A photographer recently emailed to ask about business taxes. Before I replied, I took a look at her web site. This photographer charges $40 per photo for family portraits and $30 per photo for business headshots. I answered their tax question and then asked why she charged so low.
The photographer replied that she always shoots at least 200 photos per family session and 100 photos per headshot session and the customer always buys several images.
We lose money on every sale but we make up for it with volume!
– Anonymous
Low prices can be an excuse for photographers who don’t want to get involved. They don’t want to work at their work. They don’t trust themselves to deliver good results so they don’t trust themselves to have higher prices.
Low prices are for photographers who refuse to take responsibility for their work. If their pictures turn out poorly, they can hide behind their prices and say, “What did you expect? It was only $99.”
A photographer who charges appropriately has their reputation at stake with every customer. Higher prices compel the photographer to deliver better results to the customer.
When a photographer sets higher prices, they intentionally have nowhere to hide. And they’re proud of it because they’re not looking for excuses.
Higher prices don’t just help a photographer’s bank account because higher prices are also a win for the customer.
