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So, this post is going to talk a whole lot about logistics. I am going to give you an inside peek of what all goes into owning, running, and maintaining a photography business. Why I charge what I charge, why I do what I do, and I will even tell you my 5-10 year goals.

I get asked a lot about photography, and I always want to go into more detail, but there isn’t enough time! I also hear people comment all the time on how expensive photography is, and they don’t understand why. I mean it’s just taking pictures, right? How hard can it be…I mean, really…

Let’s talk about money. When I started our business, I was advised to take out a small business loan. It was tempting, but we do not live life that way. Yep, we are debt free, other than our home. It is not easy to live this way, and believe me, it comes with great sacrifice, but it is totally worth it. So, instead of taking out a loan, I had to save, save, save. We used every excuse (birthday’s anniversaries, Christmas, Mother’s day, and so on) to invest in the business. Once I started to make a profit, every dime went back into our business. It was SO hard to build a business this way! It was the only way though. So, I am pleased to say we have been debt free from day one, and we will continue to be, forever! So, what did we purchase first?? We bought a professional camera body. I rented lenses from a local place, and that is how I found out what I liked, didn’t like, and what I have on my wish list (still, to this day!). I saved, and we slowly purchased four amazing lenses, and eventually an additional camera body. I also invested in an external flash, tons of memory cards, the best reusable batteries out there, and SO SO much more (like business cards and such). I actually created a breakdown of costs for you to observe.

So, with all of those figures, it costs me at least 4,000.00 a year to keep VAP going. Keeping that number in your brain, take a look at what else you should consider with the chart below.

So, in 2013, I did/am doing around 47 sessions. 15 of those sessions were free, and 16 were discounted. That means I only charged “full price” for 16 sessions. I crunched the numbers, and I made/am making around 8,000.00 in 2013. Minus the 4,000.00 it takes to run VAP, I made about 4,000.00 this year. The real question is, what do I make an hour? I used the “breakdown of time” document from above, and I did some generous calculations to come up with the info below.

*47 sessions at 10 hours per session = 470 hours total this year

* 470 hours = 8.50 per hour

Now, this is the MOST IMPORTANT part of this entire post. If you tuned out everything up until now, tune this in!

I DO NOT DO THIS FOR THE MONEY!

If I did, I would charge WAY more, or find another job. I do this because I want to make the world a better place, through taking pictures, capturing precious moments, building relationships, serving others, and sharing my story! That is the truth behind my mission statement.
What does this mean for you? Well, you can help spread the word about photographers. When you hear someone talking about how expensive photography is nowadays, or how they just wish they could take pictures all day long, inform them. Remember, not all photographers have the same mission as I do! For most, this is their livelihood, how they put food on the table, and pay the bills. Most photographers charge around 75-200.00 an hour, and that includes the hours they spend corresponding, traveling, shooting, editing, and so on and so on. That is not asking too much either, considering they do a great deal, and spend vast amounts of time perfecting your photos.
What does this mean for me? Will my prices go up? Yes. A lot? Nope. You see, I value my time, and my sacrifice away from my family. I evaluate what I am doing every year, and we make adjustments. So, starting in 2014, my prices will go up, but not by a lot. I still want to be able to serve others and offer low prices, however, I am not a photographer first. First, I am a wife, then a mother, and last I am a photographer. Considering that, I make changes where changes are necessary.

The last part of this blog is going to talk about my goals….

5 Year Goals:
* Have had all of my children (naturally and adoption).
* Become more organized which might look like hiring an assistant, second shooter, editing team, and so on and so on. Believe it or not, up until now, this has been a one woman show baby!
* Purchase two new camera bodies, and two of my dream lenses, totaling around 10,000.00 (GULP!).
* Take classes from some of my FAVORITE photographers…and there are quite a few, all over the globe too!

10 Year Goals:
* Transition to shoot solely bellies, babies, and children. Yep, you read that right. Eventually, I want to move out of the vast industry of photography I have been focusing on, and move into a much smaller category. Why, you may ask?? Well, it will allow me to shoot during the work week, while my kiddos are in school, and still have my evenings and weekends free to spend with my family. Right now, I am constantly balancing how to be a wife/mom/photographer, and this will allow for me to do all of those things much easier.
* Travel A LOT! I want to go all kinds of places and do sessions…Europe, Australia, and all over the U.S.
* I would like to teach aspiring photographers, have workshops, and so on and so on! There are tons of folks who are interested in starting a photography business, and I think my experience, and my story will help me be a great teacher…someday…

Hopefully you learned something from this post, either about me or about photography. Please do not look down on photographers who seem to charge too much, as looks can be deceiving. It is not as luxurious and easy as it seems. I love, love, LOVE what I do, but it is hard work!