It never occurred to me until today how much photography is like shampoo.
Yes…shampoo.
I recently purchased shampoo. I was satisfied with what I had been using so I didn’t even consider the other bottles, I simply grabbed my choice and left.
Before my satisfaction with that shampoo, I had to “shop” for a shampoo.
I mean, really shop. I had a list of goals for my shampoo to meet.
So, what does that have to do with photography. Simple. My goals were arranged by priority to try to assure my maximum satisfaction with the product. Photography should be all about maximum satisfaction. Your memories deserve to be captured in a way that makes you most happy!
My number one priority in shampoo was style/type. There are shampoos for all kinds of hair types (
dry, frizzy, color-treated, etc.). By looking first at specifically what effect I wanted from the shampoo, I could automatically eliminate many unnecessary options.
There are many styles of photography (
studio, location, lifestyle, etc.). By simply knowing what you want, you can eliminate some of the options. While there are many talented photographers in all of these areas, if you want maximum satisfaction, you have to choose what photographer’s images make you most happy. Even if you have to pay more for these services/products, you will be more happy if you go with what you really want.
Next, I looked at my price range. Notice I said “
range”…not just price. If “
cheap” is your only consideration, you have plenty of options to easily compare.
I didn’t want the cheapest product. I wanted a certain level of performance to give me more satisfaction. My price range left room for flexibility in my selection. I had the freedom to go up or down the price scale. I even had the option of increasing my range for a better deal. :)
A lot of people get stuck on this point with photography. Photographers raise your hand if you have gotten the “how much do you charge?” email. (
OK…I wish you could see all the hands that just flew into the air.) The real question that should be considered goes beyond a simple number. What do you want? What’s your price range? What can you get that will satisfy you most within that range? If you can find a better deal, will you extend your range? If price is all you base your photography decision on…Get a camera. You can pictures with a camera. Not what you were looking for? Then maybe you should weigh the value of the price and not just the number.
[
Hint: If you break it down, most “school photographers,” with their generic five second shot of your kid, will charge you as much as some custom photographers. They simply give you “packages” to make you not look at the individual cost. I compared my daughter’s school pictures and could always find a better deal in photography with a better price.]
Would I pay more for images of my kids if I valued the photographer’s talent? Absolutely! And, I have!
Not all shampoos are created equal…Just as not all photographers are created equal. You have to decide what matters to you!
Shampoos advertise their advantages and market toward the customers that they want. Photographers advertise their advantages and market toward the customers that they want. Sounds a lot alike.
Now here is where shampoo and photography are different…
Unless someone you know has used the shampoo, then you will be taking a somewhat blind chance on the quality. However, photographers share the images (
usually all over the web). At least you can get some idea of the quality that you are getting. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to determine quality in photography.
Here’s a hint: It is neither the lady with the fanciest camera or the guy with the longest lens. Sure those things may be impressive but they are not always what they seem. While shooting wildlife with fellow photographers, people often wander by and are impressed with the length of a lens…or the size of a lens…thinking that the bigger the lens, the closer the shots. Truth is…My more impressive looking lens actually has less zoom. It is the quality of the lens that makes it more impressive not the distance.
In other words…
It’s not what’s on the outside but what’s on the inside that counts!
Some photographers shoot for a paycheck. Some photographers shoot the same way over and over with no changes or individuality in their images. Then, some photographers put lots of creativity (
time, talent and TLC) into each of their images.
Photography is an art form to that last group of photographers…not just the snap of a shutter or a buck in the pocket. Basically, they care deeply about you and your images. They spend hours making sure that the images are worthy of their stamp of approval.
They don’t want you to have just a reflection of the outside of you…They want to know who you are and capture that emotion in their images. They don’t want you to simple see an image…They want you to feel the image.
I can tell you all day how talented someone is but if you don't see it or (
probably more importantly) appreciate it, then their talent is wasted on you. I can try to impress you with my titles, awards and publications, but if you don't know the value of those, they are meaningless words.
Just like the old saying "you can lead a horse to water but you can't force it to drink."
I can show you beauty but I cannot force you to feel the beauty of it.
May all your images be filled with LOVE and YOU!!! :)
