What are Newborn Photography Costs?
What are all the costs that go into newborn photography? Why is it so expensive? There is so many moving parts to keep up with and it’s important for you the consumer to understand. Let’s break down all the important things that going into a Newborn photography session and see why photographers charge as much as they do.
Newborn Photography Costs: Education
The first thing to talk about in Newborn Photography costs, is one of the most important; education! Without education, photographers are playing around in the dark and especially with newborns that could be really dangerous! Besides for just basic education in the beginning about how to use an actual camera, photographers need to learn specifically about newborn sessions.
There are so many things to be aware of when photographing a newborn. The posing, and the safety that goes into all of that. The lighting, whether it’s natural or studio light. The way you use your light can take a picture from horrible, to mediocre, to absolutely fantastically amazing! Taking those classes from really experienced photographers (especially in person) can really add up! As with most things in life the more education you have, the more you get paid. The more experience you have the more you get paid!
Newborn Photography Costs: Camera and gear
Ok, so now you’ve added the costs of education into your newborn photography costs, but now that you know what your doing you need an actual camera to shoot with. Cameras can cost anywhere from $1,500 for a decent camera to $6,000 or more for some really fantastic bodies. That is NOT including the costs of lenses! Then if you’re working with a studio light that also gets added in.
Now I’m not going to talk about every piece of gear that goes into Newborn Photography costs, but I will tell you that things break and need to be replaced every few years. Gear also has a limited lifespan. Did you know there is a shutter count on a camera and it ages with each click of the shutter? I know, so cool right?
Newborn Photography Costs: Props
Okay, now for me and for so many newborn photographers this is a really big one! One of the biggest, and most ongoing of newborn photography costs is props! OMG! The props! Here’s the thing. THERE ARE SO MANY PROP OPTIONS OUT THERE! Also the trends in the industry are constantly changing and you always want to make sure that you’re keeping up!
To the average client I think as long as you stick with classic options, the trends probably don’t matter as much. But us photographers get major prop fomo and we always want the new and beautiful! From backdrops to blankets for the beanbag or table. From bowls to baskets. From bonnets to sleepy caps. From outfits to wraps. You get it, the list goes on and on!
We also want to make sure that we have enough options for our clients. I always tell my clients ” I have so many options to choose from, but if there is something specific you want and I don’t have it, I’m happy to buy it!” Now Obviously that brings up my Newborn Photography costs, but you know it’s worth it!
There are so many other things that get added in to Newborn Photography Costs, and I’m not going to get into all of them. A few others are Insurance, Studio rental or mortgage, Art Products and Prints, Computer ear and editing software. I mean the list can go on and on!
Here’s the thing. You might say to yourself: “yeah, I get it you have a lot of expenses, but why should I, the client pay for that?” I’m going to be honest and straight with you. We, the photographers are trying to make a living just like anyone else. The amount of time and energy that goes into each session is a lot! Editing takes hours and hours. The session itself can be 3-4 hours long. If you break down the time by the hours we’re not really getting paid more then any other job!
At the end of the day you’re paying for our talent. And while I hold that Newborn Photography is essential, at the end of the day it’s most definitely a luxury. And like any other luxury good, you need to pay for that privilege. So though I gave you a little behind the scenes into the newborn photography costs for the photographer, I hope you make the plunge and decide that this is a luxury that’s worth splurging on!