How much are you paying for your newborn Photos?

ufsandra85 · November 2013

ok so i am not a big professional photos person but I have been looking into newborn pictures. I live in a military town so just about every military wife with a camera thinks she is a photographer. Anyway, because of this there is a drastic difference in price and quality. So I am just wondering how much are you paying for JUST newborn pictures (not for a 1st year package).

BrideNamedMeg · November 2013

Since I'm either doing them myself or trading with a photographer friend, I answered what my average client spends

clo1982 · November 2013

Mine are 500 which includes a full cd with retouched images plus $100 of that is a credit to order photos.

laurendom · November 2013

I answered over 550 because I am doing a grow plan and its 3 sessions so it is more. I honestly think though a newborn only session is pretty close to that anyway.

liamandlettie · November 2013

I got a deal because she's my bff! But I marked her prices. $350 just newborn

ufsandra85 · November 2013

a lot of the places i am finding have a 250 creative fee and then a 300 min order purchase or something similar. i just cant see myself paying that much

Pinecone21 · November 2013

Oh my goodness. My wedding photos cost about $300 for 2 photographers and a CD. People really pay more than that for newborn photos??

KayCee85 · November 2013

Damn I thought 150 to 250 range was pricy, which is the standard in my area. I had no idea people spend up to or more than 500 dollars. That is insanity to me!

Excitedmum35 · November 2013

I booked a sitting and it is minimum spend $550. But most of the packages around here (melbourne, Australia) seem to be that much. Well actually one was $1000 minimum spend. The photographer I booked told me most parents get her $1600 package. OMG!!!!
We paid about $4000 for wedding photography I think so maybe it's more expensive here? I figure these ppl get no holiday pay and no superannuation etc- they have to eat!
My package includes
The sitting (3 hrs)
Pics with DS and DH and me
Five digital images
One print if each of the digital images.

Hoping all the pics she takes aren't brilliant and absolute must haves!

LiFeIsAmIrAcLe · November 2013

Mine are free.

rockopera · November 2013

Mine will be free. Or will cost me beer and/or dinners. I have a good friend who is a legit professional photographer and is very excited to be able to do photos of the bub in the future (and add newborn photos to his portfolio).

He doesn't feel as comfortable doing maternity shoots, so I'll prob see a friend of his and pay something for those if we do them.

BrideNamedMeg · November 2013

Pinecone21 said: Oh my goodness. My wedding photos cost about $300 for 2 photographers and a CD. People really pay more than that for newborn photos??

That is insanely cheap for a wedding photography, like actually insane. If they have a real business (paying taxes, pro equipment, business insurance, etc.) they would be losing money charging so little! Just to give you a small idea, my camera bodies alone cost between $3,000-$5,000 each and I have four of them. Lenses (the good ones anyway) generally go between $800 and $1800+. My wedding packages start at 3K and I am middle of the road for my area (New England). I have a few photographer friends who start at 8K-10K and they keep VERY busy!

Andreabills · November 2013

I voted 175-250. I will probably book a session at Portrait Innovations. If I do that, there is no sitting fee and I just have to pay for pictures.

ufsandra85 · November 2013

BrideNamedMeg said:

Pinecone21 said: Oh my goodness. My wedding photos cost about $300 for 2 photographers and a CD. People really pay more than that for newborn photos??
That is insanely cheap for a wedding photography, like actually insane. If they have a real business (paying taxes, pro equipment, business insurance, etc.) they would be losing money charging so little! Just to give you a small idea, my camera bodies alone cost between $3,000-$5,000 each and I have four of them. Lenses (the good ones anyway) generally go between $800 and $1800+. My wedding packages start at 3K and I am middle of the road for my area (New England). I have a few photographer friends who start at 8K-10K and they keep VERY busy!

10k for photos???? i couldnt imagine!!

wearebirds · November 2013

I just marked what I charge to do them...if you're finding REAL PROFESSIONALS for 100 bucks then kudos to you. Like someone said many people with a camera think they're a photographer and the quality of what you get is obvious. DH wasn't into having maternity pictures done, but ill most definitely be taking our baby girls newborn photos.

Being a photographer is expensive and takes more than just having a camera and knowing how to push a button...so prices are reflective.

BrideNamedMeg · November 2013

ufsandra85 said:

BrideNamedMeg said:

Pinecone21 said: Oh my goodness. My wedding photos cost about $300 for 2 photographers and a CD. People really pay more than that for newborn photos??
That is insanely cheap for a wedding photography, like actually insane. If they have a real business (paying taxes, pro equipment, business insurance, etc.) they would be losing money charging so little! Just to give you a small idea, my camera bodies alone cost between $3,000-$5,000 each and I have four of them. Lenses (the good ones anyway) generally go between $800 and $1800+. My wedding packages start at 3K and I am middle of the road for my area (New England). I have a few photographer friends who start at 8K-10K and they keep VERY busy!

10k for photos???? i couldnt imagine!!

My entire wedding cost around 10K, lol, so I certainly wouldn't be paying those prices, but there are people out there that will and there are photographers who are good enough and deliver a consistent enough product (read: always amazing) to command that kind of price!

saisongbird · November 2013

I have a close friend who teaches photography and journalism at a prestigious university nearby, and who does newborn and wedding photography as well. He's doing them for free as a gift.

Kristen61607 · November 2013

I traded a local NB photographer for crochet hats and props.

Love when it's a win win for both sides!

amdecker1016 · November 2013

My SIL is a photographer so she will hopefully be taking them! I havent really talked to her about it but plan to soon!

VineyardMel · November 2013

Hmmm...apparently they are extra expensive in my area. The photog I used for DD now charges $1500 for what I got (I paid $750). I'll pay a little more than last time. That said, I want the packages with all the digital files and that's usually at least as much as the sitting fee. I love and value quality photos, though. They are higher on my priority list than they probably are for most people.

Pinecone21 · November 2013

BrideNamedMeg said:

Pinecone21 said: Oh my goodness. My wedding photos cost about $300 for 2 photographers and a CD. People really pay more than that for newborn photos??

That is insanely cheap for a wedding photography, like actually insane. If they have a real business (paying taxes, pro equipment, business insurance, etc.) they would be losing money charging so little! Just to give you a small idea, my camera bodies alone cost between $3,000-$5,000 each and I have four of them. Lenses (the good ones anyway) generally go between $800 and $1800+. My wedding packages start at 3K and I am middle of the road for my area (New England). I have a few photographer friends who start at 8K-10K and they keep VERY busy!
************
This was in Michigan in 2007. The photographer had a studio and a portfolio, so I assume it was a "real business". My flowers were also around $300. I just can't imagine spending so much on newborn photos even if it is the going rate in your area.

jamiwofford720 · November 2013

I've been a newborn photographer for almost 2 years and only charge $100! I don't think it's reasonable to charge $300+ on them..there are so many more things it could go to. My price includes the cd of edited images and the print release form for printing. Here's an example

cdnmomma · November 2013

@jamiwofford720
Adorable photo! But how are you not losing money?!? $100 for the session fee and the cd of edited images? Please share! Also at you by any chance in Canada cause if you are I will book you for my newborn session!

WoodShopGirl · November 2013

I am paying $600 but that includes both maternity and newborn. But I am getting a discount because she is a friend.

On the wedding picture subject, I would have loved to pay $300, I can't even imagine. Mine were $2000 an that didn't include any prints or albums. Just the digital copies of the edited images. And I paid less than a lot of my friends.

jamiwofford720 · November 2013

@Kalpa521 Before I opened for business, I got all my supplies from thrift stores and I paired up with a vendor who made all the cute hats (which I got for free!) Since I have everything for a session, it's straight profit

I'm actually in Idaho!

cdnmomma · November 2013

@ jamiwofford720 but what about your time? I spend up to five hours per session, plus the time spent preparing for the session and proofing. Divide 100 by all that and thats not much. plus i am constantly getting new props etc to keep things current and so all my clients don't have the same photos. I'm floored.

If it works for you that's great though!

ewallace00 · November 2013

We will pay $300 which includes 1.5 hr session on our home, props, and CD with edited images. We are in Chicago suburbs too. I can't wait!

jamiwofford720 · November 2013

@Kalpa521 My sessions are up to 3 hours and I do them during the weekend so my husband can watch our kids! I do all my editing at night once they are asleep and since I'm partnered up with a vendor, I'm always getting new props for free in exchange for photos. We live in a very small town so that's the reason I don't charge more! If we move to a bigger city I'll be changing my prices!

BrideNamedMeg · November 2013

jamiwofford720 said:

@Kalpa521 Before I opened for business, I got all my supplies from thrift stores and I paired up with a vendor who made all the cute hats (which I got for free!) Since I have everything for a session, it's straight profit I'm actually in Idaho!

But do you pay taxes on that $100? Have overhead costs like a studio, web site, accountant, etc? I mean, if it works for you great, but I don't think it's fair at all to say that charging $300 for a newborn session (which is still really low if you're giving the CD) is unreasonable. My husband and I are both self employed, I pay our mortgage, cloth my kids and put food on our table through photography. I could not do that and charge $100 for any session! Let alone a newborn shoot where it's so time intensive.

amandoza23 · November 2013

Ours will be $335 but it's a maternity/newborn photo combo.

jamiwofford720 · November 2013

I do all my sessions at the clients home and the only 'website' I have is my business page through Facebook. I use to have a website but felt that I got more clients through the FB page. This is just a part time job since I am a stay at home mom to twin boys. My husband is military and the town we are stationed at wouldn't pay that much for a session. I wasn't saying it's unreasonable for other photographers, it is for me with the location we are at

momjay2007 · November 2013

I'm not paying anything I'm a photographer so I lucky up on no cost photos

pepperedmoth · November 2013

Kristen61607 said:
I traded a local NB photographer for crochet hats and props. Love when it's a win win for both sides!

I'm hoping we can barter too! MH makes furniture. He uses reclaimed materials extensively and tends to work in a Shaker aesthetic, or else "rustic modern." He charges maybe $800--$1000 for a table, for example. That'd be a pretty fair swap, I think. (He does any kind of carpentry, really, but folks are often more interested in bartering for a luxury item they couldn't otherwise afford than in bartering for basic repairs --- us wanting to barter for photography as exhibit A!)

Anyway the question is finding someone whose work we like that is also into barter. I have one idea but haven't asked her yet........

Edited for spelling.

cdnmomma · November 2013

@ jamiwofford720 not to harp on this but I do agree with BrideNamedMeg. It's not unreasonable to charge 300 or more. It is a lot of work, newborn safety is paramount, and the artists creativity is in large part what makes the images so special. My average client spends anywhere from 500 to 1500 above and beyond the 250 session fee. I do live in a bigger city so perhaps that makes a difference as the cost of living is so high, but I feel like you may be selling yourself short.

Excitedmum35 · November 2013

Kalpa521 said:
@ jamiwofford720 not to harp on this but I do agree with BrideNamedMeg. It's not unreasonable to charge 300 or more. It is a lot of work, newborn safety is paramount, and the artists creativity is in large part what makes the images so special. My average client spends anywhere from 500 to 1500 above and beyond the 250 session fee. I do live in a bigger city so perhaps that makes a difference as the cost of living is so high, but I feel like you may be selling yourself short.

Yeah put your prices up!!!! Ppl WILL pay as its preserving memories and if ppl appreciate good photography then they would be happy to pay.

ufsandra85 · November 2013

wow there is such a HUGE difference in what we are all paying. i am still on the fence.,,,

BethRN1987 · November 2013

Starting prices around Peoria il are 750- my wedding photos were 3000 which were amazing and we got three albums and digital rights to all 3000 pictures. My album was made I. Jerusalem

talitha712 · November 2013

$450 for a 3 hr session, including a CD with printing rights. We used the same photographer with DD and absolutely loved the photos.

CruiseGirl28 · November 2013

The photographer (who I work with) charges $100 a session. However she does a newborn package (3 sessions) for $225. Her packages include the photos on CD (she currently doesn't print). For my maternity photos, she is only going to charge $50 since she is building her portfolio.

KariB509 · November 2013

I just wanted to see the results because I don't know what the going rate is. I plan on asking my neighbor to take our newborn/family photos but I have no idea what she charges. I like her and like her work so I'm sorta willing to pay her whatever.