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Why Does Photography Cost So Much?
Well, let me tell you.
I get this a lot. Maybe not that exact question, but commonly in the form of asking for a discount. This happened recently when someone called about getting a professional headshot. She sent me the link to her workplace’s employee photos— which she wanted me to match — and she needed it within 24 hours.
When I told her the price, she said “But I only need one photo”.
Sigh. I explained to her that she could pick out her favorite of all the photos she receives, but that I would be taking more than one photo. I take a lot, always, just to ensure that the client ends up with a photo they love.
But it is so much more than that.
I used to rent a storefront studio where I did such sessions. I had a dedicated space for photography for 20 years. I closed that a few years back, but that’s another story for another day.
When I’m not on location, I do small sessions, like individual headshots, at my house.
So when someone calls for a headshot, first I have to clean (but that’s not your problem), and set up the studio in my living room. Since I, well, live here, that’s just what I have to do. I am spared the expense of the dedicated photo studio, so it’s worth the extra time and trouble, and a little bit of…
