"You're too Expensive"

I have heard this a bit lately and to be honest it can be a bit disheartening at times. If you know me at all, I LOVE a bargain but will also pay a pretty penny for quality things that last, including images of my family. Sometimes when I get turned down for work due to price, it really bugs me. It bugs me because I question myself but also at times it makes me feel like I need to defend or validate my time, talents, and business. I am trying to the best of my abitlity to make wise long-haul business decisions, while also offering my clients excellence. There's nothing like the feeling I get when I make a client happy. Like today for instance, my recent bride texted me this morning "I love them [pictures] so much! You are truly gifted! Thank you so much for capturing our day." What beats that?!

A Portland area Photographer, Courtney Jade , wrote an excellent blog post earlier this year about "the price." Here's an excerpt that I whole heartedly agree with!

"You invest SO MUCH time, money, sweat, tears, and brainpower planning this wedding. One of the most important days of your entire life. You spend MONTHS getting everything ready, planning, deciding, choosing, coordinating…. and your day goes by in what always seems like an instant. Gone too soon. When the make-up has been put on, the hair curled… when the seats have been filled with loving friends and family, and the vowes have been spoken…. when you’ve had your first kiss as ‘husband and wife’, and the crowd is cheering… when the cake has been cut, the bouquet tossed, and the garter retrieved, and the dances are over… when you get into that getaway car and finally have a moment to reflect on the day (maybe)… what will you remember? What about in five years? ten? twenty?

THIS is why your photography is so important. Too often it’s an afterthought for couples. And I’ve heard more times than not “I wish we would have hired a better photographer”, or “I was really unhappy with our photos”, or “I never thought about it that much”. And every time it breaks my heart. This is why I do what I do."  - quoted from Courtney Jade's blog

Thanks Courtney for expressing it perfectly and reminding me of why I do what I do!

Happy Tuesday friends!