As I work on reopening my Austin portrait studio after nearly 2 years, I’ve been thinking about one of the last conversations I had regarding my pricing. Someone told me, “Those prices are ridiculous, not worth it, I don’t even make $100/hour! My boyfriend has a nice camera, I’ll just get him to shoot me for free!”

But here’s the thing: Photographers don’t book clients 8 hours a day. Even when I was busy, I only had 10-12 clients per month. If I only charged $100 per session, that’d be $1,200/month or $14,400/year, BEFORE taxes, equipment, software, insurance & other experiences. No one can run a business much less live on that.

What many people don’t realize is that photographers aren’t just charging for the hour they spend taking photos. We’re also covering time spent editing & answering client emails, equipment, software, health insurance, business insurance, marketing, taxes, paid time off, studio sets, and all the behind-the-scenes work that makes the experience possible.

My last studio had over $60,000 invested in furniture, wardrobe, props, & product samples plus over $10,000/month invested in overhead (studio rent, hair/makeup artist, photo editor, blogger, video editor, administrative/social media assistant, TikTok assistant, ads, CMS & other software) before I paid myself a single dollar. This is why professional photography often costs thousands, especially when it’s a full luxury production and not simply a backdrop in front of a wall.

I’m currently building out a new studio (inspo photos below!) and it will cost thousands to finish:

In the meantime, my all-inclusive experiences include hair, makeup, wardrobe styling, a luxury location rental, order appointment, and an album with matching digitals. They also include me: A photographer who has spent the last 15+ years specializing in photographing women of all shapes & sizes. Not only that, I’m also currently an agency-signed model with Brown Agency & after over 50 shoots in front of the camera, I can tell you one thing: Most photographers do not pose you.

With me however, you get not only an expert in posing, but someone who will DEMONSTRATE every single move you need to make from your head down to your toes. We’re talking I’ll show you how to angle your body, get different facial expressions, & what to do with your hands. With a modeling coach during every session, you’ll never have to worry about how to pose. Did you know that modeling coaching is actually something you could have to pay for separately? I just met a professional model coach this weekend. At Whisper & Vow, model coaching is included.

So the next time an artist’s pricing feels too expensive to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re overpriced, it simply means their business model isn’t built for your budget, and that’s okay. 😊
Photographers have wildly different overhead, expenses, circumstances (single vs. married i.e., solo vs. dual household income), and lifestyle goals. Those charging thousands are building luxury experiences, while those charging hundreds are building simple experiences. Some photographers have the energy to shoot 50 clients per month to make ends meet on a low price, someone do not & would rather have less clients so they charge more. Some photographers shoot exclusively at free, public locations, some shoot in luxury, private locations. Some photographers work part-time, some photographers work full-time. Some photographers have employees, some photographers do not. You simply can’t compare photographers as it’s not apples to apples; everyone’s business model is different, therefore they charge differently.

Believe it or not, while there are some photographers that start at $100 for a shoot while I start at $2500, there are other photographers who start at even more than I do. I know some who start at $10,000, and others who start at $20,000!! “Cheap” is relative.

And before anyone says, “Well what if you get a free location, is it still $2500+?” The answer is, yes because I only have so much energy to shoot each month. My limit these days after 15 years is 3-6 clients per month. Therefore, any shoot I take is time that can’t be spent on another project that pays enough to cover the bills. Any shoot I do regardless of the logistics involved still includes my time, expertise, editing, communication, pose coaching, and years of experience helping women feel beautiful.

If you love someone’s work but their pricing isn’t within your budget, that’s okay. Save up, ask if they offer 0% interest, no credit check in-house payment plans like we do or offer Klarna, Affirm, or PayPal Credit financing like we do, or hire someone else—but don’t insult an artist for charging what they’ve decided they need to make the living they desire. ❤️