Is this expensive for family portraits from a good photographer?

[gatorsmom]

I found this photographer whose work I really admire. I got some beautiful matching outfits from Janie and Jack last year for thyea holiday season and would really like a nice family photo. And I think this photog could do a great job with my wiggling kids. She has plenty of experience.

However, I have no idea if this price is good.

She says to pose in her studio and receive a DVD of the session is $150. Then I can choose which prints I want OR I can purchase the rights to all the photos for another $75. She does have some packages on her website that I have to go over and decide which sizes I want. I'm not sure yet.

But $225 sounds expensive. Is it? Anyone know? Normally I take our family photos in september or October outside myself but I've been too busy this year to get it done. Plus, her photos are so beautiful. TIA!

[pb&j]

I found this photographer whose work I really admire. I got some beautiful matching outfits from Janie and Jack last year for thyea holiday season and would really like a nice family photo. And I think this photog could do a great job with my wiggling kids. She has plenty of experience.

However, I have no idea if this price is good.

She says to pose in her studio and receive a DVD of the session is $150. Then I can choose which prints I want OR I can purchase the rights to all the photos for another $75. She does have some packages on her website that I have to go over and decide which sizes I want. I'm not sure yet.

But $225 sounds expensive. Is it? Anyone know? Normally I take our family photos in september or October outside myself but I've been too busy this year to get it done. Plus, her photos are so beautiful. TIA!

Assuming that includes the photoediting, I'd say $225 for the sitting and rights to all the images is a bargain!

DH is a professional photographer. The top photogs in my area (the full time pro's, not the hobbyists who charge money) often charge much more than that for the sitting and the images.

[jenfromnj]

I think this varies widely by COL, but around here (NYC metro area), $225 for a good photographer, including all the rights to the pics, is a great deal! Many of the most popular photographers charge sitting fees of at least $150-200, and that doesn't include anything in the way of pics, rights, etc, strictly the photographer's time and talent.

[smilequeen]

No, it sounds inexpensive to me. Probably just right if you are in a lower COL area.

I pay that much ($225) just for the sitting fee for my photographer.

[elbenn]

Will the photo session only be for a family portrait--i.e. just one picture pose, or will there be several poses? If there are several poses, then I think that's a good price.

[gatorsmom]

Assuming that includes the photoediting, I'd say $225 for the sitting and rights to all the images is a bargain!

DH is a professional photographer. The top photogs in my area (the full time pro's, not the hobbyists who charge money) often charge much more than that for the sitting and the images.


That amount does include some photo editing. Oh, yay, I'm excited. Thanks!

[knaidel]

that sounds a tiny bit on the high side.....but I think it depends on the area. Also, I've never paid more than $100 for "professional" family photo shoots in an outdoor setting, with the photos/rights on a DVD for us to print ourselves. BUT, it's been with women who do family photography as a side job, so maybe that made a difference. Both were primarily SAHMS who did this type of thing on the side.

I would find some other photographers in your area and compare her prices to theirs and see what you think. you can google 'family photographers your city" and also check on craigslist. Most will have clean, professional websites with galleries for you to view, and pricing info. Then you can decide if her pricing is basically in line with the going rate in your region.

Also if she really is good with kids, then I wouldn't make too big of a deal over an extra $100. (but of course, it's easy for me to spend other people's money!!!)

[etwahl]

I found this photographer whose work I really admire. I got some beautiful matching outfits from Janie and Jack last year for thyea holiday season and would really like a nice family photo. And I think this photog could do a great job with my wiggling kids. She has plenty of experience.

However, I have no idea if this price is good.

She says to pose in her studio and receive a DVD of the session is $150. Then I can choose which prints I want OR I can purchase the rights to all the photos for another $75. She does have some packages on her website that I have to go over and decide which sizes I want. I'm not sure yet.

But $225 sounds expensive. Is it? Anyone know? Normally I take our family photos in september or October outside myself but I've been too busy this year to get it done. Plus, her photos are so beautiful. TIA!

Honestly? It sounds too cheap to me. So if you like the work a lot, then you should consider it a great deal. Truly.

[minnie-zb]

Wow. In my area that is a bargain. Is she doing editing too?

[lovebebes]

:yeahthat::yeahthat:
Honestly? It sounds too cheap to me. So if you like the work a lot, then you should consider it a great deal. Truly.

[fauve01]

I think this varies widely by COL, but around here (NYC metro area), $225 for a good photographer, including all the rights to the pics, is a great deal! Many of the most popular photographers charge sitting fees of at least $150-200, and that doesn't include anything in the way of pics, rights, etc, strictly the photographer's time and talent.

:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat:

[LMPC]

I agree that it sounds like a great deal!

[Octobermommy]

If she is truly a professional photographer that is the bargain of the century, if she is a person with a great camera it is a good deal.

I have had 3 recent family shoots , 1 truly a professional photographer and that cost quadruple the cost, at least. The other two were anywhere from $200-$300 with releases.

Hope they turn out great!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i'm in a low COL area (TX) and IMO that is a good deal if you really like the photographer's work.

a mom in my mom's group that has her photography business did our family photos...she took pics for about 1.5 hrs (with 2 LOs that is no easy feat) ..that was $175 plus if you want the whole CD of all the images (print-ready) it is like another $150. So about $300 total, and IMO that was a steal and my DH agreed. Even though she is not a FT pro photographer, I'd seen her work and I really liked it. It is way better than anything I would get from Sears, PicturePeople or similar studio that spends less time with you and gives you less images, and often those places are MORE expensive (e.g. at sears it's like $200 just to get the package that includes a CD).

[indigo99]

Assuming that includes the photoediting, I'd say $225 for the sitting and rights to all the images is a bargain!
.

:yeahthat:

[mackmama]

I think that's a great deal if you also get the rights to the pics (for $225).

[MamaSnoo]

That is a great deal compared to prices in my area! I hope your pictures come out beautiful!

[k_null81]

sounds like a good deal to me...I just paid $100 for a mini shoot outside and it included the rights to the photo's, editing, and 25 minute photo session. We live in the suburbs of Saint Louis MO. The photographer is a SAHM that does photography on the side and runs a etsy shop as well.

I think I paid $150 for the boys 3rd birthday pics with the same photographer but it was a hour long shoot.

[bcafe]

We are in the same state and even to me that sounds like a great price! For our 2 oldest DC's, their graduation pics with rights were ~$400. I did not buy any pics from her either, simply printed at Costco.

[AnnieW625]

I think that is good price and probably pretty normal unless you live in a really high cost area.

In my area someone that owns a shop and has an actual studio charges upwards of $400for a session of photo taking, editing, set up, etc., and will most likely charge another $50 to $75 for a CD of 10-20 images. Now of course this person has an overhead to cover because she has an actual studio and is in a ritzy hip part of Long Beach and because she is good and well known charging a fee of $400 for a photo session doesn't really seem too out of the ball park.

At DD1's school silent auction a few weeks back there was a $1500 photo package and the opening bid was $500. It included a 11x14 on canvas photo and the photo shoot. That's it. That was by far the most expensive family portrait session I had ever seen.

[SkyrMommy]

It sdounds like a great price to me. We have a local photographer who is running a holiday family special for $130 for the sitting in their studio and the additional rights & images bring the package to around $200.

I hope you have fun & get some great shots!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Inexpensive- jump on it if you want to splurge (self control and a place like Sears is obviously a lot cheaper).

[daisymommy]

Honey, that's a steal! People here pay twice as much!

[Momit]

Go for it! A good photographer for that price is a bargain!

[moonsky]

Ask whether the pictures on the DVD are in high resolution. If yes, it is a bargain.

[kijip]

That sounds like a deal to me!

[justlearning]

Where I live, there are moms who photograph kids and families as a hobby that are cheaper. They photograph outdoors and typically charge around $150 for a one-hour session, which includes a CD with 30-40 edited pictures (high resolution). They also offer "mini sessions," scheduled on certain days for $75 for 30 minutes with a CD of 15-20 edited pictures.

So, I've never paid more than $75 for our family pictures and have been happy with the results. Having said that, if you've seen the work of this photographer and she's way better than hobbyists who do this on the side, then I think it's worth it if you prefer a studio picture to one outside. (Personally, I prefer ones taken in nature.)

Questions I'd ask are what kind of backgrounds does she use in her studio? I know some here who have really creative backdrops that result in beautiful artistic pictures. But I also know some who have very standard (e.g., all white) backgrounds that make the picture look more like one from JCPenney. Also, how many pictures will you get on the CD? If you all wanted to have pics with you and your DH, can you for the same price?

[Penny's Pappa]

We just paid $300 for an hour session; editing; and the rights to 10 digital, hi-res images, so I think $225 is a great deal! If you like her photos, jump on it! :thumbsup:

[twowhat?]

Holy cow! Totally echo everyone who says that is a STEAL. And I'm speaking from a low-COL perspective! The rights to ALL the pics on CD? Where's the fine print? LOL!

[Neatfreak]

Um, for a pro photographer (and not a hobbyist), that's a bargain. Enjoy the session!

[OKKiddo]

Assuming that includes the photoediting, I'd say $225 for the sitting and rights to all the images is a bargain!

DH is a professional photographer. The top photogs in my area (the full time pro's, not the hobbyists who charge money) often charge much more than that for the sitting and the images.

Exactly! We got our family photos for free last year because we won the package and it was upwards of $500 for everything that we received (we booked her again and paid full price but got the smaller $225 package). We also had a family friend take our pictures in California and paid just slightly less than the $225 with no prints, just cd, editing, and the session itself. All of them were totally worth the expense! In fact, I looked back at our receipts for Kiddie Kandids, Picture People, and Sears and the packages we bought from those places are almost as expensive and picture quality not nearly as nice.

If you like the photographer and feel he is able to capture your children (with their unique personalities) in a way that you can't otherwise get then that in itself is worth it. :)