What’s it worth?

It’s what I do. Every day, every night, it’s what I am doing. Editing. Often when my sister calls me, she asks, “What are you doing?” and later giggles and says herself “Editing?” It’s what I do, because of what I do. I’m a professional photographer.

What exactly does that mean? Some define being professional by the percentage of your income that comes from photography, others by your experience etc. Either way, I am a professional. I am the professional. My studio did not make me the professional, I did. This is what I do for a living, it’s not a hobby or a “hustle.” My work doesn’t stop at the photo session or the wedding, it begins.

Recently, I’ve noticed it’s what they do. They. Photography Shoppers. They give you all the praise and glory for your work, and then turn around and attempt to negotiate the investment. Why is that? As photographers, our rates or at least our rate range is typically posted on our websites, and yet people think this is negotiable? Why?

It’s our own faults. Yes, I said it. It’s the photographer’s fault. When we start to put value in our work, people will start to do the same. So today, I put value in my work. I vow to be the best, not just try to be. I vow to push my creativity over the edge, not just peek over. I vow to stand strong behind the investment that I say I am worth, and no matter what, be still. Be still. While some will choose BeU and some may not, there will be some I do not choose to service as well. Either way, I vow to respect the brand that I am building behind BeU, and I ask people to learn to do the same for all photographers. There is a reason people follow our work, they respect it. Respect it enough to make the investment into YOUR memories…

Professional photographers charge professional rates for a reason. They have high-quality equipment, training, experience and they give the very best results. It’s what they do. It’s who they are. It’s their love.

So I ask this. What is it worth to you? If it’s not worth the investment you see posted, find another photographer. It is better to find another photographer, than to ask that photographer to lower the value they have in their work, their love, their passion. One thing about it, if you’re not booking them, someone is in your place….

Happy Thursday!