63. Charge more for your photography

Why are you scared of charging more for your photography? Imagine what can happen when you charge more for your photography business. If you put more effort into making more money than giving discounts.

When you charge more for your photography business, you can run a more ethical business. You can give jobs to others instead of insisting on doing it all yourself. You can hire an accountant, printer, album designer, VA, editor, or whatever else you need to help you out.

In this podcast episode, learn why you should charge more for your services and the basics of doing it.

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What’s keeping you from charging more in your photography business?

I know what you’re thinking, if you charge more for your photography, you won’t get many clients. You always think you can’t charge that much. Here are some of the reasons why you might think that way:

You’ll definitely be outside of some people’s budget. But you know what? You’ll always be outside someone’s budget because not everyone can afford photography. And it’s not your job to be more affordable to many.
Photography is a luxury service. Is it unfair that not everyone can afford it? Maybe. But when you charge more, you pay higher taxes. And bear in mind that your taxes are used to fund infrastructure, healthcare, unemployment benefits for those who are less fortunate, and education. The better you perform, the more you can contribute. When you are financially successful, it is easier for you to pay for environmentally-friendly products and socially-responsible services.
If you’re not getting booked, your prices aren’t the problem. But you might be thinking if your prices are too high, you won’t get booked. This mentality is so common for photographers. Your prices are what they are (if you’ve worked them out based on YOUR numbers). You might have to look at what you’re offering, like how you’re presenting your offer, and how your branding is coming across. You might have to reach a different audience than what you’re used to. And maybe you need to do marketing in a different way.

Learn the value of higher prices in podcast episode 19.
Episode 19

A healthy money mindset can help you

The way you think about money matters:

You’re allowed to charge what you need to cover your expenses. You’re allowed to charge what you need to make a good living. You’re allowed to charge however much you want.
Making money isn’t a bad thing, it’s a good thing. Having money gives you options. It makes your processes simpler and more efficient because you can hire people and have your systems in place like business automation.
Be smart with your money. Have savings and cover current and future expenses with your prices.

If you find yourself getting annoyed with how much you have to pay in taxes or how expensive new contracts are, or that you can’t afford to invest in education for your business – you’re not charging enough!

Learn how to achieve an abundance mindset with Aislinn Eileen on podcast episode 50.
Episode 50

Saying “yes” to the wrong clients means saying “no” to your dream clients

You’re not supposed to work 24/7. You can work as much and as little as you want to. You need to get clear on what your work capacity is. And then you need to stick to that. Say no. The more you say no, the better your life and business can become. Say yes to the right clients; your dream clients.

And stop feeling guilty. Make sure you set a long enough deadline for delivering photos and products so that you have time for your kids to get sick, and for you to get sick in case of delays in shipping and to go on holiday. Don’t set deadlines based on best-case scenarios.

Because you are allowed to have a life, not just allowed – you need to have a life!

Learn from my mistakes in podcast episode 43.
Episode 43

Key takeaways

You can charge however much you want to. If you’re scared of charging more, the answer is education, and that’s why I started this podcast, to begin with. I don’t think that there are many photographers who deliberately undercut the market by charging so little that they go bankrupt. I’m all for you doing things your way and for reaching the kinds of clients that you want, regardless of what level that might be at. But no matter what you choose, please do so from a place of knowing what you’re doing instead of being scared.

Right now I’m offering My Power Hour, which is a two-hour session that dives into one of three different issues. You can choose to have a website that works for you, about profitability, or getting more bookings. Talk to you soon!