Why I can't answer the question "How much do you charge?". {Murphy, NC Photographer}

"What Do You Charge?"

WHAT DO YOU CHARGE?

I decided long ago, when I opened the studio, I would not take a photography job and then just hand out a disk. Why? Because I feel like it's a huge disservice to my clients.  I have boxes of pictures from when my kids were little during the time when all you bought was a package of pictures.  They are sitting in a closet on a shelf because I had 5,000 of the same picture and I couldn't throw them away.  Even after giving grandmas, moms, aunts and uncles pictures I still had 5,000!  

I look back and wish I had experienced a custom portrait session; that someone would have sat down with me and explained this ...  "These are your children.  These images are for you to enjoy. You don't need 5 8x10's and 50 wallets of the same picture.  You need 1 or 2 beautiful portraits to commemorate this time in their lives.  A piece that you can look back on, years down the road and be reminded of this age." I don't want you leaving with a disk that you put in a drawer and never do anything with. When you leave Dena Howard Portrait Design, you leave refreshed and reassured with a feeling of accomplishment knowing that art pieces were created representing your family and style. This all starts with the complimentary consultation.

Before you even decide to hire me as a photographer, I invite you to the studio for a complimentary consultation.  This is when we discuss together, what you want out of your portrait session.  We discuss the different products and what they cost individually.  It's about more than just having pictures taken.  It's about sitting down with me and discussing what type of portraits you want and designing a wall gallery for your home.  It's about saying "I don't have much wall space, what else can we do?".  It's about you leaving my portrait studio with something tangible in your hands.  Even if that "something" is a digital collection, you will still walk out with a product we have created together and one that YOU have decided is best for you.  

And then, 10 years from now, you will glance up at that space on the wall and you will remember "That was right before she lost her first tooth".  You'll remember, "He had the funniest crawl!  It was like a crab walk!". THAT is what I want my art pieces to represent; reminders of childhood.  Only you can decide how you want to be reminded.

Back to the original question. WHAT DO YOU CHARGE? I get asked this question almost daily.  I can't answer it.  Honestly, I can't.  I need more information. I realize you want to know how much you can expect to spend but the truth is, YOU determine how much is spent. As a full-service photographer, I offer albums, framed wall portraits, canvas gallery wraps, folio boxes with matted prints, large prints & fine-art prints as well as digital collections!

Think of my studio like you would any other retail establishment.  Would you call a furniture store and ask "What are your prices?"  What would you expect the answer to be?  This is why I can't answer that question.  There are so many different options! 

Don't put another DVD in a drawer, cherish art pieces that fit your lifestyle. 
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​To arrange for a complimentary consultation to go over products and pricing, contact me!

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