OMG Senior Pictures $$$$

[Miss Kelly]

You are also insulting other people by accusing them of breaking the law if they don't charge what you do. Please stop. It is not nice. Feel free to disagree just don't accuse someone of being a criminal.

It's not nice, but it's the truth. If a professional photographer is charging $100 for a CD of images, then they are either not legal (paying taxes, et al) or they are not making any money. So, they are either a criminal or stupid. JMHO

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

It's not nice, but it's the truth. If a professional photographer is charging $100 for a CD of images, then they are either not legal (paying taxes, et al) or they are not making any money. So, they are either a criminal or stupid. JMHO

Gosh, so now people who charge less are criminal or stupid!? That is sad to me.

I think your truth is you think being paid $100 for an hour session fee and CD is bad money. For some people that is GREAT money -- even after taxes and expenses.

Why do people have to call others names when they don't agree?? Just disagree nicely.

(Sidenote: We have a great Canon DSLR and great lenses so I understand how expensive equipment can be.)

 

[Colleen27]

It's not nice, but it's the truth. If a professional photographer is charging $100 for a CD of images, then they are either not legal (paying taxes, et al) or they are not making any money. So, they are either a criminal or stupid. JMHO

Or they are hobbyists who take good pictures, who are thrilled to make $100 for an hour of their time and a 50 cent CD. The posts that have mentioned priced that low have been the friend/coworker/relative who did photos, not an established professional who is paying rent on a studio and using thousands of dollars worth of equipment. They're hobbyists who bought the good equipment for personal use (and there are TONS of those out there - I've got a dSLR, a basic collection of lenses, and a few photography classes under my belt myself) and found a way to make a few bucks to offset the cost of that hobby.

 

[Box]

Wow.

Yes, that was my first post. This is my second. I was net the link from someone who frequents the board and could not believe what they were reading. They sent me a direct link. I wish I had noticed it was a BUDGET thread, I would have ignored it, not started a firestorm. I haven't signed up for other names, I don't know who the others are. I used my real name BOX, as in GARY BOX. I don't hide behind an alias to tear into others. My studio is just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I tried to post a link, but as a noobie, it wouldn't let me. So I said to google Box Seniors if you want to compare image quality. I am not trying to drum up business here either. Unless you are in my market area, it would be meaningless. We have about a month or more wait to get an appointment to our studio. And likely anyone in budget forum is probably not our target client anyway.

Sure, you can buy a camera and take your own kids sr portraits. You can buy a sewing machine and make all their clothes. Forget about those high grocery prices, get some seeds from the co-op and grow your own.

Some people want something better. Those are who I cater to. I spend a lot of money to do things the best way possible. So I must charge more or I would go out of business. And thankfully, there plenty of people out there who do see the value in what I and others that produce similar quality products do.

And take note, I said people spend $500-2000. That's a large range. But the comments are "charge thousands". We have people who spend $600, $700, $900. We have some who spend $1100, $1300 and a few even more. They see the value and can afford it.

My point was that $300 was NOT a lot of money for professional portraits. In fact it's quite reasonable. You can all find someone within your budget and your own values. You don't have to spend $2000, especially if you can't afford it. I can't imagine the message that telling a child their senior portrait, a kinda big deal, is only worth $15.

 

[MELSMICE]

I took my twin DD's to Penney's last year for the senior pics. I have no issues with professionals that charge what they do, but for us, those prices were not in the budget.

I love my kids, I value the pics I have of them, & I felt that what I spent was more than enough. Having 3 kids in college is a major expense and the pics just weren't at the top of the list in the spend column.

I have seen some absolutely beautiful pictures, not only senior portraits, done by professional photographers, but again, that is not something that we put in our budget to have done. Maybe some day it will be.

I think people choose different things to spend their money on. Everyone has different ideas of what's valuable to them.

 

[ampooh]

I just bought DS's Sr Pics. It was a $65 sitting fee and the pics were 560.01 We had to use the photographer the school selects to get his pic in the annual.

I've seen lots of people who didn't have that requirement get some nice JCP pics with the coupon.....3.99 a sheet and no sitting fee.

Using a local perosn who photgraphs is great too becasue you can go to locations that mean something and it can be much cheaper.

back in my day it was one pose with a drape for the girls and tux for boys. Things have changed

 

[disney*mom*82]

Or they are hobbyists who take good pictures, who are thrilled to make $100 for an hour of their time and a 50 cent CD. The posts that have mentioned priced that low have been the friend/coworker/relative who did photos, not an established professional who is paying rent on a studio and using thousands of dollars worth of equipment. They're hobbyists who bought the good equipment for personal use (and there are TONS of those out there - I've got a dSLR, a basic collection of lenses, and a few photography classes under my belt myself) and found a way to make a few bucks to offset the cost of that hobby.

Well said. I am a small town photographer, it is just a hobby, I always tell the people Im photographing (who is usually family, friends, friends family, co worker, etc) that I am NOT out to make a ton of money. The CD that their photos came on are very inexpensive, I do all my portraits outdoors or at a location of their choice, no studio, I enjoy taking their portraits, I DO claim the money I make as I DO keep a reciept book and turn in at tax time. My photographs I feel are very quality, I have never had anyone anything less than pleased with them. I am a teacher and so is DH, this is not a FT job, just do maybe 15-20 sessions per year for people other than my own children for fun, a little extra money, etc.

There is no reason for ppl to be passing judgement on others they know nothing about on here. That is fine if someone charges thousands for photos and if someone does if for a hundred or two. As long as the customer is pleased and it is legal, enjoy!

 

[disfan07]

Do your shcools not do senior pictures?

We did senior pictures at our school for a couple of hundred dollars. Three poses. Our formal picture (which was also our yearbook pic.), graduation gown and Picture of choice.

I dont know anyone from my school who did senior pictures outside of the school.

 

[HM]

At our school, they set two days in the summer for the photography studio to do their portraits and set up times for the kids to come by. We paid a $15 sitting fee. We got proofs back in about a week. I ordered an 8 x 10 and a page of wallets for $75.

The parent can elect to pay a larger sitting fee and have more outfits and poses and backgrounds, but for us, the 'tux' photo (drapes for girls) with yearbook background was fine.

 

[jenseib]

Wow.

Yes, that was my first post. This is my second. I was net the link from someone who frequents the board and could not believe what they were reading. They sent me a direct link. I wish I had noticed it was a BUDGET thread, I would have ignored it, not started a firestorm. I haven't signed up for other names, I don't know who the others are. I used my real name BOX, as in GARY BOX. I don't hide behind an alias to tear into others. My studio is just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I tried to post a link, but as a noobie, it wouldn't let me. So I said to google Box Seniors. Or just type in boxseniors followed by a period and a com. I am not trying to drum up business here either. Unless you are in my market area, it would be meaningless. We have about a month or more wait to get an appointment to our studio. And likely anyone in budget forum is probably not our target client anyway.


.

Just so you know, you are not allowed to post links to your own business, even if you weren't a newbie here. You actually might want to go back and edit you post too. It is giving basically the directions to get to your site, which isn't allowed here.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

You are trying to argue your worth and the vast majority on this thread -- and I would guess in the real world -- just don't see it! (BTW, you said earlier your fee was for the session and that is it. Do you normally have 5 hour sessions?!)

You are also insulting other people by accusing them of breaking the law if they don't charge what you do. Please stop. It is not nice. Feel free to disagree just don't accuse someone of being a criminal.

My session fee covers post processing as well. The session might take 1-2 hours. Figure up to a hour of travel time, and then post-processing, we're EASILY at 5 hours.

For someone who charges $100 for a session and CD, they are now at an hourly rate of $20. Not bad, till you start chipping away at expenses and taxes. I've seen breakdowns where the $100 photog is making less then $3/hour IF they are LEGIT!

I know MANY of the shoot and burn photogs in my area illegal (I've looked for them in my counties business database). And yes, I have issues with them. As someone else mentioned, they are either crazy (and burnt out) or illegal. Because it costs a lot to run a business!

 

[rockiesfan]

I found a good solution for DS. A high-end, spendy studio in town offers a "yearbook special": same photographers, outdoor location choices, retouching and processing as the $700-1000 sessions but quick (20 minutes, no outfit changes) and very limited time slots (think filling the gaps between the 3 hour sessions). They take the pics and you review and choose right then. End result is a wonderful picture of DS, 2 5x7's and 30 wallets for $153. This fit our needs and our budget. And the side benefit was only having to drag DS to the studio once Note, I had to call and ask for the cheapest option, it wasn't promoted on their website.

 

[Planogirl]

We paid nothing for the session and from my understanding a pic will be in the yearbook. However to buy pictures it would cost $100's so I'll be searching around for someone more reasonable.

 

[Colleen27]

I know MANY of the shoot and burn photogs in my area illegal (I've looked for them in my counties business database). And yes, I have issues with them. As someone else mentioned, they are either crazy (and burnt out) or illegal. Because it costs a lot to run a business!

What are you looking up in the county database? Photography doesn't require a license in our state, and there isn't a general business license. A sales tax license is required for selling prints, but a photographer who sells his services with the CD included in the fee-for-service doesn't even need that.

I've had requests to do sports and back-to-school photos of friends' kids. I spend an hour or so shooting, maybe 5-10 minutes' travel time and another hour doing basic retouching, and burn it to a CD blank. I do this for free because they are friends, but I'd be making a decent profit if I were to charge $100 for that 2.5-3 hours of my time. To operate on that business model, the only required expense would be filing a DBA if I were to use a name other than my own for my services, and that involves a whopping $10 filing fee every 5 years.

It isn't necessarily expensive to run a business, particularly a service business without employees or a dedicated office/studio. I know how expensive it can be; my husband is a licensed builder, and those licensing expenses and insurance premiums don't go away when business is slow. But not all businesses have such high inherent expenses, and many can be operated very cheaply.

 

[Rock5456]

Just a few questions:

Are you a photographer who charges a lot and feels attacked by this thread?

If you don't care about DW or DL, why are you on this board?

You seriously mean to say that a picture hung on a wall or placed in an album/scrapbook means more to you than a week of fun filled memories with your kids?

Yes it does. because a week of riding on bumper cars or space mountain and spending $3000 or $5000 for the week at disney is really insane.
Yes I am a photographer but don't think I charge a lot.
By the way. I just bought a scalpel, and I am going into the brain surgery business. I don't do a very good job but hey, you will save some money and thats what its all about isn't it?

 

[Colleen27]

Yes it does. because a week of riding on bumper cars or space mountain and spending $3000 or $5000 for the week at disney is really insane.
Yes I am a photographer but don't think I charge a lot.
By the way. I just bought a scalpel, and I am going into the brain surgery business. I don't do a very good job but hey, you will save some money and thats what its all about isn't it?

You really don't get it, do you? It isn't brain surgery, it isn't rocket science. It is just a picture. It won't save a life or change the world; it will likely get tucked away into a rarely-opened album or box in just a few short years, when it is replaced by college graduation photos, wedding photos, family portraits, because life goes on. All those wallets that seem like a must have now will end up sent to relatives who barely know who the graduate is, or traded with friends and classmates that will be forgotten in adulthood. Nostalgia sells to be sure, but that doesn't mean it is really worth the price.

By the way, if you're going to bash Disney on a Disney forum you might at least want to know what you're criticizing. There are no bumper cars at Disney World.

 

[SoonerSarah]

Just like with painted art, every person is going to like or dislike one individuals work, their artistic view. Perhaps the people who spend less money on their pictures don't do so because they are cheap, but because their view of what is beautiful and what is art, is different than yours.

Some people see beauty in a $140,000,000 painting by Pollock. Others see beauty in a $14,000 painting by Kinkade. And others find the most beauty in a painting that was a few hundred dollars, done by a local, legitimate artist.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And, not every teenager thinks that $15 spent on a portrait is cheap. And some teens, when given the choice, would rather have less money spent on their Senior pictures and then use the left over money to buy toys and clothes to take to kids when they go on a mission trip.

 

[fakereadhed]

Ok, just went back and looked at what I paid. $100 for on location sitting fee with 20 shots, included yearbook headshot. $250 for the CD. To those that think that you have to pay more for quality here's her blog:

http://rememberwhenphotographybykristi.com/blog/

If you live in SE Michigan I highly recommend her!
If you are a photographer and you charge more, good for you! I'm all for the free market, but that doesn't mean those who don't are hacks and cheats.

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

My session fee covers post processing as well. The session might take 1-2 hours. Figure up to a hour of travel time, and then post-processing, we're EASILY at 5 hours.

For someone who charges $100 for a session and CD, they are now at an hourly rate of $20. Not bad, till you start chipping away at expenses and taxes. I've seen breakdowns where the $100 photog is making less then $3/hour IF they are LEGIT!

I know MANY of the shoot and burn photogs in my area illegal (I've looked for them in my counties business database). And yes, I have issues with them. As someone else mentioned, they are either crazy (and burnt out) or illegal. Because it costs a lot to run a business!

Interesting that originally you said your fee was just for the session, that is it. Now it includes a bunch of other things. As for $20 an hour before expenses, again, there are tons people who would give their eye teeth to make that kind of money. Minimum wage is $6.25 in my state.

Regardless, you are missing my point. Just because someone does it for cheaper than you doesn't mean they are wrong or that you (or anyone else) gets to insult them. Just say you don't agree and move on. There is no need to call someone a criminal or stupid or crazy.

What are you looking up in the county database? Photography doesn't require a license in our state, and there isn't a general business license. A sales tax license is required for selling prints, but a photographer who sells his services with the CD included in the fee-for-service doesn't even need that.

It isn't necessarily expensive to run a business, particularly a service business without employees or a dedicated office/studio. I know how expensive it can be; my husband is a licensed builder, and those licensing expenses and insurance premiums don't go away when business is slow. But not all businesses have such high inherent expenses, and many can be operated very cheaply.

Well put!

Yes it does. because a week of riding on bumper cars or space mountain and spending $3000 or $5000 for the week at disney is really insane.
Yes I am a photographer but don't think I charge a lot.
By the way. I just bought a scalpel, and I am going into the brain surgery business. I don't do a very good job but hey, you will save some money and thats what its all about isn't it?

Again, what is up with people not agreeing and then proceeding to call others names? Obviously you wouldn't spend money on a Disney vacation. That is fine. There are tons of other fun places to take your family. Which leads me to point out that you missed a question...why are you on this board if you really don't like DW or DL?

That is an odd analogy. Brain surgery is life or death. Photography isn't.

You really don't get it, do you? It isn't brain surgery, it isn't rocket science. It is just a picture. It won't save a life or change the world; it will likely get tucked away into a rarely-opened album or box in just a few short years, when it is replaced by college graduation photos, wedding photos, family portraits, because life goes on. All those wallets that seem like a must have now will end up sent to relatives who barely know who the graduate is, or traded with friends and classmates that will be forgotten in adulthood. Nostalgia sells to be sure, but that doesn't mean it is really worth the price.

By the way, if you're going to bash Disney on a Disney forum you might at least want to know what you're criticizing. There are no bumper cars at Disney World.

Well said again!

 

[csharpwv]

I just wanted to post a quick comment on here - I am a photographer - not full time - someday... who knows! But the best thing you can do is find someone who is just getting started (a college students, a new studio etc) who is willing to do work just to build their portfolio.

If anyone lives in WV and you are looking for photos (engagement, wedding, senior, etc etc) please let me know - I'll send you the link to my site with a small portfolio!

I always remind folks to please keep in mind that photographers have to make a living - BUT they do not have to rob you blind and leave you with pictures that are uninspired, unflattering, and far too expensive.

If you are buying the photos in digital form you are getting a better deal than buying package after package after package from a studio.

In my opinion if you are paying over $700 for senior pictures you are paying WAY too much. You have to think that in the next year that student is going to start college - better save now!