Pageant Head Shot Photographer :: Michigan & Ohio

Conceptual Children’s Photographer

Alexa ::Michigan Model’s Photographer

Value, How do you determine it?

 

I am an average consumer when it comes to grocery shopping. I have a budget, a list of things I need or want to purchase, and typically an end goal, which is to get out of the store as quickly as possible without breaking the bank.

I used to shop at a chain  superstore type supermarket. It was great, mostly. The area where I shopped wasn’t ideal, police often could be seen driving through the parking lot, the store was ALWAYS packed full of other busy mom’s just trying to get through another shopping nightmare, and the lines were ridiculously long because only 2 of the 20 checkout lanes were open. I noticed sometimes that the produce was quite as fresh as it should be, buying grapes here was always a 50/50 because typically they were bad within a day or two, but not always. There were so many shoppers that the isles were hard to get my cart around and finding someone who worked in the store to help me find something on my list was nearly impossible. I could over look all that though because I was getting a better deal than if I shopped at my local supermarket, most times it felt like a fair trade for the higher price I wasn’t paying when I shopped local. Sometimes the store was a little unkept and I didn’t particularly care to shop there after dark, but again, to save a little money I made the choice to allow this to be my shopping experience.

One day, I just didn’t have the extra time to drive the extra 15 minutes to get to my grocery superstore of choice so I decided to shop local. I drove up to the store and immediately noticed that the parking lot was not as jam packed as the superstore lot, nice, no walking for 2 miles in the rain for this girl! As I walked inside to grab a cart, I noticed right away that the store itself was cleaner, brighter, and more welcoming, though I tried not to notice too much because I knew I’d have to go back to my superstore for the next trip. I went inside with a little hesitation, knowing I’d be paying more money for the products that I could get at the superstore, but with caution, I proceeded.

I was greeted by a bright display of crisp, fresh vegetables, organics too! The colors, smells, and textures lured me in. I went to the grapes, not so much more expensive as I had thought, but more importantly, they were fresh and I had no doubt that these would last more than a day in my fridge. A little less reluctantly than I had been a minute before, I scooped them up and put them in the cart.

As I browsed around the store and checked off my shopping list, I realized that I wasn’t doing my normal Tazmanian Devil run, grabbing things as quickly as possible to avoid being in the store for an hour. With leisure and a latte’ (yes, this local market had a Starbucks inside, SCORE!) I strolled around the store and took my time, I actually enjoyed the peace and quiet that this particular trip was allowing me.

When I got to the checkout lane, I noticed that out of about 10 lanes, 6 or so were open, again, another bonus! I stood in line behind one other shopper for just a few minutes before it was my turn to check out. A lovely cashier greeted me with conversation and a smile, something I wasn’t used to at the super store. A young man bagged my groceries which was a nice change from that turn-style thing they used at the other store, that awkwardness it brought when I tried to take a bag off and the cashier would say, “Not yet! It’s not full!” Yes, that really HAS happened to me, twice. Pardon me lady but I don’t want my lady products dropping out of my plastic bag in the middle of your parking lot because you just HAD to put 17 items into a 2 cent bag! That’s obviously what I wanted to say but I digress.

As I strolled out of the local supermarket feeling like a champ, I was surprisingly calm and relaxed. I wasn’t wiping my brow thanking the sweet Lord for letting me survive grocery shopping just one more time. Nope, I was actually feeling pretty good. Now, was my bill higher? Yep, sure was. Not only was my bill higher but so was my value for that store. The experience I had while shopping was worth every extra penny I paid by skipping the super store supermarket. Instead of seeing dollars and cents, I saw value and a quality of experience. I was more comfortable, treated better, and more relaxed with the experience this time. I was leaving feeling fulfilled with no complaints, I really felt like I got what I had paid for, which wasn’t just a few bananas and some toilet paper.

My shopping experience can be compared to that of selecting a custom photographer. You can find someone who takes pictures or you can find someone who creates an experience that leaves you in awe and with beautiful portraiture. Will there be a price difference? Absolutely. What you need to determine is what you value most; the end result or the actual cash price you’ll pay. Are you ok with so-so pictures because you got your session and disc for “super cheap?” If so, great, keep on keepin’ on friend! If you value the time, talent, and experience that will go into each individual handcrafted image then you’ll probably spend more but your regrets will be far less when you see your friends post their beautiful images to social media. Your heart won’t sink because you’ll know that you placed your value on product and not price.

Every photographer places a certain “value” on their time, talent, and experience. Some price low and some price high. Some feel like a session and disc is worth $75 and others won’t leave their homes to shoot for less than $750, and that doesn’t include your disc. I fall somewhere in the middle. Every time I leave my home, I have to make it “worth it.” When I part ways with my children for a session, I need THEM to know that I have THEIR best interest at heart. A typical session will cost me around 12-15 hours of their lives total. The break down is as follows:

Planning/E-mails/Consultation 1-2 Hours

Driving the Day of the Session 1-2 Hours

Shooting the session 1-3 hours

Uploading Images from my Cards to my Computer 30 minutes-1hour

Culling Images (sorting to find the best) 1 hour

Editing (on a standard session with LITTLE retouch) 8-12 hours

Delivery (Digital or Prints) 1-2 hours between e-mails and/or driving, setting up galleries, and answering questions on how to download for new clients.

Archiving Images after they are finished 30 minutes

Every now and then I will have a new client book a session after having me explain what is included with each session fee, what the price it, etc, and they will say something like,

“Well I REALLY love your photography, it’s so bright and pretty, but I have a friend who’s just starting out who will do it for just the cost of your session fee, will you compete with that?”

The answer, simply, is no. If we break it down with a math fact, it would go something like this:

$125x 35% for taxes right off the top= $43.75

Now I have $81.25 so let’s divide that by a minimum 12 hours that will go into the session and that leaves me with $6.77 per hour. Hmmm, not quite minimum wage, certainly no way *I* want to make my living if I can help it.

Now, let’s take that $6.77 and figure in the gas it took to get to the session, the insurance I pay monthly to ensure my client’s safety while shooting, the expensive equipment that it takes to make those bright and pretty portraits, the PC & MAC licenses I pay to keep Photoshop current on my editing computers ($600 each for a total of $1200), the $100 per year expense to host online galleries, I could go on and on, but you get the idea so I won’t . 😀

 I would encourage you to go to your friend who is just starting out. I run a legit business, I pay tax, carry around $5,000 in equipment on a typical shoot, and need to also make a profit. Believe me, it’s not personal, really, but I know that my talent and experience have a value and that value can’t compete on the level with a photographer who is still setting up shop, it just doesn’t work creatively or financially. Now, what happens if you don’t think I’m worth what *I* think I’m worth? Nothing, nothing at all! No hard feelings, you know what you value most and I do too, just two different people trying to make it work best for our respective families.

I thank and respect my clientele that understand that as much as I love my chosen career path, at the end of the day, I too need to make a living. I want for my family the things you want for yours, naturally. Value is relative, what you place value on is your choice, but for me, I am choosing to place my value on experience and end result.

 

Happy Monday!! Reminders for Summer Sessions!!

 

Take a deep breath in. Do you feel that in your lungs? It’s the fast, swirling, sweetness of what I like to call Portrait Season! New inspiration hangs in the air over my head like a welcomed gift wrapped in a big, boldly colored bow.

As this season is kicking off, I wanted to throw out a couple of important reminders for any and all fabulous clients that have sessions booked. The better you come prepared to your session, the faster and more efficient I can do my job which typically means even more bang for your buck!!

 

 

1. Policy

If you have not yet read through my policy, please do so. It is located here: http://www.lindsaykingphotos.com/#!policy-2013/coc8 It is important that you are aware the rules of engagement so to speak, I appreciate and thank you in advance for taking the time to read through these important tidbits.

 

2. Unless otherwise indicated, session fees include the preparation time, shooting time, and editing time of your session only. Standard session fees do not include digital images, prints, or products. Your session fee is due on the day of your session unless paying via PayPal, which can be paid 24 hours in advance.

 

3. Turnaround time for all session takes 2 weeks unless otherwise stated. If you need your images before this time frame, please refer to the rush fees found on this page: http://www.lindsaykingphotos.com/#!investment/c1upj

 

 

4. Due to a heavy shooting and homeschooling schedule, I ask for your patience on all FB previews. Please remember that previews are a courtesy because I know you’re just as excited to see the end results of your session as I am. I will do my best to keep previews in a 5 day time frame from the day of your session.

 

5. Hair & Makeup

If you read nothing else, ladies, please take this to heart! Often I hear, “You can photoshop that, right?” And typically the answer is “Of course.” As my book is full and my editing hours alone are close to 45 hours weekly, I ask that you prepare yourself as much as possible for your session. Teens and women arriving with no makeup should understand that it can take up to 40 minutes to apply digital makeup to just ONE photo, this is time that I cannot devote to every session. I will touch up and correct those who take the time to apply their makeup before their session. Thank you for your help in allowing me more time to be creative vs. corrective with your portraits.

 

6. Weather

If the weather is too cold, too hot, or just yucky, we may need to postpone your session. The following is an idea of the times I would typically cancel:

49 Degrees or colder: Not a good shooting condition for small children, seniors, or families. If they weather is below 49 degrees we will most likely reschedule your session within a 1 week time frame when possible.

TOO much Overcast: I do love me a beautiful overcast sky, but when the sky is too gloomy, even with the absence of rain, capturing beautiful skin tones is nearly impossible. This kind of reschedule happens once or twice per season so fret not J. If we do need to reschedule, I will call you AS SOON as I have determined that the weather is not in our favor.

 

 

So that’s it, that’s all I’ve got for you today J Have a great day and I can’t wait to see you this season!!

 

Xo,

Lins

A tiny glimpse into my world….

 

Hello, Gorgeous.

Love this girl!!!

Just a Bunch of Awesome Faces!

Ringing in 2013!

There is a song I love that says, “Life’s about changing, nothing ever stays the same.” I think life IS about changing, think about it, if you never change, or your circumstances never change, how can you possibly learn anything new? How can you grow and evolve? Even a change for the worse, when only temporary, can still serve as a great teacher. So, that said, when change came ‘a knockin’, I answered.

My husband has accepted a new job offer that will greatly impact our time together. As much as I wish the second part wasn’t true, it is, and I know it’s God’s plan for our family so with big, wide open arms, I am ready to embrace the change that is coming. With my family having less time together, it was a simple choice to decide to make some of my own changes in my business. I want to maximize my family time while still providing the great service that I currently offer. (Hmm, sounds like I’m tooting my own horn on that “great service” thing 😉 *toot toot* I’m proud of this business!) Some of the new ideals I am setting into place are NOT new at all, they’ve been policy for years that I don’t enforce. Enforcing policy will help me to enjoy more time with my family. Some ideals and changes are brand spankin’ new. In no particular order, here we go:

 

Weddings
I will no longer be booking 2013 weddings.  In the last two weeks, I believe I’ve had about 15 inquiries alone, which is AMAZING and for which I am so very humbled, but alas, I need to stick to the plan I have already made for this year. I am so excited with the couples that I already have booked for 2013, but other than these very special people, I will not be working with any other Brides & Grooms. Giving up weddings for 12 months (with the exception of those already contracted) will allow me to focus on my children and husband and get used to the new schedule that will be our day-to-day life. I have not lost my zeal or passion for weddings, in fact, I’m quite sad and feel a little empty knowing that I’ll not get to be a part of the special day of more amazing couples. I will, in fact, only be making this temporary change until this coming fall when I will open up booking for 2014 weddings. I anticipate 2014 to be pretty amazing since we’ll then also be offering a video service as well as some other big changes, but those announcements will come toward the end of the year 😉 So again, thank you so much for asking us to be a part of your day, but if you are not contracted as of today then we will have to kindly decline in an effort to focus on family and changes for 2014!

 

Sessions

I am cutting down my session load a tiny bit. Just a tiny, tiny bit, but enough to make more room for beach time and adventures with my babies this summer. I will be booking most sessions on weekdays, but will still offer a few weekends here and there. If you’re considering booking a Friday or Saturday session, please take a peek at my calendar to see what is open and then contact me with your selected date ASAP!!  You can find my booking calendar here:  http://www.lindsaykingphotos.com/#!info/cj27  When you go to the calendar, you’ll see LOTS of open session dates listed in Teal. I will be taking a maximum of 3 sessions per week most weeks, and 2 sessions per week some weeks, so when you see 6 open sessions in one week, that just means that when I fill 2-3, I will cancel out the other dates.

Mini Session dates are still available too so make sure you check those out in September and October, as well as Christmas Minis which will take place over an entire week in November!

Office Hours

My 2013 Office Hours will begin in Feb 1. My office will be closed to all inquiries and sessions Jan 11-Feb 2 EXCEPT for the Headshot Minis, I will be taking those appointments only as they fall on Feb 2, 2013. I will be taking these final weeks to enjoy my husband’s company before he leaves for his new adventure. Thank you for respecting my family time. If you have a pending order that has already been placed (Canvas, Albums, Prints) those are being worked on this week and I will let you know as soon as they are in and ready. Thank you for your patience as I am starting to adjust to my new schedule and running a little behind the last two weeks. If you have a 2012 wedding album order, that NEEDS to be in my inbox no later than Feb 2, 2013, after that I will not extend the deadline, wedding albums have a 60 day “Use it or Lose it” policy, I have extended most 2012 albums for months past this, thank you for understanding.
Thank you so much for your continued support and business, I am looking forward to making creative changes in 2013, make sure you stick around to see what is in store.

 

~Lindsay

When we are true to ourselves, the possibilities are endless…

As the year wraps up, I find myself with so many emotions and so much to say , but I’ll try to keep this short. Maybe.

Do you remember the moment when you knew in your heart that you had finally found your voice? That moment when you knew you were exactly where you were meant to be and your life was right on track? I had that moment this year. I have known for a long time, a little more than 20 years, that a Professional Photographer was what and who I wanted to be. I took a long time, shooting for fun, going to college, even enrolling and graduating from Cosmetology school before I finally decided that I would just go for it. For the last 7 years I have enjoyed what I do and have been satisfied with my art, but there was always that little voice inside my head that said, “Am I good enough?” And it was a question I pondered daily. It’s not that I didn’t believe in myself, I did, really. But, I found that I was constantly comparing myself to others which is such a disastrous thing as an artist. I prayed on it, often, that I would find that signature style, that “look” that was all my own. I dreamed even, that maybe at some point I would be courageous enough to jump without thinking and pursue the specialty that inspired me in the first place, Modeling/Glamour/Avant Grade/ and all things that glitter. (Side note, don’t read this and think that that is the ONLY thing I love, I love all the family sessions and weddings just as much as the next girl, but the Glamour side was something that I also secretly loved but hadn’t found the courage to really take a chance with the way I had wanted at this point!) If you’ve taken a workshop with me, you know that the first person to ever inspire me was Anna Nicole Smith. The Guess? Campaign that Anna did that parlayed to her being the world famous star she was, also parlayed the start of my intrigue with fashion photography. For a long time, I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be good enough, special enough, or smart enough to really chase after the fashion type client. I mean, I wear jeans and V-necks EVERY.DAY. Who would trust someone like that to take their portfolio pictures? That brings me to March 2012.

I had an opportunity to work with a young lady that I had wanted to work with for over a year. When the opportunity presented itself, I was so excited, but I was SO sick, I felt like this was my chance, make it or break it time. When I stepped in front of the camera on March 21^th, 2012, something sparked inside me. For the first time, I really, truly, and honestly let myself soar with this kind of photography. I shot how I wanted to shoot. I posed how I wanted to pose. It.Was.Liberating. I knew that something changed in me forever that day and I would never doubt myself again. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have lots of growing and learning to do, but this change was more about finding and more importantly, following what was in my heart. The session that day ended at my house and afterward we ordered pizza. Later that evening, when I was all alone and looking over the day’s images, I found myself so overwhelmed with the revelation that what I had to say artistically was special, I began to cry. If you are a photographer friend reading this, read that last sentence 5 times, it’s the most important thing I can ever tell you, your artistic vision, when it comes from your heart, is so special, it’s a gift that is unique inside you, and we all need to remember that in those moments of doubt and frustration.

I will forever carry certain days and moments in my heart; the day I gave my life to Christ, the day I met and then married my husband, the days my children were born, and March 21, 2012, the day I realized that I was “good enough.” When we are true to ourselves, the possibilities are endless. This brings me to a very special announcement, which is my first ever Session of the Year award.

Congratulations to Sydney Bramlett, you inspired me and helped me to find my voice, pretty big stuff for a girl who was just 11. I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings us ❤