HOW DO MY PRICES COMPARE?

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I'm so glad you asked! This is a very standard question, but unfortunately doesn't have a simple, straight-forward answer. When looking for a family photographer, it can be tricky to price-compare because different photographers include different items in their packages. Fees can usually be broken into the below categories:

1. Session fee

2. Retouching fees

3. Print fees

4. jpg file fees (non hi-res)

5. jpg file fees (hi-res)

Many studios and other photographers only charge an upfront session fee (typically $300-$400), but then charge more for each print or jpg file (anywhere from $50-$150 per image depending on resolution and print vs. jpg file). This can add up fast when literally no images in any form are included in your session fee and you want a nice collection of shots when you're through. I currently include 10 retouched hi-res jpg files in my 30 Minute session fee and 20 retouched hi-res files in my 1-hour session fee.

Some photographers (not all) also offer to sell CDs or flash drives with digital files of your complete session, and I've seen upwards of $600 for this option. I offer the option to purchase a flash drive of your complete session for only $100 (un-retouched, hi-res jpg files).

All in all, an average session fee plus 10 hi-res jpg files and a flash drive could realistically cost you anywhere from $800-$1,500. You may wonder why I charge less than this and the answer is that, personally, I found it frustrating as a mom to have to shell out thousands of dollars for hundreds of photos I didn't actually need - I just wanted a nice collection for frames and holiday cards every year - is that too much to ask?? So I decided to primarily offer shorter sessions (30 minutes) with a set number of retouched images to keep my pricing lower and make it more realistic for families.

I hope this helps you not only evaluate my pricing, but also to know what to look for when hiring other photographers.

Cheers! Lindsay