remembering why

i've got some big changes to tell you about, but first, i've got to share with you what's been on my heart for the past few months.

two years ago when i was preparing to make a career out of my passion for photography, i remember telling my husband that i wanted to fill a niche that had seemed to be overlooked by so many of the photographers that i saw around me.  as i prepped to launch my business, i talked with families in my area and quickly realized that most everyone falls into one of two very distinct groups: the nothing-but-the-best-for-our-family-photos group -- and the target-ers. 

now the first group expects to have a fun and enjoyable experience while they shoot with their professional photographer.  they want the photographs to reflect who they are as a family -- their laughs, their silly games, and the sweet moments that reflect the love they have for one another.  further, when it's all said and done they want very high quality photographs that will last for decades to come.  this group wants a lot out of their session experience, and they're willing (or perhaps even more importantly, they're able) to pay tremendous amounts for it. 

the target-ers, on the other hand, have a whole different set of expectations.  yes, they're looking for a photo to document a certain event -- perhaps a birthday or even an engagement -- but they don't expect it to be much fun.  in fact, if there's a baby or child involved, they spend the three days leading up to the main event praying for just "one decent shot" without screaming or tears.  i've learned that for most of this group, it's not that they don't desire the same fantastic results as the first group, but shelling out $800 for a photography session and a handful of killer photos just isn't an option. 

the target-ers would prefer not to have to sell a kidney in exchange for beautiful pictures.

that's where i come in.  when i was first setting up my business model in early 2008, i aimed to be a really good photographer at a really affordable price.   and that's exactly where i started (well, at least as far as the pricing is concerned).  but as my client base grew, so did my prices.  a bit of that was a necessary evil as i was way off the mark in some areas, but as far as the rest of it, my prices were still a good bit below most of the photographers around here, so i thought all was fine.

fine, that is, until one day recently as i was totaling up an order for a client and thought, "geez louise, i couldn't even afford myself at the rate this is going!"   it hit me that i had gradually departed from the very thing i set out to do, and i began work that day to get back to who i am and where i want to be.

with all of that said (sorry...i know it was a lot), i'm crazy-thrilled to let you know that with just a couple of exceptions, i've dropped my prices by about 20% to 50% across the board.  WHOO-HOO!!!!!! 

now before you race off to my website to scope out the new deals, let me explain a little something to you.  being a professional photographer is not cheap.  among many other financial considerations, the costs involved in having photographs printed by professionals who work diligently to turn out the highest quality products time and time again are much more than you probably imagine.  the company that i outsource all of my printing to charges many times over what you get with any local lab, and that's just my cost.  so as much as i would love to sell you 11 8x10s for twenty bucks, my family simply can't afford for me to do that.  (not to mention that there's a little guy halfway across the world who needs me to make some money, too, so he can come home!)  but i hope you'll be happy with the changes, and i hope you know this comes from my heart.  so if you're a member of the nothing-but-the-best group, enjoy the savings, and if you're a closet target-er, i'd love to have you hop on board.

because i'd really hate for you to sell your kidney.

(note: i just reread this post, and i want to make sure that it doesn't sound like i'm bashing target.  in fact, i love me some target.  we just work in different ways.  ok, now i'm rambling...)