Birth photography is at a distinct market disadvantage for two major reasons – stigma around birth and cost. Birth photography is only just receiving the cultural acceptance that it deserves. Not only must we clear away the taboo in the subject matter, we must remind people why this event is at least as important as a wedding day (in my opinion even more so). Once the emotional value is established, the monetary value can be addressed. (See my article on why birth photography is an important choice here.)
The issue of cost is shared among all forms of photography. Potential clients are unaware what is entailed in running a legitimate photography business and the hours that go into post-processing. My dear clients, it’s not your fault! Before I was doing this I had no idea either. I believe that education is a huge part of valuing anything. So here is my attempt at explaining why birth photography is so expensive (and so worth it).
On Call Time
First I will delve into a reason that, within photography, is exclusive to birth. The cost of birth photography includes the cost of on call time. Imagine not knowing when you will have to go to work, how long you will be there, and even where “there” IS if things don’t go according to plan. A birth photographer is on the clock 24/7 for weeks before a birth. That span is lengthened when a client goes beyond their expected due date or we have multiple clients who overlap. During that on call time we have to be ever-ready with equipment, phone, and fuel in the car. Child care is essentially on call right along side of us. (Sorry Nana.)
In the last year alone:
- I missed Christmas completely. I was out the door before my kids were awake and got home after they were asleep. I didn’t even get a chance to call.
- I was unable to be with my family when my father-in-law had bypass surgery.
- I had to forego a celebratory drink at both my birthday and anniversary dinners.
- I gave up day-trips to the mountains, conferences, and parties that were too far for comfort. (>30 miles from my home)
- I put the alert sound on my phone as a very loud cruise ship horn at night (much to my husband’s chagrin).
- I gave up any gigs that couldn’t be rescheduled if I was called in. Giving up being a primary photographer on weddings is a huge financial sacrifice for many of us. I also had to let other clients know that I could have to leave in the middle of their session if I was called away.
- My breaks have consisted of sitting around a hospital (usually on the floor) and snarfing Clif Bars. So far I haven’t had to sleep at the location or in my car, but I know a lot of birth photographers who have.
And you know what? It was 99.9% worth it! (I’m a scientist. We don’t do absolutes.) I can think of very few reasons why I would jump up for the phone at 3 am or miss my babies seeing what Santa put in their stockings…but so far birth has been one of them.
Those of us who love birth would probably do it for free (and I have…including that Christmas birth). However, being emotionally worth it is not enough to make the government consider what we do more than an expensive hobby. And at the end of the day, compensation is needed for the time and experiences we’re missing with our own families. I am lucky to have a great support system who encourages this work. But I do feel they deserve an incentive for the inconvenience it adds to their lives. And how scary it makes me look:
Backup Photographer
This one might make some people feel uncomfortable but I aim for transparency. It is the reason I have seriously re-evaluated my prices in the new year. So far I have been extremely lucky to not need a backup photographer. And I say that not just because I love it so much and it would break my heart to miss a birth. I say that also because the cost of a backup photographer (at least an experienced one) is not compatible with a low-cost birth photography package. Take a second to digest that and what it might mean for your once in a lifetime moment.
It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized that an emergency for me would result in:
a) No birth coverage for my client (not gunna happen)
b) A lesser quality backup that would botch it (not gunna happen)
c) A backup with an equal or greater skill set, but that would come at the cost of me taking a complete loss on the project. I would still have to edit the photos (tens of hours of work) and do the administrative tasks of client management – for free. *Ouch*
More than likely, a low-cost birth photographer is not employing a backup at all because there are costs associated with simply retaining one. A backup birth photographer needs to be on-call too. That means they get paid a certain amount – no matter what – to do all of those inconvenient things we talked about above. I cannot stress enough that any peace of mind you have in your birth photography should allow for the cost of a qualified backup.
Unaccounted for Time
When most people look at a photographer’s hourly rate, they do not take into account the work that happens before (contracts, communication, on-call time, preparation etc.) and after (post processing, communication, releases, and upload/delivery of photos). For me, post processing (editing) can take anywhere from 2-5 times the amount of time spent on set. When I do a lot of corrections on newborns, I often spend 15-30 minutes per image to perfect them! For really tricky Photoshop work or art pieces, it can go up to an hour. Even with documentary photography there is love given to each and every image in the form of color and exposure adjustments, cropping, and distraction removal.
Cost of Doing Business
Here’s the boring part so I’ll try to be brief. The government takes about 1/3 of what I make. Another 1/3 is “supposed to” be allocated for business expenses like:
- Continuing Education
- Equipment and Props*
- Website Hosting
- Gallery Hosting
- Software (Photoshop, Lightroom, PS Actions, JPEG Mini, BlogStomp, PhotoMechanic, Syder Monitor Calibration Software, etc.)
- Client Management Subscription
- Business License and Insurance (Equipment and Liability)
- Marketing Materials
- Mileage
- Banking Fees
- …And so much more!
I say “supposed to” because I actually spend way more than that. And I don’t even have a the added costs of a physical studio! Then I’m supposed to pay myself with what remains.
* Birth photography in particular needs equipment that handles low light very well. The common camera bodies used for birth range between $1500-$4000. Add on lenses, filters, flashes, light modifiers, batteries, SD cards, straps, and…I’m scared just thinking about maintaining/upgrading all of that regularly. Did I mention we need reliable BACKUPS for all of that gear too? *Gulp*
What Does It All Mean?
In a nutshell, it means that a birth photographer has all the equipment, business overhead, and know-how of a wedding photographer…but also the stress and work-life balance of an obstetrician. For the sake of your priceless photos and for the sake of the person giving up so much to create them for you, please appreciate the value (emotional and monetary) of this incredible service. The cost of birth photography can be great, but the results are absolutely worth it.
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