Hoppin’ around and linkin’ it up! ENJOY!

1. Totally inspired by THIS!

2. Tara Whitney is on formspring now and she answered a question I want to copy here, b/c it is SO RIGHT ON.

Why does it make you feel defeated when you see a photographer selling their digital files for 150 bucks?

First I want to be clear that I am talking about professionals who are in business. Not people who shoot for fun for their friends, not someone starting out and gaining experience, but someone running a full fledged – full on business.

My answer:

Because the VALUE of the digital files is astronomically higher than that.

BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH SO MUCH MORE!

Because I personally feel that if you are charging that little, you aren’t confident in your ability to bring clients in.

Because you will spend 10 hours on these clients and make $150 bucks. After taxes, expenses etc, that is less than $10 an hour. Basically minimum wage. You WILL get to the point where you can’t cover your own costs. (jodie adds: this is SO true! client’s don’t realize all the expenses we have so what we charge isn’t what we actually make! and dangit, we are WORTH more than minimum wage!)

Because people will hire you because you are the cheapest, not because you are the photographer they have taken the time to CHOOSE out of many, or because you are any good. You might be good!!! But that will be their second priority. (jodie adds: this was me just last year with Jodified. I was CHEAP. So I was booked a lot. But I never knew if they loved my WORK or my PRICE more. Now we have clients that love our WORK and it makes it all so much better!)

Because you are basically working in a sweatshop of your own making if you charge that much. You will be so busy, (remember – because you are so cheap, not because you are wanted for your talents), and working so much, for NO MONEY, that you will burn out.

Because I price my files at a fair, market rate. ($1200 files + $525 session fee) And when a competitor or colleague charges so little, they are undercutting me (and anyone else that charges market value). I don’t think that is an honorable business practice.

Have you seen the commercial where the Barber Shoppe starts to get bumped out by the $6 haircut salon across the street?
And the Shoppe owner puts up a sign that says, “We fix $6 haircuts!”
And then the $6 dollar salon goes out of business?

That commercial is really something to think about! 🙂 (jodie adds: I can’t tell you how many clients we have that went somewhere cheaper before and were totally unhappy with their photos or their experience!)

After I have said all of this, I also want to say that I don’t think about this very often. I don’t stew or want harm to come to the photographers who are cheap. I do my own thing and keep my head down and stay out of most things. It is what it is. It happens in every industry right?

But, you asked. 🙂

3. THIS is on our Fresh Art wish list! Soon people. Soon.

4. I really LOVE THIS! Love. Great work Katherine!

5. Really curious if THIS really works? Anyone ever had one work? I want one if they do!

6. Thinking about Easter already and so don’t be surprised when you see Grayman sporting one of THESE and the girls in something like THIS!

And some blogs I have starred right now in Google Reader….

1. Love her and all of her posts but love THIS idea from this morning!

2. My dad’s company is blogging every day now (do me a personal favor and subscribe to them!) and Phil, the guy behind the blog, is doing a great job! I LOVED today’s informative post! Great for anyone dealing with SNOW today! (anyone else praying for a snow day tomorrow?)

3. My friend Lyndsay is brilliant, I knew that. But THIS idea tops it all! Clients, if you have a toddler DO NOT BE SURPRISED when we show up with this idea in hand this spring!

4. I know Carrie like, RULES THE WORLD when it comes to newborn photography, Kim and I are both big fans of her work (and Brit’s) but THIS killed me. Such a great idea! And one I’d love to try here in the wintery cold midwest! Great inspiration! Thanks Carrie!

5. One of my favorite idea blogs is at it again with THIS awesome idea for a fun Valentine’s gift for the kiddos! LOVE!

6. I do not cook. Or bake. Much. But I’m working at getting better. And last year we made adorable marshmallow pops for the girls to give out at preschool so this year I had to do something equally as great right? Enter though, ME WHO DOES NOT BAKE, and I tend to freak out a bit. But then I saw THIS idea and knew I had to try it! I’ll let you know how it goes!

7. Bailey is pretty awesome at writing all of her letters but Parker hasn’t even started yet. Totally MY fault and NOT hers. As she is interested, I just never make the time. But I love THIS idea and will be on the lookout for a little chalkboard soon!

Ok!

I have literally HUNDREDS of blog posts saved on Reader so I will make more of an effort to do a link-fest more often! YAY OR NAY for that? Love the links? Hate them? Stop wasting your time? Let me know!