$900 for photos

[ssmjlm]

:-(

OMG 2 photographers haven't emailed me back. One photographer's website sort of scares me and says parents can wear a solid color shirt for photos. And this one finally emailed me with her 2013 rates and it's $900 for the digital package.

Newborn Digital Package. 900.
*includes session, post processing/hand editing of images,
20-30 images provided for viewing in an online gallery,
25 custom designed birth announcements, plus cd of images,
custom designed memory box containing 4x6 prints of entire session, and a 20x24 or 20x20 canvas art of your favorite portrait.

She won't do at our house, but she will do at her studio/the 4 acres around her house and the dog is welcome.

DH didn't seem too happy when I told him.

[mellymel]

If it's a good photographer, that's not that bad of a price. Sorry. We have used photogs ranging from $100 (horrible!!!!) to $1000 (fabulous) and it's all about what kind of quality you want.

We totally cherish our photos in the $500 - $1000 range, and pitched our sessions that were under the $500 range. They just don't compare. Perhaps that's the problem - we got spoiled by good photographers.

[ilikedonuts]

Well I just paid $850 for 1 year pictures. Session, 50 Christmas cards, a canvas, a few 5x7s and 15 images on a CD. (that's with a 10% returning client discount)

Newborn we paid about the same for the session, 75 announcements, 6 prints and 15 images.

As long as the photographer is really good, to me that's a good deal especially if you get all the images on a cd.

ETA: The crappy part about my photographer is that you HAVE to buy a package to be able to get a CD. And we ended up paying extra to get more images on the cd. But I absolutely adore all of the pictures from both sessions so the price was worth it.

[jackpackage]

We paid $1500 for 3 sessions-newborn, 6-ish mos & 1 year

It includes a cd with 25 images (b/w all 3 sessions), 25 announcements, and a leather coffee table book with 35 images. She gave us a small discount for paying cash upfront. Good photographers are expensive, but we're so happy with our pictures so far. No one in our area will do newborn pics at your home, which bummed me out since I wanted pics of him in his nursery.

[Deleted]

Good to know. I was thinking about getting someone in Boston because I don't like any of the photogs I've seen out here but now I'm gonna look harder.

[ssmjlm]

Well I just emailed 2 more photographers. If they actually get back to me, then we'll decide.

This photographer is amazing and her photos are beautiful.

Thankfully I already bought a groupon for maternity pics b/c I really have no desire for them, but decided why not for $80.

[yellowbrkrd]

Yikes! I wouldn't have imagined it being that expensive. I guess that's another thing to add to the baby budget.

[jackie011]

This is an expense I had not even thought about! Good thing FIL is an excellent amateur photographer and I'm sure his future grandson or granddaughter will be his new favorite subject!

[Deleted]

[Deleted]

I never did a newborn photo shoot for this reason. We figured a DSLR would pay for itself really quickly at that price. My photos aren't professional quality but they are pretty damn good and I have no regrets.

[ssmjlm]

Dec 20, 2012 14:40:19 GMT -5 @carmensandiego said:

I never did a newborn photo shoot for this reason. We figured a DSLR would pay for itself really quickly at that price. My photos aren't professional quality but they are pretty damn good and I have no regrets.

My friend with a DSLR said she would come over and take 1000 pictures if that's what it took for us to get any decent ones. I told her it may come to that.

When I told DH the price he goes I could buy you that fancy camera you want for less (meaning a DSLR).

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2012 14:42:37 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

Dec 20, 2012 14:40:19 GMT -5 @carmensandiego said:

I never did a newborn photo shoot for this reason. We figured a DSLR would pay for itself really quickly at that price. My photos aren't professional quality but they are pretty damn good and I have no regrets.

My friend with a DSLR said she would come over and take 1000 pictures if that's what it took for us to get any decent ones. I told her it may come to that.

When I told DH the price he goes I could buy you that fancy camera you want for less (meaning a DSLR).

Well, I will say that for me it has been all about the burst feature on my DSLR. Typically when I am taking photos of LO in decent light I just hold down the button and it snaps a million photos in a row. There is ALWAYS a great shot in there somewhere. We used this trick on our Christmas cards and have gotten tons of compliments on how we got our DD to smile so cutely for them... it's because the burst setting caught one single frame where she was both smiling and looking at the camera.

I don't think there is a right or wrong, I can definitely see wanting to have that pro newborn shoot, but for me the camera has paid for itself with some really high quality shots over the years.

[Deleted]

I searched for a while and finally found a photographer with a good balance of cost to stlye. Many of the photographers I liked were $1000 for a newborn session. This one is going to be $400. She isnt the best I have ever seen but she is pretty darn good. I felt its was important for me to get guaranteed good pictures. I got a DSLR for xmas and hope to get better at using it but dont think by the time the baby comes I will truly be able to get the look I wanted for her newborn photos.

[dcn]

Omg. I knew it was $$$$ but I didn't realize it was that much! We just use our dslr and have some great pictures.

[jackpackage]

Dec 20, 2012 14:52:42 GMT -5 @ffbride0813 said:

I searched for a while and finally found a photographer with a good balance of cost to stlye. Many of the photographers I liked were $1000 for a newborn session. This one is going to be $400. She isnt the best I have ever seen but she is pretty darn good. I felt its was important for me to get guaranteed good pictures. I got a DSLR for xmas and hope to get better at using it but dont think by the time the baby comes I will truly be able to get the look I wanted for her newborn photos.

We originally booked just a newborn session for $400 too, but it only included the session and nothing else. We almost had a heart attack when we realized how much a print cost. Oops!

[karinothing]

I paid $250 fee for newborn photos. Then I paid for the photos individual plus christmas cards. Probably another $200. I think the photos are great. Digital images would have put the price over $1000 I am sure.

[Deleted]

DH has a DSLR and a good enough eye. We've not purchased any photography.

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2012 15:05:25 GMT -5 jackpackage said:

Dec 20, 2012 14:52:42 GMT -5 @ffbride0813 said:

I searched for a while and finally found a photographer with a good balance of cost to stlye. Many of the photographers I liked were $1000 for a newborn session. This one is going to be $400. She isnt the best I have ever seen but she is pretty darn good. I felt its was important for me to get guaranteed good pictures. I got a DSLR for xmas and hope to get better at using it but dont think by the time the baby comes I will truly be able to get the look I wanted for her newborn photos.

We originally booked just a newborn session for $400 too, but it only included the session and nothing else. We almost had a heart attack when we realized how much a print cost. Oops!

Yeah you have to make sure you get the files included or anticipate the costs of them. I also asked if she would work on a package with one year and 6 month photos. I figured that the more I paid for up front the more attractive a package I could get.

[mswax]

The photographer we use charges $400 for a newborn session, which includes up to 4 hours for the shoot, use of her props, and 25-30 digital images. Her print prices are very reasonable, but you don't need to go through her to get prints. And the photos are really good.

[ssmjlm]

Oh there may be hope, another photographer that I really liked will come to our house and the session starts at $150 with rights starting at $300 for files.

[ijack]

I'll stay off my high horse and just say that the price isn't out of control

[ssmjlm]

I really think I just need more quotes. My biggest issue is just getting people to email me back. This area is MCOL and honestly there is a huge range of photographers from the bad to the awesome. But I also don't want the "baby hanging from a branch in a sack" look.

Hopefully of the half dozen photographers I've emailed based on recs, more than 2 will respond.