Again, the following is borrowed Marianne Drenthe, via Professional Child Photographer :

APPLES to ORANGES to BANANAS: Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $19.99 for an 8×10 “sheet” or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains.  The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service.  In February 2007 a company who has leased photography retail space in a rather well known discount retailer closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation.  The reason it happened is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ “professional” prints if you do not sell enough of them.  Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing vs. many custom photographers (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10).

A little history – the whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait services in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments.  Your “PORTRAITS” are considered the “loss leader”.  Your portraits that are meant to symbolize a once-in-a-lifetime stage in your child’s life are part of what a store considers a way to get you in there door to spend more money on goods that you might not really want or need but because you’re there “anyway” you buy.

Also keep in mind that when you go to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for as well as the lovely captures of natural expressions.  You simply get a bare bones, “SAY CHEESE” experience.

More on price next week    And of course, I can’t post without an image, so I thought I’d show off one of my little muffins (that’s my Mommy code for “children”).  Coben turned three last Saturday <sob, my babies are growing up!>.  We celebrated the day with a party, complete with tons of Batman paraphernalia, friends, cake and pizza that night.  He’s still stoked over it all.  Anyway, these images were taken as a test for lighting one afternoon at the studio, but they make me smile every time I look at them, so I decided they were keepers.

Until next time,

Tammy

So, what is custom photography?  I mean, wouldn’t you think it’s all the same?  You make an appointment, show up, snap-snap, picture taken, you’re done.  Right?

<insert annoying buzzer noise> WRONG!

It’s this train of thought that I often hear, that has prompted me to do some educating on the subject (wow, I am making myself sound really smart!).  So today, I offer part one of several little installments I plan to do, explaining what custom photography is, what’s included, etc.  And since I always give credit where credit is due, let me say I did not write the following, rather borrowed it from the author Marianne Drenthe, via Professional Child Photographer .  Let’s get on with the learnfest!

Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of commitment, investment in time  and money, forethought and planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment for the photographer as well.

Clients who enjoy taking a more active role in the creation of their families’ memories have the desire to have portrait art that is truly personalized.  These more discerning clients have been known to budget and allot time for a custom photography session. Many clients opt for it to be a once a year special experience, some opt to have custom photography sessions done to record their child’s stages in life.  Having said this, it is clear that custom photography is not in everyone’s budget,  it is something that most families save for to splurge on from time to time to memorialize their children as they really are (not posed and primped in the cookie cutter studio setting).

There is a great deal of time involved in creating high end custom photography sessions for a client.  The luxury of great service, better choices and a supberb end product.  The result of all this are heirloom quality images.

Custom photography has been likened to purchasing a fine vehicle.  To get to point B from A let’s face it, even a bus ride would suffice.  If you want to luxuriate in a finely appointed vehicle, customizing your own experience by listening to smooth jazz while sitting in a climate controlled setting adjusted purely for your comfort in a body hugging leather interior, perhaps that Lexus you so desire is your cup of tea. Custom photography is much the same cup of tea.  It is the Lexus of the photography world.  It is where the intangibles make the experience truly wonderful and the images themselves make the investment of money and time truly worthwhile.

Custom photography can be broken down into even more levels.  There are on location, studio, mixed studio/on location, specialty location and destination type photographers.  The beauty of custom photography is in the choices and in the luxury of thoses options.  The customized service level you are sure to experience will be amazing.  The knowledge that your final images are the result of someone caring about those moments so much that they take extra time ensuring that the artwork you receive is good enough to stand by with their name on it.  That level of quality and commitment  is all but lost in the age of “mass produced,” “mass marketed,” corporate “everyone is a number”.  Custom photography is based on being unique to you.  How great an experience would be,  to be able to sit back and allow a photographer to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely cherish for a lifetime?

Keep in mind more than anything that the Lexus will never appreciate in value the way your portraits will.  The portrait art you become invested in from your custom photographer will no doubt increase in value and become more priceless as the years pass.

Look for “part 2″ of the installments next week… (more custom photography education coming your way!).  And  since I always have to include an image with a blog post, have a look at what I just put together and ordered of the boys.  I am loving it, the funky font, their crooked smiles in the first frame, their best funny faces in the second… it’s all so very ‘them’.  This will hang in the hallway near our master bedroom (and yes, sadly these were taken almost a year ago and I’m just now getting around to ordering it).  Sigh.

Until next time,

Tammy