Tag Archives: Kansas City Photography

Photography

The Cost of Great Photography. We Don’t Want Your Arms and Legs!

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According to Wikipedia, the word “photographer” means: A person who makes photographs. The word “professional” means: A member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified professional activity. So according to this a “Professional Photographer” would be anyone who makes money “making photographs”. There are no requirements as far as obtaining any degrees or even certifications to become a Professional Photographer. So why do some photographers seem to charge so much while others are very cheap? This is a question I see all the time. Often on social media platforms like Facebook Swap pages I see people searching for photographers and it looks something like this: ISO (In search of- for those of you who don’t do the swap pages) Photographer that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. Actually I see these posts for all kinds of professions and I suppose the obvious response to any of them would be “you get what you pay for” but I get it. If there are two photographers and one is charging $50 for a session and the other is charging $400, how much more could you possibly be getting? The answer is: “More than you can probably even imagine”.

Experience- The more experience a photographer has the more they will most likely charge.

Quality

I have to preface by saying that everyone starts somewhere and just because a photographer is new does NOT necessarily mean that you shouldn’t give them a chance. New photographers are usually trying to build their portfolio and develop their style and skills and hopefully gain a loyal client-base along the way. This means that they may offer sessions at a cheaper price which can be a great way to update those frames or get grandma and grandpa off your back if they are asking for new photos of the grandkids. 😉 They may even be a great option for a small, casual wedding. However, if you are looking for consistently high quality work you might be better off to go with a photographer with a few more years under their belt. Experienced photographers will have a developed style that you can count on. They will have more knowledge of things like “what to wear”, locations to use, posing and how to get your kids to smile. They will have more editing skills to make your finished images look their best. Just like any profession, photographers with more experience are typically going to cost more. I certainly would never charge the same fee for photography from “beginner me” who started their photographer journey 14 years ago as I would for “current me”!

Safety

When you think of scheduling a photo session, “danger” is not usually something that crosses your mind. Surprisingly though, experienced photographers keep many things in mind to make sure everyone stays safe during your session that inexperienced photographers may not be aware of. For instance, we have all seen great photos of people standing or even sitting on railroad tracks. Did you know that those photos are not only extremely dangerous but also illegal? Almost 600 people die each year from taking photos on railroad tracks. This includes both clients and photographers. Most people think they will hear or see a train coming in time to get out of the way but trains are moving fast and take a long time to stop and by the time you hear them it may be too late not to mention you could trip or get caught up on the tracks. An inexperienced photographer might also choose a location that could be dangerous to have young children around such as close to a busy road or body of water.

Another common photo that we have all seen is the adorable newborn baby laying propped up on it’s elbows with it’s little chin propped up on it’s fists. Experienced newborn photographers know that this pose should ONLY be done in editing. It is what is called a composition (or a combination of two separate images that are combined in post processing). An inexperienced photographer could seriously injure a newborn attempting this shot incorrectly.

Expenses- More than likely, photographers that charge more also offer and provide more. That means they have more expenses!

Website

With all of the social media platforms available, it is possible for photographers to get found without a full blown website. However, having a website not only makes it easier to find a photographer, but it also allows clients to much more easily see examples of the photographers work, find information like pricing and package options, check out examples of locations you might want to use, view and order photos after your session and so much more. While a website may not seem like a large expense, there are hosting fees, domain name fees, and added software fees just to name a few of the possible expenses associated with providing this feature to clients.

Business License

Like any business, photographers who are running a legal “professional business” are required to have a business license. Does this mean that all of them do? No. So that might be another expense that the photographer charging more has that cheap photographers don’t. What difference does this make to you as a client? Well maybe not that much other than you are dealing with someone who is not running a legal business. And if they aren’t handling this part of their business correctly it makes you wonder what else isn’t legit or going to be handled professionally.

Taxes

Ahhhh…taxes. We love taxes right? But we all have to pay them. Or maybe I should say we are all SUPPOSED to pay them. How can taxes be an expense that one photographer has and another doesn’t? Well, like I mentioned above, a lot of photographers start out by just charging a little and shooting for friends and family and gradually branching out. If they are doing well and decide to start a business hopefully they then take all of the steps needed to run a legit, legal business. Since photographers don’t need a brick and mortar storefront or even a business website though, many decide to continue their little “business” by just shooting their little hearts out and pocketing the money. As a legit business a photographer should be declaring their income and paying taxes on that, have personal property taxes on their business and if they offer any prints or products charging and paying sales tax.

Professional Printing Lab

Many professional photographers offer prints, albums, canvases or other products that you can purchase directly through their website after your session. This is a wonderful convenience for you as a client. Although professional labs don’t charge the photographer any kind of fee to use their services (other than paying cost for the products) they do typically require a sales tax ID so if they don’t have a legit business set up, this may be a luxury that they cannot offer you.

Permits

With the huge increase in “Photographers” in the past few years, there has also been a huge increase in people using and unfortunately in some cases, damaging popular photography locations. This has led to many “hot spots”requiring a permit to shoot there professionally. Permits can cost anywhere from $25 to $100 or even more. So chances are, unless they are informing you that you will be responsible for the permit fee, if you hire a photographer that is only charging around $100 or less for a session, they are not purchasing a permit. This will either A) drastically limit your location choices or B) they may choose to shoot there hoping that no one will ask to see their permit. This could result in not being able to obtain admittance into the location or being asked to leave in the middle of the session.

Insurance

Insurance is another “not-so-fun” expense that photographers may have, but it is an important one…for both the photographer and the client. Let’s say you hire a photographer for a family session in a rose garden. Your 4 year old wants to pose next to a statue. The next thing you know, CRASH! The statue topples over breaking into pieces. Who is responsible for the damages? This can get messy (and expensive) but a photographer who is insured should be covered. For this reason many locations require proof of insurance to obtain the permits mentioned above.

Equipment

While I truly believe it’s not as much what kind of camera and equipment a photographer uses, as much as it is the ability of a photographer that makes great photographs…having the right equipment does help and often times is just downright necessary. A variety of lenses may be needed to achieve certain styles, in places where space is limited or to be able to get a large group into a shot. Artificial lighting is often needed in poorly lit areas or low light times of day and is a MUST for any photographer shooting weddings. A high-quality back up camera is so important for wedding photographers (what if one camera quits working in the middle of a ceremony?) but also is a great idea for any professional who may not be able to get a camera that is malfunctioning repaired prior to a shoot which would lead to cancellations or reschedules. Then there’s the memory cards, camera bags, tripods, backdrops, props and so many other “extras” that photographers need to be able to fulfill client’s needs. That adds up to several thousands of dollars!

Editing

In this time of digital photography, if photographers want to take their photos to their full potential, editing is a must. Even if they aren’t making a lot of big changes to a photo, most professional photographers shoot in RAW mode, which means the camera makes no changes to the photo at all so that they can start with a completely fresh image and slightly (or sometimes greatly) enhance it to their style. You can’t use RAW images for anything (prints, social media, etc.) so at the very least their images must be converted to another format in software like Lightroom or Photoshop. Many photographers us both. Software can be a fairly big expense on it’s own but there are a lot of additional expenses that a photographer might have to reach their full editing potential. Like taking great photos, learning how to edit them takes time…and sometimes some money. There are a lot of great courses, classes and workshops to help photographers learn the art of editing or specific editing skills. Some are free, but many are not. There are also add-ons called “presets or actions” that photographers can purchase for their software to make editing in certain styles or adding certain effects faster and easier. And obviously editing requires a decent computer and most likely a large external hard drive to store all of those images!

Studio

Most photographers choose to shoot “on location” utilizing the great outdoors, a client’s home, or maybe they have an in-home studio. But some photographers still have a brick and mortar photography studio which means rent or mortgage and utilities. This can be a great bonus to clients, especially in instances where you only have a specific time/date available so rescheduling due to bad weather is not an option. It also allows for sessions that can be hard to find a good indoor place for such as headshots or boudoir photography. Photographers with a studio most likely also have additional lighting and backdrop expenses to achieve the best studio photography look.

What are your memories worth?

Hopefully this has shed some light on the many expenses photographers have beyond the camera that you see them carry. Some photographers might be forking out a good portion of their hard earned session fees to provide all of these services (and a legal business). Others may be just starting out and getting by with the basics, while some fall somewhere in between. When choosing a photographer for your photo session, consider what your specific needs are for that session and then budget appropriately. A quick family session for a Christmas card photo might be a great time to look for a bargain, while once-in-a-lifetime events and milestones like weddings and senior photos might be worth saving up for the best. Just know that just because one photographer appears to be charging much more than another, they are probably giving that back to you in services and quality and not just trying to take all of your money…or your arms and legs.

Photography

After The Photo Session…What to do with your digital photograpy images.

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 **This blog contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

You found the perfect photographer. Picked a date for your session. Changed the date for your session because you realized someone had a baseball/volleyball/soccer game that day. Ran all over place finding the perfect outfits for everyone. Got haircuts. You arrive at your session excited to get some great new photos of your family. You survive repeatedly herding that one child that keeps wandering off and pleading with the other one to “JUST SMILE PLEASE”!

You receive your gallery and are pleasantly surprised to see that your wonderful photographer somehow worked a miracle and captured a lot of great images. You look at your gallery several times, show your family, your friends, post some on social media and enjoy reading all of the “great photo!” comments. And then….nothing.

Today, most clients prefer receiving digital images with printing rights from their photographer rather than purchasing prints. The benefits of receiving digital images include being able to order what you want, when you want and at what price point works best for you. If something comes up and you need a photo printed quickly for a gift or party, you can upload it to a 1 hour lab (Walmart, Costco, Walgreens). If it’s quality you want, many pro photo labs have public versions available online for anyone to use (Mpix) but without the pressure of making a decision right away. So what’s the catch? Not having to make a decision right away means- not making a decision right away….or for weeks, months, or sometimes ever! Time slips away and the images still sit on the flash drive or computer and suddenly those “updated” photos you wanted aren’t so updated anymore. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your digital images and enjoy them for years to come!

Make a list

Prior to your session, walk around your house. Look at the frames you have and decide if there are some that need fresh, updated photos. Write down both the size of the photos needed for the frames and whether they are vertical or horizontal layout. The layout is something people often don’t think about but it’s important to determine this and then let your photographer know if you have a certain layout need before or at the beginning of the session. Photographers usually decide this in the moment and you will often get more of one layout than another so for instance if you have a frame that you want to fill with vertical photos, tell your photographer you will need a good selection of that layout to choose from.

Look for blank spaces on walls. Maybe you need a canvas to fill a bare spot or for over the fireplace. Canvases are one of my favorite ways to display images around my home. They look great alone, combined with other canvases or other wall decor. I used to include canvases in my products available for my clients to purchase, however the cost of them from my professional lab was out of the price range that some of them wanted to stay in. For my personal use, I had been using a company called Canvas On Demand. Their canvases are extremely affordable and great quality. I have many that are several years old and still look beautiful! I now recommend my clients get more bang for their buck and order their own canvases from them!

Decide where you will order your prints from

Now that you have a list of your printing needs, it’s a smart idea to think about where you will be purchasing your prints. This may be multiple places depending on your needs. For instance, if you are ordering some large portraits and frame fillers to display around your home, or gifts for others, the quality may be the most important factor to you. Your photographer will most likely have a professional lab that they work with and that you can order from. These prints will usually be the most accurate as far as color and often have protective and/or UV coating so that they will stay beautiful for years to come. If you are wanting a canvas you may want to order that separately from Canvas On Demand (link above) or another company.

Many of my High School Senior Portrait clients like to have a bunch of wallets to hand out and trade at their graduation parties. It can get pricey to order the amount needed and usually the absolute best quality isn’t a priority in this situation so they often use a cheaper local lab that can deliver quickly (this sometimes gets forgotten about until the last minute so speed is definitely a bonus). There are many local options that offer quick turn-around or even 1 hour printing including Target, Walmart, Costco, Walgreens, CVS and more. The quality and color using these labs can vary but for small prints and wallets where time and cost is the priority this can often be the best option.

Think Gifts!

Prints, canvases and other photo products make the BEST gifts! Think about holidays and birthdays coming up and who might love a print or canvas from your recent photo session. Grandparents LOVE family portraits or senior photos. Maybe order an image on a coffee mug or make a blanket or calendar using images from your session. There are several online companies that offer a huge variety of photo gifts.

Treat yourself

If you don’t know exactly what you want to do with your images or if you just aren’t ready to order everything right away, it is still a good idea to do SOMETHING with your images as soon as your gallery is delivered to you. Companies like Shutterfly offer several products that you can personalize using your images. You will be most excited about your images while they are still new so now is the time to show them off. Order yourself a calendar for work, a phone case or a photo book! The possibilities are almost endless. No matter how you decide to enjoy your images, timing is key. Hopefully you now have the tips and advice needed to prevent your cherished photos from sitting on your computer or flash drive and instead enjoy them for years to come.

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Great Photography Locations In and Around Kansas City

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Kansas City Photographers and photography clients alike may not realize just how blessed they are to have such an awesome variety of locations and settings to choose from for their sessions. Whether you are looking for an urban backdrop with alleys, graffiti, and cool doorways or rolling pastures, and old barns you can find it all within a short drive. Manicured parks with fountains and gardens and rustic woods are both a hop, skip and jump away. Here is a list of some of my personal favorites. Some are no secret (as in you might be standing in a line of other photographers and clients waiting for the “hot spots”) but are dependable and often worth using again and again. You can find my business website with more of my work at: www.heathernealphotography.com

Burr Oak Woods

Located in Blue Springs just off 7 Highway, Burr Oak Woods is a beautiful location year round. Always changing with the seasons and with an enormous variety of backgrounds, it is easy to use over and over still create unique and personal sessions. The Evergreen forest is extremely popular and beautiful in every season.

Things to note:

  • No pets are allowed at Burr Oak so this is not a location for pet sessions or family sessions that include Rover.
  • Burr Oak Woods occasionally holds “managed hunts”. During these hunts the park is closed to non-hunters. You can check their website or call their conservation center to check on scheduled hunt times
  • During peak photography times be prepared to work around other photographers and clients in the evergreen forest.

Lake Jacomo

Also located near Blue Springs, Lake Jacomo offers a wide variety of natural backgrounds and is a great location for those who are looking for a setting with water. The Marina offers docks, stairs, a blue “garage” door and some woods near the parking lot that have brilliant colored leaves in the fall. There is a second fishing dock in a cove that is a bit of a challenge to find if you aren’t familiar with the area but quieter and has a beautiful sidewalk that is tree lined on one side and the lake lines the other. There is also a great wooden staircase off of one of the shelter areas that leads to a tiny dock however it’s not always open to the public. I love scheduling to use sessions here but since it’s close to Burr Oak Woods, I also use it as a back-up location in case we arrive at Burr Oak and find it closed due to a managed hunt.

Things to note:

  • Finding locations in Fleming Park/Lake Jacomo can be tricky so it’s sometimes best for photographers and clients to meet somewhere nearby and follow each other to the locations you want to use.
  • Pet friendly!
  • Bring some carrots and feed the buffalo and elk while you are here.
  • Stop at the entrance off of Liggett Road for some good woodsy photos and occasionally hay bails

West Bottoms

The West Bottoms is easily one of the most popular “Urban” photography settings in Kansas City and with good reason. With colorful doorways, metal staircases, graffiti, rustic buildings and alleys full of brick and ivy around every corner, it is a fantastic place to find an overwhelming variety of backgrounds without even trying. Especially good for high school seniors, tweens and family sessions!

Things to Note:

  • Check for events such as “First Fridays” that may be taking place at the time of your session. It brings in big crowds and parking and keeping people out of the background can be difficult.
  • There are a ton of great backdrops in a small area but to get the most variety you will want to do some walking. Clients should bring some easy to slip on and off walking shoes if they might be wearing heels or uncomfortable shoes.
  • Set aside some time before or after the session for some shopping while you are there! There are so many great shops in the West Bottoms!

Crossroads Art District

If you are looking for graffiti, the Crossroads Art District takes it to a whole other level. The graffiti in the Art District is…well, art! Huge murals, “graffiti alley” and other random alleys with amazing artwork are a photographer (and some clients’) dream come true! There are even hanging twinkle lights and a cool old camper.

Things to Note:

  • This is another “walking” location so throw some comfy shoes or flip flops in a bag
  • There are great locations spread out here all the way from the bridge that goes to Union Station to the 18th and Oak St. area so you might plan to park and drive between them

Loose Park

If you are looking for someplace new and original for your photo session…well, Loose Park isn’t your place. This park is more full of photographers and clients than anything else on most days, but with good reason. Think… rose garden, fountains, ponds, bridges, weeping willows, flowering trees, stone walls, majestic trees…need I go on? It’s central location in Kansas City also puts it near many other great locations so if you are thinking of using multiple locations you might consider making this one of them!

Things to Note:

  • This is a BIG park. You can easily do an entire session around the rose garden if you are short on time or have clients who can’t walk far. But if you are wanting to hit all of the “hot spots”, be prepared to walk some.
  • Parking is limited. There is a parking lot off of Wornall and another small one off of 52nd. On really nice weekend days they fill up quickly.
  • Be prepared to wait your turn for the popular spots.

Belvoir Winery

Just South of Liberty, off of 291 Hwy you will find this hidden gem. Belvoir winery has a unique combination of nature and architectural elements that can be used for your photo session. It is a great spot for all types of sessions and the trees are beautiful in the fall. There is an open pasture and lots of green space surrounding the buildings and staircases, steps, ledges and all kinds of places on and around the main building for a great variety of posing!

Things to Note:

  • Belvoir Winery hosts several events including weddings. They don’t mind photographers as long as there is not a wedding scheduled. You can check the calendar on their website for scheduled weddings and events…including ghost tours!

Old Red Bridge

I have only been to this location once for a family session and it was a rainy day so we didn’t do too much exploring but I loved Old Red Bridge. It’s a fairly unique location and doesn’t seem to be overused. You can leave a “love lock” on the bridge while you are there. Perfect engagement session! There is a park nearby which provides some green space as well.

Things to Note:

  • Bring a lock!

Unity Village

Located just outside of Lee’s Summit, Unity Village offers beautiful fountains, a rose garden and amazing architecture. There are also trails around the buildings and lots of trees which provide green space or beautiful colors in the fall. They have recently implemented a policy requiring “commercial” photographers to purchase an “approved photographer badge” which is $100 for one day or $500 for the year. Their policy is a bit confusing since a commercial photographer is actually photography used to sell or market a product however on their site they have the following definition: *Unity considers a commercial photographer to be anyone providing photography services for a fee.

Things to Note:

  • You may be charged $100 to shoot here. If you do not have a badge, they will give you a warning. Second violation states they may press charges for trespassing.

Union Station

Unless you are a studio photographer, there aren’t a whole lot of indoor options around Kansas City for photography use. Most photographers and their clients end up at Union Station. During the holidays it is beautifully decorated and there are a lot of great spots for photos (as long as you are wanting a Christmas theme). They do charge for a permit but waive that fee between Thanksgiving and New Year. Their fee is a bit confusing. Here is their policy:

FORMAL PHOTOGRAPHY

$75 facility fee. Our definition of “Formal” includes the occasions of weddings, engagements, graduations, and any event that includes more than 10 people. If the group is part of an event at Union Station, this fee is waived.

INFORMAL PHOTOGRAPHY

$25 facility fee. In the cases of Informal Photos being taken for private use, the fee is reduced. Our definition of “Informal” includes groups of less than 10 people (and waive it entirely between Thanksgiving and New Year).

Things to Note:

  • You may be charged a fee to shoot indoors here
  • Parking at Union Station is not free, however you can park at the Liberty Memorial for free and walk
  • During the holidays you will have a hard time finding areas that aren’t decorated for Christmas.

After your session is over, get those images off your computer and onto your walls with Canvas on Demand!

**This blog contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.