In this day and age, there is a photographer for everyone’s budget. But why are some photographers so expensive? 

Professional Portraiture is not for everyone. Photography is a luxury, just like that vacation to Disney or to Europe. Everyone has different priorities in their life. I get it! 100%. I value photos and experiences. I do not value designer handbags or high heels. (I’m a sneaker or socks kind of girl) 

Professional Photographers who own their own business take the time to make every session perfect. They stylize clothing and the session to make sure it matches the needs of the client, take their time during the shoot, download, back up and double back up a session, editing sometimes takes multiple hours, schedule a reveal for clients to view their images for the first time, find products that can hold up for years and some even deliver your products right to your home. (I love to see my clients faces when they open up their products. It gives me chills to see their expressions) It’s a lot of work. A true professional will make you feel like they are designing the session and experience just for you and your family.

The photos that your photographer hands over to you are part of their name, branding, heart and soul. Photographers carefully select and retouch your photos, keeping in mind that these photos will become a priceless gift. Naturally there are a few important regulations to note when it comes to the professional digital images that you receive. Example: Copyright, Image type, Cropping, Removing watermarks, Right Click and Printing. These are all topics for another day.

The most important thing to remember is that DIGITAL IMAGES ARE NOT ARCHIVAL.

Digital images do not last forever. Computer technology changes every 5 years, some computers don’t even use USB drives anymore, let alone floppy disks!! (Remember those!!!) Technology is always changing and most importantly breaking. We can not print from a corrupted digital file but, we can scan and create a print from 20 years ago. 

Digital files are the new 8×10’s. I spoke to a mentor of mine who said that back in the 80’s and 90’s before digital files, everyone wanted to know the pricing for 8×10 prints. Digital files are now that. Sure, you can have the digital files but, I educate all of my clients to print. 

Why is a canvas so expensive when I can get it on Groupon for $25? Sure, you can purchase a canvas from Groupon but, I can not guarantee the quality of that product. Products that I sell to my clients are 100% guaranteed to last for years. Canvas for example, I use a company that UV protects the canvas so you can stick it in the window and not have to worry about it fading one bit, it’s handcrafted in the United States (I’m all about “Made In the USA” products) and the inside frame is made of wood not cardboard. 

Why are frames so expensive? I have a whole blog coming up in a few days with come comparisons to Michael’s “Custom” Framing. 😉 

Stinsman Photography is a hybrid studio that offers you the digital files that you want but also providing heirloom products and albums that last a lifetime. I have had so many mom’s come back to me after having their baby a few months ago and say they never printed one photo of their newborn session. WHY!!!!! It makes me so sad that they spend hundreds of dollars on this session to not have it displayed. I’m guilty of it also. Just recently, I put all of my images into milestone albums of my son. Before, I was only given the digital files from my photographer. That’s OK but, when I realized that I never looked at them or wasn’t able to just go to the book shelf and smile at my baby when he was 6 months old it made me sad. 

With the new “Create Your Own Collection”, it’s simple. There are two steps. Pick a wall piece/gallery or an album. Display your children! It makes them feel like a part of the family. Then you can choose why size you would like to print your digital images. Low resolution can be printed to an 8×10 or high resolution can be printed to 30×40. And yes, that is the entire gallery. That simple, pick an art piece and then your digitals and that’s that!

I know their are so many photographers in the NJ and Philadelphia area but, you need to find someone who listens to your needs, provides what you want and most importantly has a style that matches your’s. 

Last but not least… Print your photos!!!!