**Note: For those of you who received this post yesterday, I apologize! It was obviously a draft that was inadvertently published. Please read this instead! :) **

I have little patience for the majority of people who try and sell me things. (Is anyone else like that?! :) ) It bugs me when I have to listen to a speech and determine whether it is a product designed just to make them money, or whether it is something that will actually benefit me and my family. I just want people to be honest! On the other hand, if I felt someone genuinely had my best interest at heart in their suggestion that I invest my money in a certain area – I would truly be thankful. Our family lives very modestly, and we try our best to spend our money wisely. I think that most of us probably feel this way.

This same philosophy runs deep into my role as a photographer. Here I find myself, as a custom photographer, selling something that I’m well aware is not cheap. I’m asking for people to trust me with their hard-earned money. And with that definitely comes a sense of responsibility. I feel strongly that I would never want people to invest money into something that I wouldn’t be willing to also. And, for me to spend money on it, I have to believe in it!

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say, “I didn’t buy it because I couldn’t afford it.” I do it myself all the time. I might stand in the store looking back and forth at two pairs of shoes…what to do? I know which one I like better – the more expensive ones of course. But, I’ll often decide I can’t afford the more expensive ones and choose the cheaper choice. If I were to look deeper at that, the truth isn’t that I couldn’t have afforded to buy the more expensive ones – it was that the price difference wasn’t worth it to me. I could have…of course I had an extra $20 in the bank…but new shoes weren’t a high enough priority. I’ve found it is usually about priorities.

I look at custom photography the same way. It is definitely more expensive than the chain studios like Sears and Walmart. Which you choose is a choice that reflects your priorities. So, you would have to ask yourself: Is the difference in price between custom photography and the chain studios worth the price? In my example with the shoes, if I had looked at the shoes from the standpoint of quality and durability instead of just price, I might have been more likely to choose the more expensive ones. In fact, in hind-sight I probably would have regretted choosing the cheaper ones. If you think about most of the choices we make – be it cars, clothes, furniture – the difference in price often boils down to the difference in quality. And we obviously can’t choose the more expensive choice every time – we’d go broke! So, it is about priorities.

I’m assuming it is a given that you all know where my priorities lie in this area! :) Obviously I see tremendous value in custom photography or I wouldn’t have invested a good chunk of my life into it. What am I referring to by ‘custom photography’? Each photographer is different, so this is what it looks like for me. It is a portrait session that is completely custom-designed to the subject(s).

There are two main components to a custom photography session. The first one is that the sessions are on-location, meaning I will meet you at any location of your choosing. The setting really has an enormous impact on the outcome of the pictures. The park, a field, downtown, your home – you choose the setting that reflects your style. Ask yourself this: Would I rather have a portrait of my child laughing and playing in a pile of fall leaves, or a portrait of him sitting on a stool against a backdrop with a tree painted on it? As you look back years later, which one would evoke a sense of joy and bring back memories of your child’s engaging personality? On-location sessions are also much easier on children. Those of you who have taken a 1-2 year old to a studio know what I mean. Just imagine instead being able to tell your child that they were going to be able to go play at the park, or a farm, or their own backyard – and that they were able to laugh, play and run – and you were going to get great pictures from it! Some might call that priceless. :)

The second major difference from the chain studios and custom photography is the quality of the product. I challenge you to compare any print from a 20 minute studio session, to a portrait from one of my sessions. You will see an enormous quality difference. The reason for this is amount of time that is spent on each client’s session. I work together with clients to choose the best location, clothing choices, and time of day to have their session. Each session lasts about 2 hours – and we spend that time playing, talking, laughing, exploring….not posing in front of a camera. From start (initial meeting) to finish (handing you your prints), I probably spend about 10 hours on each session. That is a lot of time, but it is necessary in order for me to provide a quality experience and product.

It’s interesting to me that about 5 years ago, I had never even heard of custom photography. After I had my first child, we had his 1 month pictures taken at Walmart because I thought that was what you were supposed to do as a parent. I did it, because I thought as a parent, it was my job to document my child at each token milestone, in their cutest outfit, staring into a camera. But, what I remember thinking every time I went through the experience, looked at the pictures, and paid the money was – “This isn’t worth it!” As my son got older I would dread it. I would dread waiting too long in an often crowded room while he starts to get tired and fussy. I would dread trying to win the battle of getting him to sit in one place without moving away or crying. Then, I would be frustrated trying to choose between the 3 poses – knowing I didn’t really love any of them, but knowing I had to pick one because there was no way I was doing this again. It was almost never an experience I walked away from feeling good about.

Custom photography is expensive, but it is necessary to look at it as an investment. It’s an investment that will be passed on as a treasured heirloom. We choose to invest in all kinds of things – expensive TV’s, cars, game stations, jewelry. However, as you look back on your life, do you think you will ever find yourself wishing that you had bought a more expensive TV or worn more name brand clothes? Of course not – it’s our loved ones, our families, who will come to mind. I don’t know how many older women I’ve seen coo over a new baby and then proceed to tell the parents, “Enjoy it, it goes fast!” You’ve probably been the recipient of such advice before! :) But it’s so true. Our kids grow up, and we struggle to hold on to fading memories of their childhood.

Am I saying all of this to convince you to book a session with CB Portraits? No, I’m really not. I’m a mom to three young kids and I choose to only work part-time. The number of sessions I can take is limited. I’m saying this because I truly believe it is a quality product that is worth investing in.

If you’ve followed with me all the way to the end of this – thanks! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject!