Why is Photography so Expensive?

Before I became a photographer, I honestly thought the prices were a get rich quick scheme.

‘Why is photography so expensive? Why on earth is it $$ when the session only lasts a few hours?’ Like somehow all photographers were in a secret club where they plotted to capitalize on owning a camera.. Well.. since starting my own photography journey in the spring of 2021, I have realized just how crazy expensive it is just to BE a photographer!

Now, this post is not to invoke guilt or hard feelings.. know I am only writing this for educational purposes. 🙂

Here are some real and vulnerable numbers from my business back in early 2023. I had 3 different price points for Edmonton newborn photography packages, so let’s go with the middle one.

The middle package was $500. This was an all inclusive package that included:

• 3-4 hours in my home studio
• 16 retouched images
• Use of all of my props, outfits, & wraps for the baby

Now, here is the kicker. If you only remember one thing, this is it..

I only get to keep approximately 40% of what I charge.

Some may keep less or more, but from talking with other photographers this seems to be fairly standard. 20% goes to taxes, 40% is put towards CODB (cost of doing business) and 40%.. goes to me.

Let’s get into the CODB that I mentioned above. Again, some photographers may have a lower CODB as their speciality may not require a lot of additional equipment or props. Newborn photography however is quite niche. Here are some of my costs:

• Equipment (the average newborn studio has easily over $10,000 in equipment.. I just had to upgrade my flash and it came in just under $1,000)
• Equipment maintenance and accessories (lens calibration, SD cards, bulb replacements)
• Insurance (personal and equipment)
• Business license/permit
• Subscriptions (website host, blog host, client platforms, gallery delivery, photoshop, lightroom)
• Education & safety training courses
• Studio costs (utilities, space heaters, sound machines, cleaning supplies, upgrades/maintenance)
• Marketing (business cards, promotional prints, running ads, etc)
• Props (this is the biggest niche expense.. backdrops, floor drops, outfits, wraps, headbands, buckets, bowls, stools, flokatis, the list goes on forever..)

So for a $500 session, after taxes and CODB, I am left with $200. The average session (for the $500 package) took about 10 hours:

• 1 hour of pre & post communication with the client. This includes e-mail correspondence, preparing and sending appropriate documents like invoices, contracts, and questionnaires.
• 1 hour of session preparation. Deciding on colour schemes, setting up of backdrops and table drops, filling prop buckets/bowls, and matching necessary wraps and outfits.
• 3 hours (give or take) for the actual in studio session with the clients.
• 5 hours (give or take) for retouching your images. (I don’t airbrush my babies, but I do like to remove distractions such as baby acne, scratches, bruising, hematomas, jaundice, etc.)

That’s 10 hours, and if I only keep $200 per session, that is $20 per hour.

This doesn’t include the *hundreds* of behind the scenes hours it takes every month just to keep a business running.

Photographers who do not charge enough have to take on extra sessions to cover their costs, resulting in lower quality client care and burn out. They don’t have time to invest in their education, improvement, or creativity. The phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ is definitely real in the photography world.

I don’t know a single photographer who is just in it for the money. If it was really that easy, everyone would be doing it.

Thanks for listening, xo –Suzi

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Check out some of Suzi’s work! Edmonton Newborn Portraits, Edmonton Cake Smash Photo Shoot, Edmonton Kids Photos, Edmonton Mommy and Me Session, Edmonton Professional Headshots