As a photographer, the question I get the most is, what does your service cost? What do we get for that fee?
Now, this automatically triggers a couple of questions from my side:
What photography services do you require? Must it be done onsite or in the studio? Single-person or group shots? Food photography styled or as presented by the Chef? Product photography or commercial photography? Videography? Podcast recording? The list can go on and on...
To give you all context of the problem I found unfolding in this new adventure, you, the clientele, need to understand where this issue of "pricing" comes from.
When I started, my process needed to be revised. I was giving my time and effort away to try and compete. I was giving people pricing on the quick chat or e-mail without having the full context. Also, trying to compete with other photographers that come in way too cheap. I remember I once gave a product photography job a quote, and the client compared me to another costing from a different product photographer at half price! I do understand the predicament that people are in. Reverse the roles: if I were to be the client, I would want to see the best quality at the lowest cost. The reason may be: it is only photos. That precise thinking is the issue at the moment.
Not all photography is equal, and neither is the end result. Whatever photography service is required for the said client, it doesn't just come down to the ease of pressing a button, and the project is completed. The post editing usually takes much longer than the actual button press.
As someone new to the industry, I find it very taxing to explain the process over and over to some potential clients if their first response to you is that the budget could be more desirable from me or, in layman's terms: half that.
When I started and was compared to someone who could fulfill the service at half the estimated cost, I would drop my price to match the client's budget just to get the work. This continued for some time, trying to iron out the mistakes and costings. The significant shift came when I again received such a call and just decided enough!
I will stick to my pricing, and If the potential client has an issue with it, I would rather sacrifice losing the potential client than give my skillset away for free. This specific client clarified that they would not be going with my quote. Fast forward two months later, I received an e-mail from the same company, but this time a different individual asking me if the quote was still valid. I wasn't going to just sit back and allow this as my newly found process started showing positive growth. The updated costing was sent, and it was approved within minutes. With my tail up, I asked what had happened to the previous photographer's shoot? The answer: "You get what you pay for."
This brings me back to the subject of this blog: Pricing vs End Result. In many industries out there, the pricing is set. You don't walk into a retailer when buying groceries, asking for a deal. You don't even argue about the product's price on the shelf. If you don't agree with the pricing, you can either go to another retailer or leave it, but nowhere in retail is a product half the price! Many interested parties contact me and their first question is: How much is the discount, or can you do it for a said amount?
I am not saying that there are photographers out there who don't put any effort or take their work very seriously, but I believe there are different tiers of photographers.
I have had the privilege to meet some of the 'legends" in Cape Town photography circles: landscape, product, portrait, and architectural.
These professionals put so much effort into their work that it is sometimes not even noticed by the end consumer, but I can promise you the net result is impressive.
I can now diverge that we did a product shoot for Hillcrest Estate that required something different, more of an artistic photo than just the regular product photography.
We wanted to capture something different than a typical wine glass pour. The process took some time to perfect as every attempt required a complete reset of the setup: wine glass, clean surface, and more wine. Albeit just one final press of the button to get this image, the time and effort that went into this artistic product photography could not be achieved if the first question was: we want it cheaper, or we can get it for half that price.
So what is the reason for this blog? Yes, there are people in all professions who misuse the systems. Clients should understand that you get what you pay for. The potential client should also know that the words "I just want a picture" mean nothing. I put the same effort
into every photograph. The mere fact is that the process is precisely the same for a complex lighting setup in a studio or a reasonably basic shot out at a family gathering.
Photography is not fixed in Photoshop afterwards; don't get me wrong, Photoshop is a great tool that enhances the photographer's work. The fact is that a photograph of a product, person, action, or food
should reflect the actual subject as closely as what the eye perceives it. We, as photographers, must just enhance the results. This is done with knowledge and skill that comes from putting hours in behind the camera, sometimes not shooting for a client but developing new techniques and also pushing the envelope of photography.