Before I became a photographer, I honestly thought the prices were a get rich quick scheme. I thought, “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 their talent. 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 absolutely not to invoke guilt or hard feelings.. I’ve hummed and hawed for a long time on if I should even post this.. So please read on, knowing I am only writing this for educational purposes. 🙂
Let’s charge right out of the gate here with some real and vulnerable numbers from my business in 2023. I currently have 3 different price points for Edmonton newborn photography packages, so let’s go with the middle one.
My middle price is $500. This is an all inclusive package that includes:
Now, here is the kicker. If you only remember one thing, this is it..
I keep approximately 40% of what I charge.
Some photographers may keep less or more, but from talking with some of my fellow newborn photographers this seems to be fairly standard. 20% is set aside for year end 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, where 40% of my fees go. 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:
So for a $500 session, after taxes and CODB, I am left with $200. The average session (for the $500 package) takes about 10 hours:
That’s 10 hours, and if I only keep $200 per session, that is $20 per hour. This does NOT include the dozens of behind the scenes hours it takes every month just to keep a business running.
Please let me re-iterate.. I am not typing this with rage in my fingers, I promise. 🙂
Photographers who do not charge enough have to take on extra sessions, resulting in lower quality client care and burn out. So before you ask your next photographer if they ‘have any packages that don’t cost an arm and a leg’ please remember this post. I do not 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
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