Looking Ahead

I am a planner, a list maker, and a goal-setter. I do this constantly in my personal life and now as a business owner, I do this here as well. My word for 2022 is "authentic." I want that to be evident across all facets of my life. I want to continue to grow and develop my own sense of style. I don't want to copy another photographer's style. I want to fine-tune my own.

Part of being authentic though, is being upfront about the direction my business is moving. As mentioned, I am a planner. I'm also a number cruncher. Operating a legal business is expensive. In order for me to be profitable. I am going to need to very slowly move away from providing my clients the digital images. It's something I have gone back and forth with in my mind a million times. I have spoken to other photographers. By providing the digital images at such a low cost, we are not providing ourselves with a livable wage. I don't want to bore you with the semantics of my monthly expenses or how much a camera or lenses cost. I want to grow as a photographer though, and I need to be able to budget in additional trainings/mentorships and the cost of new equipment. At my current price model, I am unable to do those things.

As I wrestle with the thought of, "But this is good enough." vs "I want to grow and I want to be able to afford to grow." I realize that I'm not OK with staying here forever. I want my art to flourish. I want my photos to be keepsakes for generations. Truly heirlooms. And it's not going to be that way with photos stuck in a cloud or on a thumb drive. I want my photos up on a wall or in a beautiful album--to be enjoyed. Does that mean I will not provide digital images? Of course not. I understand that people want digitals to use on social media. I haven't ironed out the details yet, but yes, you'll still be able to access the digital images for use on social media.

I also realize that this isn't what everyone wants. I get it. I also understand if my services are going to be out of someone's budget. I have been there. Again, I believe in full transparency though. I don't want to ever stick someone with a cost that they weren't expecting. Which is why this transition is going to be slow and with a lot of warning. I will keep people informed of my new prices. My clients are so much more than a paycheck. I truly develop genuine friendships with them. I don't ever want someone to feel pressured into hiring me as a photographer because we're friends. If I'm not in budget or if I'm not the right style fit for your vision--I get it!