10 Reasons Why Professional Photographers Charge What They Do!

[robertwsimpson]

either way, if you are getting into photography to make big bucks, you might want to re-evaluate your decision.

 

[NateWagner]

Absolutely, do it because you love it. And if you are highly successful like bennie appears to be then congrats!

 

[bennielou]

How am I being a downer? because I am giving an average?

I did not begin this to be a downer, it was why do Photogs charge what they charge. And my point was merely that even though what they charge may seem exorbitant it isn't (overly high) as they (photographers) still don't (typically) make a great deal per year.

You obviously took this as though I was saying, don't become a professional photog because you won't make anything. This was not my point in the least.

Thanks for the resolve. I knew we could meet in the middle somewhere.
Yes, I did indeed take it like that. Sorry if I misunderstood. But if I was a talented photographer, just starting out, I would have looked at your statistics, scewed as they were, and would have just stayed with my day job.
Thankfully I didn't have any statistics when I started out. I followed my heart, and it was the best thing I ever did. From my photography, my husband and I have been able to purchase a nice house, got all the credit paid off, and pay cash for pretty much everything.
We love what we do and are rewarded in not just money, but also having a great time, loving every moment, kind of job.
But taxes are my great crusade. I've seen many a talented photog go out of business because they don't understand them. People have lost their homes and businesses because of that, and that is why I locked into your post.
There is soooo much misinformation out there. Photogs are confused about State Taxes vs. Federal. I don't want anyone to loose their house. I don't want anyone to get into the kinds of messes I've seen my friends and mentors get into. And I want real numbers out there.
I'm where I want to be, and I'm rooting for all of you who dream big. I remember being there. All giddy, with no idea.

 

[bennielou]

either way, if you are getting into photography to make big bucks, you might want to re-evaluate your decision.

If you love it, and you are good at it, there is no reason to worry. If you are kinda ho humm, then yes, maybe you should do an evalve.

 

[schumionbike]

I always thought the price of photography is justify by the final products that they delivered. A photographer who charged 5 grand a wedding would deliver images that are worth 5 grand (at least in the eyes of the clients). However, there are hundred of reasons why people cannot such a service. Businesses survived because they figure out way to cut cost not justifying it so that article in my opinion, did not really help anyone. That say, how do you guys go about keeping your cost down?

 

[c.cloudwalker]

either way, if you are getting into photography to make big bucks, you might want to re-evaluate your decision.

Absolutely, do it because you love it. And if you are highly successful like bennie appears to be then congrats!

Wrong and wrong. There is money to be made with photography if you want photography to be your business but it has to be approached as a business. And plenty of people earn their income from jobs/careers they hate so why do you have to do photography because you love it? I don't see anything wrong with choosing photo as a career just to make money. I believe the love of it helps in getting the shots but it is not an absolute necessity.

Most small/mediumish businesses (not just in photography) fail because people are not very good with the business side of things. Look at the state of stock photography today. A whole bunch of people are putting their work on the web hoping to make a sale and they may get a few $100s a year. Definitely not enough to quit their day jobs.

Now, there is another way to work stock and that is the way I did and the way serious stock photogs still do it today I'm sure. I spend a few years shooting about 75% stock and, even though I have been out of photography for a while now, I still derive an income from my stock that is at least 2/3 of what the average photog mentioned earlier makes.

You can say congrats but that is not helping you much. Some people are not afraid of the competition and are trying to teach newer photographers here and on other forums how to make a go of it but you have to be willing to listen. Not everybody who makes a good living with it is here to make themselves feel good and make you feel small. Get over it.


To get back to the OP main concern...

Who is this list for? I would never discuss with a customer/client why I charge what I charge. Period. They couldn't care less what the reasons are. All they really care about are the results. Your work should tell them all they really need to know. And I believe that is exactly the case with bennielou.

 

[robertwsimpson]

either way, if you are getting into photography to make big bucks, you might want to re-evaluate your decision.

Absolutely, do it because you love it. And if you are highly successful like bennie appears to be then congrats!

Wrong and wrong. There is money to be made with photography if you want photography to be your business but it has to be approached as a business. And plenty of people earn their income from jobs/careers they hate so why do you have to do photography because you love it? I don't see anything wrong with choosing photo as a career just to make money. I believe the love of it helps in getting the shots but it is not an absolute necessity.

Most small/mediumish businesses (not just in photography) fail because people are not very good with the business side of things. Look at the state of stock photography today. A whole bunch of people are putting their work on the web hoping to make a sale and they may get a few $100s a year. Definitely not enough to quit their day jobs.

Now, there is another way to work stock and that is the way I did and the way serious stock photogs still do it today I'm sure. I spend a few years shooting about 75% stock and, even though I have been out of photography for a while now, I still derive an income from my stock that is at least 2/3 of what the average photog mentioned earlier makes.

You can say congrats but that is not helping you much. Some people are not afraid of the competition and are trying to teach newer photographers here and on other forums how to make a go of it but you have to be willing to listen. Not everybody who makes a good living with it is here to make themselves feel good and make you feel small. Get over it.


To get back to the OP main concern...

Who is this list for? I would never discuss with a customer/client why I charge what I charge. Period. They couldn't care less what the reasons are. All they really care about are the results. Your work should tell them all they really need to know. And I believe that is exactly the case with bennielou.

I don't call that big bucks...

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I don't call that big bucks...

Minimum $20,000 a year without lifting a finger is/would be big bucks to most people and I'm happy to take it in. But if you do better, I'm happy for you.

 

[robertwsimpson]

I wouldn't send the checks back, but that's hardly "big bucks."

Just living in south florida costs way more than that. I guess in Georgia, big bucks starts at a different level.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

^^^^

How do you make $20,000 without lifting a finger?

 

[robertwsimpson]

I don't. I'm just saying that $20k is not big bucks. Which is all I've said about photography... if you're getting into it to make big bucks, rethink it. I'm not saying that you can't make supplemental income, which is what you seem to be arguing.

 

[NateWagner]

and in any event... what you are talking about holds in a number of other fields. If you work in Insurance, as an Author, or a Musician, heck even some pyramid type plans (my parents do one selling vitamins where everyone that keeps using the vitamins results in them getting paid regardless of them doing anything.

That is just to say that what you are talking about is not an uncommon thing. One other thing though, as you mentioned is that it can be quite difficult to get into stock photography because most things have already been thoroughly photographed for that.

It worked for you, that's great, but it's not an easy way to make money as you are seemingly suggesting.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Thank you. Yes, in this case, I was talking about supplemental income and that is pretty substantial as such. But if you can make that much from supplemental income, don't you think you can make way, way more while actually working at it?

As I said earlier there are people here willing to teach you how to do it but you have to be willing to listen. I also mentioned that some of us are not afraid of the competition and, unfortunately, the main reason for that (for me at least) is that most people don't listen. How can you be a threat to my income if you can't listen to me telling you how to do it?

 

[c.cloudwalker]

and in any event... what you are talking about holds in a number of other fields. If you work in Insurance, as an Author, or a Musician, heck even some pyramid type plans (my parents do one selling vitamins where everyone that keeps using the vitamins results in them getting paid regardless of them doing anything.

That is just to say that what you are talking about is not an uncommon thing. One other thing though, as you mentioned is that it can be quite difficult to get into stock photography because most things have already been thoroughly photographed for that.

It worked for you, that's great, but it's not an easy way to make money as you are seemingly suggesting.

Absolutely right. Photography is not the only market where it works but we are on a photo forum so that is what I talk about.

And yes, I think it is harder to get in the "real" stock market today but places/things change and that means it is far from impossible to get involved. As an example, my photos of Paris are still selling but yours could sell too because yours, being more recent, will show up to date cars in them. Do you see what I mean?

If spending a few years shooting stock is suggesting that it is an easy way to make money, whip me with a wet noodle. Business is never easy but it can pay off if you are to be willing to do what it takes is what I'm trying to say.

And that is true of any business.

 

[NateWagner]

agreed.

There are people that can make a great deal of money in any field.