Searching for Newborn Photography in Columbus Ohio? Have you ever wondered why photographers refer to their pricing & packages as “investment”?
Professional photos are an investment, even beyond the actual cost, because they are the memory makers of your family. They are the moments sealed in time to look back on forever. They are catching lighting in a bottle before your little one is walking, driving, and off to college. Photos are a reminder of the most cherished moments in our lives. And we are allowed access to reliving that experience and emotion time and time again when we view those photos. Pretty amazing right?
But it’s all too often that most clients wonder what goes into paying a professional photographer. What drives that cost? And why couldn’t they just buy a nice camera and take some photos of their newborn themselves? I get that sentiment! Because I felt the same way before I had my children! It may sound cliche, but it’s true.
I love and honor and each every one of my clients. So I wanted to break down the cost of Newborn Photography in Columbus Ohio for you all, in this post!
1) Time
There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes to get to the point where we are spending a dedicated chunk of time shooting your newborn!
Before a client books a session with me there’s typically a bit of admin work to be done. This takes the form of communication. That includes any emails, text messages, Zoom, or Phone consultations. Communicating with each other prior to sending you an invoice is such a critical step in booking your newborn photographer! As a photographer, I want to make sure that I’m the right professional to meet your expectations for your session. And, as a client, you want to know that my style and experience match the vision you hold for capturing your treasured memories.
Once we’ve made the mutual decision to work together, I then put in the leg work to prep your setup, if you’re coming into my home studio. Or to clean and pack all of the props that I’ll need in order to make my way to you. Your family will have specific needs unique to your family’s dynamic and that will be high on my list when preparing for your session as well!
The last thing to consider in the time department is our session time. Newborns are notoriously unpredictable! You might be stressed out wondering if this will cut into their already established sleeping or feeding routine, and hesitant to even book their session at all. However, I pride myself on making deep personal connections with my clients, and I’ve been known to let Mom & Dad take a lunch break during a newborn session while I feed the baby their bottle.
I want my clients to have an amazing and relaxed experience during their sessions and if I am rushing through their session to cap their time, that can’t happen. So I let the family set the pace that works for them. And no, I do not charge my clients for “additional time spent” with them during their session!!
2) On-Going Education & Resources
Continuing education might only seem like something that Doctors and Lawyers do on a regular basis. But being a newborn photographer is a creative and artistic job, and there is always a new process or technique to learn!
So yes, I often sharpen my skills and keep myself in the know by investing in coaching, trainings, courses, workshops, and summits, just to name a few! Being a photographer can be a highly competitive field depending on your local market. Ensuring my business stays head and shoulders above the crowd by staying up to date with the latest photography news is so important. Not only to my skill set but also to offer my clients the best experience and outcome for their investment!
Searching for Newborn Photography in Columbus Ohio? Click here to find out more!
3) Marketing
There is so much marketing that goes into Newborn Photography in Columbus Ohio! You’d think that a photographer could easily use Instagram to market their business by posting their gorgeous professional photos to attract their ideal clients. If only it were that easy!
Long gone are the days of popping our business information into the latest local Mom groups on Facebook only to be met with a slew of inquiries. It turns out, that the more social media grew, the harder it was to cut through the “noise”. Gaining the attention of those that were on the hunt for my newborn photography services, takes a bit more work.
Oftentimes, my marketing budget is spent on website layout and design, outsourcing content creation, or social media marketing. And hiring a copywriter or a blogger to enhance my reach and convey to my clients that they are in fact, in the right place for newborn photography in Columbus Ohio! And that’s just the “free marketing” that I focus on for my business!
Underneath the “free marketing” is a whole deeply buried iceberg of paid marketing. Things like paid ads! Google ads, Facebook ads, Pinterest ads, ads with local magazines and publications, the options are endless. Then there are the paid monthly or yearly fees to the subscription service tools that allow me to create all the graphics and information that go into the ads.
And of course, there are paid courses and trainings (yes, more courses and trainings!) to fill in the gaps of the things that I will tackle myself but don’t yet have the complete scope or knowledge of.
4) Editing
You might be shocked to find out, that editing consumes the biggest chunk of a photographer’s time! Also, it’s an acquired skill. More courses, training, paid tools, and outsourcing, yep!
Many of the photos that you viewed in your search for newborn photography in Columbus Ohio have been edited. Do you know that pose where it looks like the baby is holding their tiny newborn head in their hands? The magic in that photo is the photographer’s ability to edit! It’s not a natural photo for a newborn, but it can be created easily, in the editing process.
Many times, editing photos can be something small like removing a hair or smoothing over a small area of newborn acne, redness, or a rash. Other times, editing can be more of a process by removing a parent’s hands, or that previously mentioned “head in hands” pose. Editing can take on so many aspects from adjusting light and color to adding or removing just about anything!
5) Professional Gear & Equipment
Shooting Newborn Photography in Columbus Ohio requires that I have the best gear, equipment, and tools available at my fingertips. Because I want to provide parents with unforgettable images of their sweet bundle!
I always provide my clients with all of the setups, wraps, swaddles, blankets, and props for their shoot. Having a large variety of these items on hand allows me to produce photos that meet their expectations for such a pivotal milestone in their life. On top of the props you see in the photos, I also have a heartbeat machine and a small heater. These allow the baby to sleep soundly while I move and pose them effortlessly during their session.
Aside from all of the beautiful items that contribute to the photo I also have a home studio, and my photography gear. The cost of keeping acquiring a professional camera can be high, and many photographers will have more than one! In addition to our camera, we also have an array of lenses, lights, flashes, maintenance, and insurance. Oh and of course a professional camera bag to carry it all in! Phew!
Are you searching for a Newborn Photography in Columbus Ohio?
I would love to capture your sweet baby once they make their arrival!
Click here to get in touch, or you can find even more information on my newborn sessions here!
