Being a business owner has taught me one important thing and really being on Facebook alone should have taught me this years ago, but here it is… no matter how much information you put out there, many people really don’t read.
Not only have I seen this go down in full out fights in my FB news feed where people have commented on something without actually reading it first, but I receive weekly emails with many questions to which answers can be easily found here on the website. This isn’t a complaint, simply an observation and in today’s fast paced world, not at all a surprise. However I do receive some questions that I have not put answers to here on my site and I thought– what the heck, let’s do this! So here are my top non-publicly answered questions.
1. “Why are you so expensive?” Or “Boudoir McPhotographer offers everything you do but includes the digital files for a fraction of YOUR price.” Or anything else that refers to my pricing in an negative way.
Answer: When I first decided to become a professional photographer I was certain that I was going to provide amazing images, give clients all the files and be cost efficient unlike those over priced photographers that are laughing all the way to the bank. I was going to supply everyone with access to amazing work for very little investment. The “Peoples Photographer”, if you will. So I set up my basic pricing for a session, full edits and a disk of 40 images for $300! Wahoo, that’s $300 and disks are cheap and I didn’t have a studio so I shot on location only, so that’s a HUGE profit for me! And if they wanted prints they were$3- $25(Uhhh, nobody buys prints when you give them all the files- duh). This went on for a while and I started to notice I had very little money. It didn’t make sense, I didn’t have a studio so no over head there, instead I traveled to locations. I finally sat down and did the math, the cost of running a business which included everything from basic business cards to props, gear, licensing, travel(gas), taxes etc… I then calculated the hours I put in to each client and running my business(ordering supplies, web design, social media, marketing, bookkeeping etc… you know, all that time away from my family) and discovered I was making $1.17 an hour. I was devastated. How could this be? I’m a business owner without employees and I’m not even close to making minimum wage!?
I realized that if I was going to run a business and spend time away from my young family to do so, then I was going to have to take this seriously and figure out what I need to charge in order to turn a profit.
I can’t tell you why other photographers charge what they do and quite frankly I don’t really care. I have no idea what their overhead is or even if they are running a legit business with a license, insurance and paying taxes, so the short answer to why my prices are what they are:
- I am skilled at what I do.
- I ONLY shoot and specialize in Beauty and Boudoir.
- I know how to pose women of all ages and sizes to flatter their best features.
- I give each client a personalized experience.
- I charge enough to cover all my expenses that come with creating a perfect photo session and running a successful studio.(I am still not laughing all the way to the bank, but wish I were)
- Boudoir photography is a luxury item and I am a fantastic artist and luxury provider. <— and humble in every way. hahaha.
I absolutely encourage people to shop around. Obviously budget plays a role in which photographer you choose to go with but don’t make that your primary factor. Choose a photographer whose work you love, whom you feel comfortable with when you meet or chat with on the phone and go from there. Go with your gut! Many photographers like myself offer payment plans. I know this is a big investment and I take the time with my clients to make it an incredible life experience. Like that Louis Vuitton purse you’ve been dying for, wouldn’t you rather save up and get the one you want over the knock off that saves you money but leaves you feeling less than thrilled? You deserve to look amazing, to feel sexy and confident. You deserve the best, so take your time with your decision and then make it happen!
2. “When will you be offering a deal” Or “Do you have a Groupon or Living Social deal coming out soon?”
I get these questions a lot. We have a notion in this society that nothing is really worth what the price tag says so we expect better deals. The truth is, I simply cannot afford to do a deal site deal. I did look into it but I would have been so far in the hole right out of the gate that banking on a big sale was unlikely and it is all too stressful. Not to mention I purposely only take on 6 clients a month so I can give them personalized attention– like going shopping with them and making sure they have figure flattering wardrobe choices. I want to provide a glamorous model for the day experience not a herd them in like cattle and push them out the door like most deals site want you to do. Besides, I have sadly seen many a photographer(and many other small businesses) go broke after offering their “deal”. That old saying “If it’s too good to be true…” it can apply to those on the giving end also.
This is not to say I don’t run specials or give “deals”. I purposely created all-inclusive packages that can save you $100- $1500 off of a la carte pricing if albums and digital files are what you want most! I will soon be offering mini sessions, which in order to cut the price will mean a deduction in options and services but it will hopefully appeal to those wanting a Coterie experience with a strictly limited budget. Look for that to launch early to mid March!
BUYER BEWARE!
There has been a huge influx of photography deals being offered these days. Many of these can be a fabulous option, but note that often these promotions are held by inexperienced photographers and sadly, TOO MANY are not even using their own images to lure you in. Some deal sites even offer to provide an image for you, WHAT!? While others do not check the validity of the image provided. Is “cheap” what you want to associate you boudoir session with? Last week I recognized an image from an offer that was taken by my good friend Stacie of Haute Shots. It was being used by a local photographer to promote her session. The above image illustrates Stacie’s shot and then the replacement, which I blurred and no I won’t reveal who this was because that’s not what this is about. This is about being sure that you have made the right choice and can put your trust in the photographer you choose. Let’s face it, if a photographer is showing you images, you expect them to be able to reproduce those images because it is their work, right!?
Boudoir sessions are intimate and place you in a position of vulnerability. No it is not appropriate for a photographer, male or female to request shots of you in lingerie so they will know what they will be working with( I’ve been told by more than one local deal buyer that this has happened to them *shudder*). On that note I have told clients that they are more than welcome to text me shots of outfits they find while out shopping –never had anyone send a shot of them in said outfit. 😉 Please, please be sure you can trust the photographer you choose and if you see a great deal, check out that photographer first, meet with them, ask to see their printed samples and if they cannot do this for you then move on to someone who can. And if they can and you love it, then this is a huge score for you!
3. The images on your site look fabulous but I’m not a model and don’t have a models figure so I’m not sure I’m ready.
Okay, so this isn’t really a question but a statement I hear all the time or in some form of and it is made with hope of receiving reassurance and damn straight you’ll be getting that reassurance from me! Ha!
Every single gal on this site is just a regular woman with no modeling experience- mom, bride, nurse, paramedic, self conscious, body issues, “too fat”, “too skinny”, “chicken legs”, “no boobs”, stretch marks, “not photogenic”, excess skin… you name it it’s been brought up and I am proud to say that I photographed them all and made them look and feel gorgeous. Like the great Barney Stinson always says “Challenge accepted!”
You don’t need to lose weight, you don’t have to know how to pose, you don’t have to have perfect skin. You just need to be brave enough to book your session and be willing to discover a sexy self confidence within. There is something that I tell every woman I can and it’s the utmost truth– almost every single lady who has been in front of my camera has commented on how much confidence they felt after their session that they never expected. Do I photoshop, yup. Do I make each woman look completely different in photoshop, hell no. And I show every lady a few shots on the back of the camera to prove this. So that they can see this is them, right now, without any retouching, looking absolutely freaking gorgeous! Cuz that’s how I roll. 😉
The above image is of the lovely Miss D who enjoyed herself so much she came in for a second shoot! Here’s what she had to say:
“You have to experience a photo shoot to appreciate the energy and sense of confidence it can give you. Not being of athletic or small framed statuette, I was amazed at how “sexy” I felt during and after when I received my prints. I have a new found respect and appreciation of my body. Danea makes your session her top priority and keeps the fun going the whole time. I highly recommend trying it and if you’ve done it, book a session and do it again!”
She booked the full day Starlette and we laughed almost the whole time. ♥
Okay, so there you have it, a few of the frequent questions I get and my answers. I hope this was helpful for some of you and please feel free to ask any more questions in the comments as I would be more than happy to answer the best I can.
For those interested in more session information or to book your own fabulous experience you can email or call me at:
bcoterie@sbcglobal.net or 408.460.1855
 I’ve never been much of a New Year’s resolution person, but I do usually try to re-focus my energy towards healthier habits during this time of year. Most of this involves getting back on track with things that went out the window during the holidays (they started in July, right?). This year is especially challenging since I got married in April. I was eating really well and working out a ton up until the wedding, and I bet you can guess what happened next…
