It might be taboo, but I’m going to do it. I’m going to talk about money and photography and you and me.
This post has been a long time coming, a long time in the making, percolating, debating and hemming and hawing. When it comes to pricing my work and best serving my clients (YOU, I hope!), there is the traditional, typical pricing structure — a session fee, followed by post-session ordering of prints, canvases, other fun products, or maybe your digital files. That’s the way many, if not most, photographers do things and it’s how I’ve run my business for the last several years. It works, and I get it — I’ve had great clients and plenty of returning customers. Ho hum, why change it up now?
Because I’ve had the nagging feeling that something doesn’t feel right. When I routinely look back through my past session archives, I often wonder who else still sees these precious moments? I love my clients. I love their images. ALL OF THEM. At the end of the day, most of the files from their session(s) live on my (several) hard-drives and clouds, not with them. Yes, I have always offered files for sale. I always hope that you, the client, will purchase them, in addition to keepsake, high-quality prints (because having real prints in hand, or on your walls, is SO important to me). But I know the cost is high. I know its hard to justify that much money per image, or the entire gallery — and at the same time I know what my time, talent and intellectual property are worth. There has to be a middle ground, right? That’s what I’ve been mulling for quite awhile. How to find the space between giving my clients the world (because I want to!) and placing an appropriate value on my time and I what I do (see? doesn’t this feel taboo?).
After a lot of research, digging deep, planning and turning it over in my heart and on my calculator, I’ve decided to splinter my pricing into two distinct directions going forward. Think of it as “Choose Your Own Adventure” photography. If you opt for Avenue A , then you pay only the session fee up-front — same as before, you’ll get my time and talent behind the lens, my careful and thorough enhancement of all your very best images and you’ll be able to order just what you want a la carte from your online gallery once its complete. The session fee will be $200 going forward and you’ll receive a $25 print credit to put towards the cost of your total order. I’m calling this my “Traditional” package and believe this is still a great option for many.
What about Avenue B? That’s what I’m so excited to offer brand new. In exchange for a more substantial up-front commitment, you will receive the kitchen sink — your session with me and online gallery of enhanced images to view, plus a veritable boat-load of professional quality prints of your choice at no additional cost ($200 worth!) AND all of your high resolution digital files, via digital download and in the mail on a custom USB flash-drive, for your long-term safe-keeping and personal use. This is what I’m calling my “Digital Premium” package and it is available for $600 flat. You must select this package at the time you book your session; it is a tremendous value, you’ll save up to $1,000 versus the “Traditional” route and walk away with it all.
I’m not even going to be coy: I want all my clients to choose this option. And not because its more money, because in many cases it isn’t. But because it is all-inclusive and straight-forward: you walk away with real, tangible gorgeous prints and you get every digital image to keep forever. I don’t have to look at your cute kids and smiling faces on my hard drive, wondering if you’ll ever see that image again. And with that knowledge, I rest easy at night and am at peace with doing my job, being valued as an artist and business-woman and also allowing you to keep your memories where they belong, in your own hands.
I’ve laid this all out on my new Pricing and Information page, so you can click over to parse through the options; but please never hesitate to email me (christina@cbwardphotography.com) if you have any questions at all about which package might be right for you and what other products I offer (albums, note-cards and canvases, oh my!). It is my utmost hope that these choices will free all of my clients to get exactly what they want at a price that is right for them. This will continue learning process, and I welcome your feedback. If I’m not growing as a photographer and as a businesswoman then I’m failing.
Speaking of growing? My kids are — like weeds! Alright, that was a clunky transition, but I’ll go ahead and segue in to the batch of images I’m sharing today by saying that the birth of my second son Emmett in late December (he’s almost seven months old! ::sob::) put a serious crimp on my blogging efforts after the busy Fall 2013 season. Being at home with a newborn and 18 month old this winter caught up to me and I was not able to do justice to all of the gorgeous families and kiddos I took pictures with last season. So, I’ll leave you with a very brief photo recap of last fall as a teaser to gear up for this coming fall. I’m already booking weekends into October, so contact me ASAP to get your preferred date/time on my calendar for the remainder of 2014. Hope to see you soon!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll never stop saying it until it stops being true: I have the world’s best-looking and most fun clients. Thanks to all of you for being so real and trusting me with your family’s time and memories. I’m so so lucky to be living my dream. xoxo
