Looking at senior photos in Jacksonville & St. Augustine? This might help explain how much senior photos cost?
Whew! Isn’t this a loaded gun! Just like there are a million ways to make and top a pizza, there are a million different prices for photography! So, how do you know what to do? Well hopefully this blog post about pricing and collections will help explain it!
But I only need the digitals…
I get it, digitals are what every client that comes to me thinks they need. But then, years later, when I ask what they did with their photo session digitals, the answer I most get is… NOTHING! and how sad is that? It’s a lot of work to create the art, to decide WHAT to do with your beautiful images, and to know where you can order from that is high quality and will hold up!
I explain digitals as the equivalent of negatives {those brown strips we have laying around in drawers that we used to develop with} and its why I call them digital negatives. They are for safety and security, for all the just in case moments! I think they are great for posting to insta and facebook too! And I always encourage that, so you get the amazing reminder of that big moment each year!
But, what they aren’t? They aren’t for you to have to deal with… thats why you hire someone who specializes in it. Thats like going to a dentist and finding out what is wrong, and trying to fix it yourself!
Professionals use professional ;abs and sources… this way your art will LAST, and isn’t that why we get photos anyways! So we can actively enjoy them each and every day… and not have to scroll on our itty bitty phon screens? It insures they wont fall apart {because yes, I have seen it}! It also ensures someone else is designing it, and planning it, so you don’t have to worry how it will look on your walls, and if it will fit! Who needs that kind of stress!
A professional works with you, to find what you most want to do with your art, so that it fits your space and your life. want an album to display and enjoy, and then pass it down to your children children, perfect? Want a wall collage above your couch that you enjoy each day you spend time in that room watching TV? Or a canvas on your hallway that you pass when you walk to your kitchen that reminds of your senior who is now off making their way in the real world? Perfect! Something to display on your bookshelves that highlights your favorite moment from your session? YES!
But the professional takes the risk out of these choices! They have samples and ideas, and help you narrow down, and design exactly what you need… and not an ounce of it gets wasted in your drawers {hello CD rooms]!
And that leads me to the most important point… we have been using the SAME medium for portraits for over 150 years- printing! The images of your great grandparents that are print from 1910… you still have them! Because the medium has stayed the same… it’s just been improved upon. We used to store things on floppy disks… then CD’s… then USB’s… and now the cloud. Nothing is consistent, except inconsistency! Who knows how we will “store” things in the future, but one thing is for certain, that ancestor of yours will still be enjoying your memories as printed heirlooms long after you do, and isn’t that the point! You get the pleasure of the enjoyment and then, your memories are saved for generations to come!
Wall art, albums, announcements, oh MY!
So whats your pleasure? wall art? desktop art? albums? That’s what we do when we meet with you, and I know for me its my favorite part of the whole process!
So, what does that cost… well, just like design, that all depends on what you want, and how you use it and what type of photographer you use. Price ranges vary based on labs, designs, quality, and the end result, so no one can answer for sure. I always advise my clients to shop around based on experience and style and get a range of what pricing can be. Is the company a shoot and burn style, which gives you digitals, but then you order the consumer grade products? Is the photographer full service, and do you get the digitals, but also get the archival quality products, and the job is done when you pick up your items? Once you narrow down what is perfect for YOU, then the design and plan makes that happen… but you cant change style, or experience after the fact. Do you want a quick session? or a whole experience? Do you want the standard yearbook cattle call… or do you want something tailored around you and your style? Just like in the dentist analogy above, hiring a professional with experience helps to ensure you get the end result you wanted, and that’s the end goal for everyone involved!
So, how much is a senior portrait session? I think the better question is how much is it worth to YOU, what is the end value of capturing the senior at this moment in their lives… what do you miss out on if you don’t? Want more senior session info? Check this link…
Kelleen Hite is a senior portrait photographer based out of Jacksonville and St. Augustine Florida. Her goal is to create and amazing experience and revolutionary portraits so that every senior knows how awesome they are, and so that every parent can enjoy this fleeting moment. Kelleen is now booking for the class of 2024. To learn more about being a revolutionary KHP senior, click here.
