Looking at doing pro pics once a year... first inquiry I've heard back was a $300 session fee outside and then $900 for the CD & rights. Ouch. I totally get that photographers are self employed, their time is valuable, but $1k+ is not in our future for photos!
What do you pay or plan to pay?
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
We use a semi-professional. She's just starting out and is in college, so her prices are insanely reasonable. We get an hour of her time + full rights to edited photos for 60$. When we first started using her 3 years ago, it was 50$. I really think she needs to up her prices! We'd probably be willing to pay around 100-200$, but I'm really glad we don't have to!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
I wouldn't spend more than $300 including a CD with rights for just a portrait session. And since we have a toddler I wouldn't do more than one hour for pictures.
bananas / 9357 posts
Ouch. That seems like a lot. I would pay $300-$400 for a family session including cd & rights.
pear / 1895 posts
I'm really cheap when it comes to stuff like photography. I'd rather just find a friend that knows their way around a dSLR and get them to take some. However, my wedding photos done this way turned out horribly, and my engagement photos were only so-so. So, I mean, it hasn't been a hugely successful endeavor for me! But at least I'm not out thousands of dollars.
Do you know anyone like that, that would take some for you for free/really cheap? Maybe ask around about some college kids or something? There were several aspiring photographers on my college campus when I was in school.
honeydew / 7917 posts
We use a tripod and DSLR for our family photos. I have pretty high standards for photography, and it's just not in our budget. I paid a lot for my wedding photos and don't regret it one bit. I just can't justify the price for family photos but will consider it one day.
eggplant / 11716 posts
@scg00387: I would just keep looking, although I know that's time consuming. We love in a super expensive area and every time I look for photographers (engagement, newborn, whatever), I always seem to find the most expensive first and then I have to just keep looking.
For both engagement and newborn photos, my first 4-5 quotes were $1000+, but I kept looking and eventually found people,thats would give me the digital images for $400 or less. Great photographers, too.
bananas / 9357 posts
I'm bumping to see if anyone else can chime in.
I'm starting to get pricing info back from photogs. So far 400 for a session which didn't include digital images. one was 400, which is reasonable & included a DVD. Another starts at $350 for 10 digital images. And I just heard from another that is $300 including session and digital images (lightly edited).
coconut / 8430 posts
I think there are photographers at every price point and corresponding skill level.
For our recent shoot we went with a lady who was $200 and gives the disc of edited photos. From the preview I've seen on Facebook they look great so far!
When I was gathering quotes it seemed like $200-400 including the disc was the norm in our area.
honeydew / 7687 posts
@mrskc: I ended up asking photogs if they did mini sessions. I found one who does so well e paying $150 for 30 minutes and a disk of 10 images with a print release. It's perfect bc I like her style and really, am not sure what wed do with a bazillion pictures anyways. We primarily want one for holiday card and then a few of LO by himself for posteritys sake.
grapefruit / 4582 posts
That's insane prices. INSANE. 300-400 would be my max. And you can find super experienced great photogs at that price.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
I'm bumping this.
Has anyone done family pictures recently? I'm starting to get quotes today and the first guy was 350 for the session - 200 proofs (not printable or anything) and *if* we want a digital file it would be 500 for one ... 1000 for 5 ... 1500 for 10 and 2000 for 25. He only retouches 2-10 pictures for any package you get. Jeez *dies*
DH is definitely wants more quotes but this first already gave me a heart attack.
Is this normal?
honeydew / 7589 posts
$150 for our session which comes with 15 edited pictures on a disk. If we want more than the 15 shots, it's a la carte. We always stick with the 15.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@Arden: Thanks for the info 
I want to mention anyone who is reading I'm in the south bay area if they have any affordable photographer recommendations.
apricot / 456 posts
I haven't done much professional photography since the baby was born, but I charged $100 for a 30 minute outdoor session with 15 - 20 high res photos on CD. Upgrade to an album package for $50 more and you get 30% off any and all albums. I'm in Boone, NC.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@Skadi: That seems reasonable! Though I guess I'm greedy and want more pictures! Haha.
Just got another quote - 775 for 2 hour session 1000-1500 pictures proofs... 5 touch up high resolution files. On top of that I can pay 450 for all the pictures in the session but they are raw untouched up. 1225 total. Yikes but does sound like a better deal than the first guy...
We were hoping to spend about of 500 dollars, but were thinking we would get it for lower! I feel like we just don't know the pricing anymore.
honeydew / 7622 posts
@raindrop I'm not sure if she shoots famlies but I know Magan
http://megantsang.com/
Jamie is in Dublin http://jamiejonesphotography.com
I'm not sure if Kara shoots families but she is a friend, she's in San Jose. http://karamillerphoto.com
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@youboots: Thank you! I just looked at Jamie's website and she's very reasonable!! $225 with 30 edited pictures on a CD!
Thank you thank you. I will contact these people.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
*vent* I just got a reply from the first guy asking about raw unprocessed picture pricing. I thought his answer was kind of snobby!
"You will only get the digital files for the pictures that you purchase. We only process the files you choose so we cannot allow unprocessed files to leave the studio. Each file that leaves the studio must be perfect."
honeydew / 7589 posts
@Raindrop: I understand his point from a marketing and reputation perspective, but you are right - that wording was rude and snobby.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@Arden: Well I mean I'm kind of lame too... I was asking a lot of question. So it's possible I was also annoying him. Though this quote did catch me off guard and seemed a bit snobby!
Thank you for clarify. I do understand being a photographer is hard and you have to deal with people like me! Well I do try to be nice and reasonable but I know I might come off a lame sometimes too because I don't know understand all the work that goes into providing a great product.
apricot / 456 posts
@Raindrop: I always try to give more than the promised 20, and they're all retouched.
The sentiment of that photographer is pretty common...although personally if someone directly asked for the others I'd give them to you.
apricot / 313 posts
Getting outdoor family pictures tomorrow! We are paying $175.00. It includes the outdoor session on site an online gallery of all the pictures. A disk with 15 pictures out if that gallery that we choose. All printing rights and no water marks. The session is an hour to an hour and a half long.
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
Ours were $150 for an outdoor 1 hour session with 30 pics on a cd (full rights to those images.)
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@Skadi: Aww you are so sweet to your customers! I do understand that being a photographer is tough like all professions. I'm sorry if I'm coming off a bit weird with pricing, I'm just in sticker shock with some of these quotes I'm getting. I know part of it is being in a high cost area.
@MamaPhoenix: Wow fun! Do you mind if I ask you if you are coordinating outfits or just picking whatever looks nice on a person? I'm terrible with coordinating... the best I can do is having people wear a theme color.
nectarine / 2636 posts
We signed up for a 30 minute mini family session with the photographer we used for my DD's 6 month photo shoot. She's amazing and SO SO nice. Love her and I want to be her friend, haha. We are going to pay $135 for minimum 10 pictures (she always gives more), with CD and rights. No minimum purchase for canvases/prints/etc. I'm so excited for our shoot! I just have to figure out what all of us should wear...
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@abbydabbydoodlebug: Aww that sounds super cute! I hope some day we can develop a nice relationship with a photographer. I'm so glad you have such a great relationship with yours.
Figuring out what to wear is sooo hard!!
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@youboots: Bummers Jamie just contacted me, she is now in Oregon now.
honeydew / 7622 posts
@raindrop check out Kara, she does do famlies, she did my cousins earlier this year.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Last yr we paid $250 for an outdoor session w a cd of 40 images.
This yr found a photog through a friend. More local to us. Same images and rights for $125!
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@youboots: Haha Kara is on maternity leave till mid-novemeber. So close! I wanted the session in 11/1-2 b/c that's when DH's parents were visiting. She seems very nice!
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@youboots: BTW thanks for the recommendations! I have loved all their styles and pricing. Such bad luck that they are otherwise not able to do our photos.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@Rainbow Sprinkles: Nice! How did you find this person?
@youboots: Just got rejected by Megan... well rejected is a harsh word, she said she as busy on the days we could do it.
eggplant / 11287 posts
@Raindrop: she's an old family friend, but her prices are super reasonable! What area are you in? All of those quotes seem so high!
Around here, aBout $350 for a one-hour session and rights to at least 20 photos is standard.
grapefruit / 4731 posts
Woot my photog saga might be to an end. Found someone that has nice photos, 250 for a 1 hour session which includes 30 hi-res pictures on a CD. He is free on our date and he will get back to me tomorrow. Hopefully this is it!
grapefruit / 4731 posts
@Rainbow Sprinkles: I'm in the SF south bay area. San Jose-ish.
I know my quotes are crazy!! I'm seriously having mini heart attacks. haha.
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