SHP | Why are you charging so much now?!

First let me start by saying…I love and cherish each and every one of my amazing friends/clients/and now SHP family!

As many of you have probably noticed my rates have increased since last year, this was a very hard thing for me to do, I not only felt like I was not worth what I was charging, but I had a fear of losing many of you due to my services not being within your budgets any longer. I finally forced myself to up my rates, because if I was going to be a successful business women one day it was just something I had to do. I myself am extremely “frugal” and do not really splurge on much of anything, so I understand where spending double what you paid before with me is just not feasible.

I just came across this wonderful blog post from Summer Cates which really placed a light bulb over my head!! I wanted to also explain as to why my rates have gone up.

Trust me when I say this…I am not trying to rob you of all your hard earned monies!! haha ( or am I? ) MUAHAHAHA <- no really I’m not, I promise! As many of you already know or have heard me say it is my dream to be a full time photographer. I decided to take the scary plunge in May to make my little side hobby a Business and I was super excited, but also terrified at the same time. I knew that in becoming a business that my rates would have to go up…and to be quite honest I didn’t feel like I was worth more than what I had previously been (under) charging. The cost of doing business, paying taxes, insurance, monthly dues and subscriptions for editing software, marketing. and my favorite part – finally purchasing branding and packaging supplies would all now have to factor into my rates.

The hours spent away from my family on the weekends, and the countless hours spent after working all day at my regular job trying my best to ensure that my heart and soul gets poured into delivering cherish-able perfect memories for you to have for a lifetime.

The time and money spent researching, learning, and perfecting my craft, and the months and months – (a year in my case) saving to purchase better equipment to help get me to a better point in my career. These are all factors into why I’m now charging more. It still feels weird to me when I receive your payments with my new rate, I almost feel guilty, like I hope that you guys also hope I am worth it, but I am getting to a good point now where I do feel like I’m worth what I charge. Photography is so much more than just picking up a camera and snapping a photo.

In hopes to justify another reason why my rates have increased…GROWTH, I am for the first time ever going to share my cringe worthy growth with you guys! When I first started back in 2011 I believe…I thought my images where amazing, and I could not understand why people where not knocking down my door to have me photograph them even when I wasn’t even charging anything…truth is I understand now hahaha they where terrible. No I’m not knocking myself down but I have grown as a artist, and I have gotten better with time, which is a good thing! We all have to start somewhere right? Now who’s ready to be amazed at how “good” I used to be?!?!! hahaha

Big thanks to Sheila + Joe for not only being my first ever clients, but thank you for sticking by my side through this journey!