Why should I pay you?

You know I hear this a lot, “why should I pay you for your work” or “Why do you charge so much” questions that seem we are ready to start a round of bartering.

What a lot of people don’t know about photography and videography is that there is a lot of work that goes into it, a lot of times we don’t just point and shoot. 

I had one client tell me that she could take the photos that she wanted with her cell phone in the back yard after telling me she is not paying me for the work I put into getting her product shot. 

Even after breaking it down for her and coming in under budget she didn’t want to pay me, which has been chalked up to a learning experience now for sure. 

Here’s the thing, photographers/videographer do a hell of a lot more! We schedule times, we drive from point a to point b,  we get props if we have to, we set up and stage, we shoot, we tear down, we download, we edit if needed, we send proofs to our clients, and then we make changes if needed or re-shoots of anything, and then if everything is all done, we give the final product to the client.

We also have to pay for the equipment and the software and whatever else we have to make it work for the client. There is a lot of work that a client doesn’t see so when you ask “How long will it be” or “Is it done yet” or “Why does it cost that much”, think about all the time we put into this, to make it look good for you. 

Another tip is ALWAYS communicate what you want the direction you want give examples up front if you want a specific kind of photos or videos before the photographer is shooting so that you aren’t wasting their time and yours. 

As photographers/videographers want to make it a very easy shoot to put your mind at ease remember they are also working their magic to make it perfect for you. Give them the same respect that you would want from someone as well. 

With all the stuff that they do and have to use, payment is just a drop in a hat for a lifetime of great photos.