New Pricing! (Or: That post where I ramble a lot)

I have thought long and hard about this subject. I’ve argued it out numerous times with photographer friends, client friends, and my “here’s the truth, let me hit you with it” best friend. I’ve come to the conclusion and what it has to come down to is why I am in this business, and what it is I set out to do when I head out to meet a client.

Let me start by saying that yes, of course I need to make money. Of course. I have a family. In fact, I am a single mother. Worry over finances is a near constant buzz in the back of my head. How I will pay this bill or that, much less put my oldest sir in hockey, and Cub Scouts, and swimming- wait what? I am always aware of it.

But that’s not why I am doing this. It would be so much easier to put down the camera and go back to working at a regular job. But then I look at my clients’ portraits, I remember those moments….and I just can’t give up. I am so completely and madly in love with what I do. I am utterly determined to make this work.

Personally, when I take pictures, I feel that they are something my client and I are creating together. And, as much as I adore my clients, there will not be a day when my great, great grandchildren pour over (most) of these images and be moved. They will not feel the pull of ancestry, be overwhelmed with the connection they have to that goofy girl from 2013. That was so long ago.

This is your story. I am just blessed enough to get to capture a chapter of it. I believe you should have your pictures. I don’t want them to sit, forgotten, on my computer. When you order prints through me now, you may not realize that a different picture you passed over managed to capture something that you didn’t even know was special. We don’t always see the value in a moment until it has been long abandoned to time.

The thing is, there is an expectation within this industry that we will sell our work a certain way – and divergence from that path is often met with harsh criticism. I don’t agree with the standard, but I have towed the line. I can’t do what I don’t believe in anymore.

SO, now that all my rambling is done…I will come to the point. I’m not going to offer packages anymore. I think it’s messy and needlessly complicated. I will have two fees – A 45 minute session ($80) and an open-ended session ($150). I hope most people will spring for the open-ended session, it’s where the real magic happens. These sessions will usually be about 2 hours long, though I’ve had sessions that felt like an hour but were closer to 5.  Sometimes we get a little carried away.

The real point – is that every single session moving forward will include a CD and print release. Always. It will also include an 8x10 print. I encourage you to order prints through me, the quality of professional labs is definitely superior to consumer labs. I include the 8x10 so that you are able to see this and compare for yourself.  No worries, I’ll also make sure you have a guide to printing on your own.

Note: If you are currently booked for a session that has not been paid for, and would like to switch to one of these new options – please let me know. Otherwise, I will of course honor whatever package it is you booked with.