I mean really be real with you about something that is important to me. Photography itself aside because you all know how much I love what I do.
Most photographers or small business owners would never think about actually voicing how they really feel about certain things. It may not go over well with some but I’m going to do it any way. The people that really truly care, love and appreciate me as a person, my work and the effort that goes into their sessions will not be bothered by my honesty.
This prompted by too many entitled people who didn’t have it in them to just say thanks and move on. Instead, they feel the need to try and guilt or bully me into giving them what they want for what they think it’s worth. Here’s the thing, clients don’t determine my worth, I do.
One of the main reasons business owners keep their thoughts to themselves is because of the fear of public shaming.
In today’s world with everything online and easy to hide behind being at our finger tips, people have zero shame venting their displeasure online in an attempt to ruin someone’s name or reputation and sometimes it works. The internet is full of false and completely exaggerated or unjustified bad reviews. People even have their friends add to them even if they’ve never even been a client of the business to make it look to others as if the business has numerous unhappy clients. I’ve seen numerous photographers have to turn reviews off on their page and even some actually had to disable their page due to constant harassment and bullying.
Children are so good at being bully’s because they’ve got such great examples of it, adults are vicious.
I see it all the time and have experienced it myself when a client is unhappy for some reason. It’s usually because when the client said jump the photographer stayed put. More often than not, it’s due to the client not reading their contract and then fighting the photographer who is doing right by their business by enforcing it. The amount of people who threaten legal action just because they aren’t getting their way is appalling.
Business owners are afraid to say no for fear of public backlash. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of the world we live in. It’s like people hear no and they instantly react with a how dare you, I want it so you’re going to do it mentality.
I searched a long time and when I found my “no”, it was freeing and I’m okay with saying it. I’ve been in business a long time and the majority of it I basically gave my work and time away. I’d always over delivered and earned essentially nothing time and time again.
I was that photographer that was so excited about doing this, I felt everyone deserved to have what I offer. I bent over backwards to give it and people reached out and took it. It’s okay, it was my fault for being so literally free all the time and allowed myself to be taken advantage of.
One day, I really thought about where I want to be and it wasn’t where I was, not even close. I’m sure many of you can relate to that. If you’re just in a place where you’re just not happy and not satisfied with where your life is. The beautiful thing about life is we are not trees, we are able to move and change where we are.
What I actually did for so many years is teach people how to treat me and my work and to essentially be entitled to it at the snap of a finger and really for nothing. I wasn’t charging much money wise, but even thank you’s were few and far between.
People have come to expect high quality work for cheap or free prices and they wholeheartedly believe they are entitled to it so much so that they demand it. In fact, I have been told I’m crazy for asking my prices, even been told I’m trying to rob people. I’ve been called rude names and really torn down for asking for a liveable wage. I’ve had people publicly run my business down because I wouldn’t change my policies for them.
Every worker pays taxes, I’m not exempt from that yet people seem to think I should be working for less than minimum wage for a luxury, customized service that they want. Everyone earns an hourly wage for their time which they receive a pay cheque for minus deductions. My session costs have to pay me for my time and my deductions which are more than any regular job.
The thing that many people don’t seem to understand is that for professional photographers, the ones who are legally operating and pay the associated costs with that, do this because we love it but also because it’s our chosen career, we do this to make a living and not just the bare minimum to live pay cheque to pay cheque.
Does a lawyer take on all his clients for free because he loves his job? No, because he like everyone else works for a living and his expertise is valuable. Loving what you do doesn’t make clients entitled to have your services for free no matter the industry.
A few years ago I started to see myself and my work in a different way. I realized it wasn’t just a hobby for me and by treating it as such I would always be stuck in one place. If I didn’t value myself and my work, no one else would and I’ve experienced that, I’m over it.
I’ve made numerous changes over the past couple years but this year has been the biggest for change. There’s a reason for it that most people won’t really care about but I’m being real with you just in case you do.
In the business world, we have this thing called an ideal client. This means different things for different people and it looks different for different businesses. It doesn’t mean I want all the highest paying clients or the nicest dressed that drive the best vehicles. It’s not about that.
My ideal client are everyday normal people like many of you but they have certain qualities. Yes, they are willing to pay my price for my services but it’s not just that. My ideal client wants what I have to offer and they truly value it.
They value and respect me and the work I put in to deliver a memorable experience they are looking for and they value the artwork I create. They’re expecting to pay for what they want.
They value the training, my experience and everything I do for them to ensure they are well taken care of. They value the time invested and the final product they receive. The price tag is minor to what they are looking for when they hire me. That is the type of client I want to work with.
You see, I’m 36 years old now, I’m not in a bad place per se and I am truly blessed in many ways. I’m just not where I want to be at this point and the near future of my life.
I haven’t met the right person to share my life with so everything I need is on my shoulders. Not that I’m saying I need someone else to take care of me, but I’m sure many of you will agree that sharing life’s burdens with someone is a lot easier than on your own.
I’m still renting like many of you are but here’s the thing. I’m tired of renting. I am so tired of putting money into someone else’s pocket and owning nothing.
Guys, I want to own a home, I deserve to own a home.
I don’t need the biggest or newest but I need to be able to see it in my near future. I know many people who won’t pay my prices that are on buying house number two or three to fit their growing families. That’s wonderful for them they can do that. Thing is, I also want to be able to buy at least one in my life and I should be able to.
I want to be able to go to the grocery store and be able to shop without worrying about going over budget and risking not having enough to cover other bills.
I’d like to be able to take my parents out for dinner every once in a while and comfortably pay the bill, and I don’t mean taco time. I want to be able to buy my parents the things that they want for Christmas but don’t ask for because they feel no one can afford it. I want to take them on a vacation. Maybe not every year, but they deserve that after everything they gave and sacrificed raising kids. They aren’t getting any younger and I want to have experiences with them too.
I want to be able to have a family but I also need to be smart about it and know that I can afford to give my kids what they need. When the time comes, I want to be able to enjoy life with my kids and give them memorable experiences they will cherish growing up.
I want to earn enough to be able to have and enjoy things after all the bills are paid.
I’m tired of biting nails waiting for the next pay cheque so that I can fill my gas tank or get whatever else I need. I want to have a comfortable savings for the unexpected and know that I will still be okay in the event that something happens. If one of my pets needs the vet, I want to be able to take care of them and know that I’m not going to have to let some bills go past due for it.
Does any of this resonate with you?
Are you thinking I’m being totally reasonable or do you think I’m just being a selfish whiner because you yourself may not be in a position to have that kind of financial freedom so why should I? I think most of you can relate in the sense that you just want to earn more money and be financially free. There is nothing wrong with that, debt sucks. Renting for your entire life sucks. Living pay cheque to pay cheque sucks.
Here’s the thing, we all have way more control over our situation than we think. In regards to our jobs and how much we make, we aren’t nailed down and we have choices. If you’re in a minimum wage job barely scraping by yourself, ask yourself what are you doing to change your situation?
I’m not a full time photographer, I run a dayhome full time and photography part time which means I work two jobs and if my situation declines, I go get a third to make ends meet. Child care is even worse for people thinking they need to pay decent money for it. If I were to lose one child tomorrow, I’d start sweating to fill that spot as soon as I can because I’m not in a position to be able to lose even one child.
I’m actually going to add just how real that last sentence is. I started writing this yesterday and last night I actually did lose a child and the income with it. Just like that.
This is not the lifestyle I want. I don’t need to have a lavish lifestyle, but I deserve to have one that doesn’t leave me fearing if I can cover my bills at every hiccup.
I’m not at all belittling anyone or any job and if you’re doing your absolute best to provide for yourself or your family I praise you for it. If you want and need more, there is more out there if you’re willing and able to go for it.
I know there are people who just cannot afford luxuries like professional photography but that doesn’t mean that I should have to give it to you for YOUR comfort level which would put ME at a negative, essentially having to pay you to be my client. I choose to be a business owner so I can have more control over my life, my time and my income. I’m not wrong or selfish for wanting better.
Like all services, it’s not always a matter of money but a matter of priorities and we all prioritize things in our lives differently. We place value where we place our priorities. Some may do whatever they have to in order to have professional photography, others will put everything they have into other things and demand professional photographers meet them at what they leave themselves with. Others will just go without because they’re already stretched so thin with just getting by.
Someone not being able to afford my prices doesn’t make my prices unreasonable and it doesn’t mean I’m trying to rob people.
My prices are based on my cost of doing business including paying myself a wage which I am entitled to just like you are at your job. In order for me to offer what I do, I need to cover my costs and yes, earn a profit. Your employer doesn’t charge it’s customers their basic costs, they charge enough to pay it’s employees (you) and profit from the sales. There is not a single business out there that sells on cost alone, they would never survive.
As a photographer, I need to earn enough to buy equipment and props and this runs in the thousands. When my computer gets too old and dies, I need to be able to upgrade otherwise I wouldn’t be able to take any clients. For my job, a working computer is necessary. I need to buy props and accessories so that I can deliver a customized and unique experience to each client. My education isn’t free. Everything I do and provide my clients has a cost to it.
A professional home builder or electrician with schooling and certification doesn’t charge their basic costs, you can bet they charge you for the schooling too and yes you also pay for the tools and supplies they need to actually do the job.
I’ve increased my prices to where I need to be business wise and to start saving towards buying a home but it can only happen if I have the clients in the door. I want to change my situation so I’m doing what I have to in order to do that.
My prices aren’t unreasonable. Out of budget is not unreasonable. If someone thinks they are, the proper response is that I’m out of their budget and that’s okay. There are many photographers with different price points for every budget but it is really un necessary to tear me down for charging what I need to give myself the life that I want and deserve.
My services are customized to each client. Kind of like if you wanted a paint job on your car. A custom job is going to cost more than a simple paint job of one color and it should.
There are a lot of services that are completely optional, as in you don’t need them to survive. If you choose to buy them you absolutely should have to pay for them and appropriately.
You buy food which you need to survive but you don’t get discounts on potato chips because you want them.
My new pricing structure is different than most so it’s a new thing to clients. It’s such a way to ensure my costs are covered and I am paid what I want and deserve for my time and investment into the session. My products are priced to cover my costs to the lab as well as my time put into designing, ordering, packaging etc and to earn a profit so that I can add to my business.
It comes down to the ideal client. My ideal client will appreciate everything I invest into my business for them and they will comfortably pay my prices because they see the value in what I offer. The wrong client will insult me and call me names but the beauty in being a business owner is I can choose which one I work with.
Bullying me won’t bring my prices down for you and it will not get you what you want from me. Not to mention it’s just being an awful human being to think you have the right to do so.
I’m not a monster, I do care about people who might need a little help. I will work with people who may have to come to a compromise in order to obtain my services. Even then, my willingness to work with people has been taken advantage of too many times. If someone can’t afford my price up front, I offer payment plans. Often what ends up happening is I’m repeatedly asking for payments after they’re due. I’m expected to just let clients pay whenever they want.
Would you accept that from your employer? Like if they just ignored your pay day like clients when they see an invoice with their due date. They see it, they know payment is due but they just don’t pay it. When you ask why you haven’t been paid they either pretend not to see you (the message) or say they can’t pay you that day. They say it’ll be x number of days or weeks down the road. What if you waited and then the next date they gave came and went and they still didn’t pay you. You would not accept being put off for your pay until they decide to pay you. You have bills to cover and you have needs. I don’t know what happened in the world to teach clients that they can do this to another business.
If you’ve got friends or family who are a small business owner, don’t ask for favors or free stuff.
Being family or a friend doesn’t automatically entitle you to have free access and discounts. If you value them, you’ll pay them what they’re worth. If they’re too uncomfortable to ask for money because of your relationship, at least offer to pay them. This shows you value them and what they offer and you’re willing to support their business financially.
I’ve been thinking about this for a few days after I saw an Instagram story from a photographer I follow in the US who charges well over $1000 per session and she’s BUSY. She was on vacation with her kids and she was asked how she can take time off during the busy season for fall family photos and her response was inspiring.
Not only do thousands of photographers follow her but so do her clients so she was not afraid to speak her truth for all to hear. She apologizes to no one for making choices that put her and her family first and for giving herself what she wants. She works hard for it, she knows she’s worth it and that she deserves it. It was like a light switch for me and I started writing. I just thought, wow I want to be that confident in my decisions and make no apologies for doing what I need to change where I am.
I apologize to no one for making business decisions to improve my life.
I’m going to lose clients along the way. I’ve had many repeat clients over the years and some have left me for cheaper which is fine. People are allowed to go where their budget fits. What’s not allowed is demanding an artist reduce their price to fit the budget. More will likely follow over time as I grow and change as a business. At the same time I am welcoming new clients who see the value in what I offer and I put just as much into them as I have past clients.
Making business decisions are just that. It’s not personal, I have no hard feelings for people who have moved on from me, I wish them well.
I know I’m not the cheapest photographer around, I’m not even the most expensive. I don’t even try to be the photographer for everyone anymore. While I do feel everyone deserves to have professional photos, I don’t feel it is my responsibility to take financial hits in order to keep everyone happy. I went down that road and I didn’t like who I met along the way. No matter what I did for people, it was never enough nor was it appreciated.
I put my effort where effort is put.
If you’ve stuck with me this long, I thank you. I hope I have enlightened you and if not, that’s okay. If you don’t agree, you are entitled to how you feel. I just ask you not throw it at me. A rude response won’t change my mind and nothing I say will change yours, we move on.
Sincerely,
Melony Matson – Your newborn, child and family photographer.
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