With a new year and tax time being completely upon all of our brains, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the business aspect of my photography. (Believe me, it’s not the most fun part of being a photographer!!!!) After much thought and deliberation, I will be making a few changes, effective immediately, to my pricing and booking guidelines.
If you are like me, then I know how much you hate change, because I hate it with a capital “H”! Don’t fret, though!
Back in December, you may or may not remember the session pricing changed. {Life} sessions became $175, {Newborn} sessions became $200, and the DVD of images became $225. That being said….
When I really started thinking about the business aspect of my photography a week or so ago, I came to realize that I have had maybe 1 or 2 clients in the last two years NOT purchase the DVD of images. It makes sense; we live in a digital society…with blogs and social networking sites, it is so nice to throw up the latest pictures to share immediately! As well as the fact that with the digital files, you can do what you wish with them in the form of printing! Which is why I have decided to make my fees a flat fee, instead of two separate charges. Included in the session fee is the actual photography session, online proofing, AND the DVD/digital download of images. Basically, instead of the fees being separate, they are lumped together!
My most current, up-to-date fees can be found over on my pricing page, or over on my website. I will still offer a variety of printing options as well as a couple of different collections. Mini-sessions and specials will also still be offered at various points in the year. Those things have not changed. 
The other change that I am implementing is a required deposit and signed contract upon booking of a session. I have been doing this with weddings for ages, but is something different from booking a {Life} or {Newborn} session. After having a few “no call/no shows,” it became apparent to me that requiring a deposit was necessary.
Basically, when someone contacts me, whether it is via my website, e-mail, or phone, we will set up a time and date for the session, just like normal. But I will then plug all of the information into a contract, e-mail the client the contract to read and sign, and then send back to me with a $100 deposit in order to book the time and date of the session. The deposit will be applied towards the session fee. So, for example, if you are booking a family photo shoot ($400), we would go ahead and set up the appointment, I would e-mail you the contract, you would read, sign, and sent it back to me with the deposit ($100), and then the day of your session, you would give me the remainder ($300) of the session fee.
I know this may seem like a lot of changes in how I do things! Believe me, it was a very difficult decision that was reached after many hours of contemplating and debating. I sought out the advice of another photographer, family, and friends, as well. Like I said, the business aspect of my photography is not something I enjoy, but it is a necessary evil when running your own business.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have! I am always happy to hear from you!
by Meredith
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