So if you've been wondering - why does photography cost so much I'm here to help answer! Have you been too embarrassed to ask?

Did you know that I spend more than just our hour session working on your photo experience?

Let's take my 1 hour session - my most popular session.

I spend at least an hour setting up a pre-session meeting, writing emails and answering your emails, and figuring out what kind of galleries to design to show you based off of what you said you wanted for your house.

Then there is the pre-session meeting which takes at least an hour.

Then there is the session - with arriving early, scouting location and light, and shooting the session is more like an hour and a half for me.

While I'd like to shoot perfectly straight out of camera, my images do require just minimal color balance, sharpening, and tonal curve adjustments. Here is a recent photo straight out of camera.

Here is the photo just after a few adjustments when I feel comfortable showing the photo to the family. See how the photo is a little lighter, her hair a little darker, and the photo is sharper? I'd probably take out those spots on the sidewalk now that I look at it! I'd actually prefer to leave tiny details like that to after the family has decided to choose or not to choose this photo to live on their walls.

So editing your photos includes going through the hundreds of photos I've taken and getting rid of the ones where your eyes are closed, blurry ones (yes I take blurry ones on accident!). After that I make the minor adjustments I've mentioned. All of that takes about 2 hours.

After all the files have been edited I upload them to my software that shows you your photos on your wall. I decide which ones you most likely will like on your wall and put them in the frames/canvas mock-ups to show you during our viewing session. This takes about 1 hour.

So after I've gotten all your photos edited, uploaded to my software I set up a meeting with you. We meet at view your photos and you find a place for all the photos you love. This meeting lasts for 2-3 hours. After they viewing session there is another 1 hour for ordering your products, putting your matted images in your frames (or designing your album), wrapping up your products, and delivery.

Here is a run down of the hours I've spent on average on an hour session:

Pre-Session planning: 1 hour
Pre-Session meeting: 1-2 hours
1 hour Session: 1.5 hours
Editing your photos: 2 hours
Designing your gallery/album: 1 hour
Viewing Session: 2-3 hours

How many hours on average I spend on a ONE HOUR SESSION: 8.5-10.5hours

So besides this camera gear is really expensive. I really need to update my camera (which only lasts so long, it's going on it's 6th year which is a long time for a professional photographer!) and a new camera will cost at least $3500.

There is also cost of business. There are fees for necessary software and subscriptions that I need to pay every month.

So those are just a few reasons why "photograph costs so much".

Why does photography "cost so much"?