just-cant-pic-favourite/

Photos are amazing, you’re are so talented

Photos are amazing, you're are so talented. I've already been printing them out and giving them to family, they all...

Feona

5.0
2017-07-05T10:25:26+00:00

Feona

Photos are amazing, you're are so talented. I've already been printing them out and giving them to family, they all absolutely love them as much as I do. Thank you so much, you were very welcoming and very good with baby B
https://www.beautifullittlemoments.co.uk/testimonials/photos-amazing-youre-talented/
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