How to charge more for your photography (and still get booked!)

Are you thinking about increasing your photography prices but you’re worried that if you charge more for your photography it will put your potential clients off? 

If so, this video is for you! 

I'm going to cover things you can do right now to start increasing your photography prices today (and still get booked!).

I also have a free photography pricing workbook & calculator for you to download! And if you're just starting out with your pricing - this comprehensive guide is a must-have!

Prefer to read? Scroll down for the blog post…

It's no secret that your potential clients have A LOT of choice when it comes to booking a photographer these days. So why would they choose you if there are cheaper photographers around? 

If you charge more (even just a little more) than other photographers in your area OR you’re thinking about making that move soon then you NEED to watch this video.

So what should you be doing if you want potential photography clients to pay higher prices?

Before we get into that, I want you to imagine yourself in this scenario…

You’re looking for a garden shed (bear with me - there is a point to this I promise). 

You really know nothing about sheds except that you want one. So you go searching for companies that sell garden sheds in your area, right?

Now you probably have a vague idea of the size you might like but you probably don’t know at this point what a shed like this might cost. 

That’s why you’re doing some research! To get an idea of what’s available and what the prices are.

So you find a shed that looks pretty good. It’s the size you were looking for and it seems to be a reasonable price. 

But like any good, modern consumer - you keep searching for a little while longer in case there’s something better or cheaper.

Soon you come across another garden shed on a different website. It’s the same size and it looks very similar to the first one. 

BUT it’s double the price!

Now you’re not a shed expert. To your untrained eye these sheds look the same. 

When you look at the description there’s nothing to explain why this second shed is more expensive. 

Looking at the websites there is nothing really to distinguish one from the other.

How are you feeling right now about that second shed? 

Are you going to enquire about it?

Of course you’re not.

Depending on the type of person you are you might even feel quite angry about the scandalous price of that second shed!

Ok so let’s rewind a bit…

This time when you come across the second shed you’re immediately hit by how much more impressive this website is. 

It loads so fast, it’s so attractive and user-friendly, there are beautiful pictures and last but not least, there is lots of information available to you.

You learn from this information that this particular shed, yes, is a little more expensive. 

BUT it’s made from Scandinavian pine rather than the inferior wood that lots of cheaper sheds are constructed from. 

This means it’s super sturdy and built to last a long time. 

You also learn that this shed is treated and painted in such a way that it will withstand the particular climate that you live in and so it will look like new for many, many years. 

Not just that, you read that it’s assembled in the local area, not overseas, and that the company value their staff and pay them the living wage. 

You might go on to read about the company’s commitment to serving you in the best way possible - because it’s all right there on the website. 

And you can’t ignore the scores of glowing testimonials from past happy customers.

So how are you feeling about that second shed now?

Don’t get me wrong - maybe you are bargain hunting and will STILL go for that first shed. 

Maybe you couldn’t care less about the wood and the paint and the living wage. 

BUT at least you don’t feel quite so confused about the cost of that second shed now - that’s for sure.

You’re in a position to make a more educated choice - whatever that choice may be.

If you do opt for that second, more expensive shed - it means you value those things. 

Don’t underestimate the impact of understanding and tapping into the values a person holds

That shed company spoke to your values. 

You care about how it will look in ten years time. 

You care that they’re paying their staff well. 

These things are important to you and you’re willing to pay more for them.

Hopefully you see where I’m going with this.

Did I just use sheds to make you think of your photography - yes I did! 

(And if you happen to be looking for a shed just like that second one you can buy one from my friend Cara over at Gillies and Mackay 😉 )

Look, I know that you WANT your potential clients to see that your photography is better than your cheaper competition but the reality is that often they don’t. 

They don’t have a trained eye like you and they probably think you’re BOTH more than good enough for their requirements.

If you feel your photography isn’t better or it’s of a similar standard to your competitors, does that mean you can’t charge more than they do?

No way! 

What you charge is about so much more than how skilled you are!!

So why would they choose you if you’re going to charge them more?

Depressing, right?

Well no, actually.

Because it’s really very simple to convince someone who is willing to spend more, to spend more.

But you need to give them a reason to. Just like with the shed.

So ask yourself this question; 

Why should a potential photography client choose YOU instead of your cheaper competitor?

What makes your service and product the best choice for them?

They can’t guess - they need to be told. 

In fact they need that information to be so obvious that there is NO MISSING IT!

But how do you do that?

Well first of all let’s think about that second shed again. 

That company didn’t go about convincing potential clients to buy their more expensive shed by making the other company sound bad.

They didn’t say;

‘other sheds in the area fall apart, ours don’t’ 

or 

‘other shed sellers don’t paint their sheds with the right stuff, we do’ 

or 

‘other shed sellers in the area don’t pay their staff well’.

All of that would just make them sound like they had a massive chip on their shoulder.

They also didn’t go about bragging about themselves and how amazing they were.

What they did instead was just enthusiastically talk about all the great reasons why buying from THEM is actually the RIGHT thing for YOU.

And that’s what you need to do too. 

If you’re charging more for your photography than your competitors then you need to be better than them in SOME way and you need to make sure that you let your potential clients know that. 

Don’t just show that on your website. 

You need this to be EVERYWHERE. 

You need to shout it from the rooftops! There can be no mistaking it!

There are lots of ways you can make your photography business a MUCH better option (despite the higher price) for that client who is willing to spend a little more for the right service and product.

It’s all about differentiation.

Here are some ways you could differentiate yourself and charge more for your photography than others in your area

1. Make sure your branding is a little bit more ‘high end’ and less generic

2. Reply to all enquiries within a couple of hours rather than a couple of days.

3. Instead of sending a standard response via email, PHONE each potential client. Get to know them and talk them through the amazing experience they are going to have with you.

4. Send out a beautifully designed eBrochure (or a real brochure) which answers every question your potential client might have instead of some bullet points of information.

5. If you’re selling standard prints or digital files, you could offer something much more special. Wall art for their home and maybe even offer a custom wall display design service as part of the experience.

6. Make sure you have a contract so that your client feels that they’re dealing with a professional business person who won’t let them down. (If you’re a portrait photographer, check out these tips on what to include in your client contract)

7. Build a connection with your photography clients before the shoot. You could advise them on what they should wear, ask them about their kids and talk to them about what they want to do with their images.

8. Package your products up beautifully and fully branded and maybe even hand deliver them.

9. Maintain and nurture your relationship with your clients after the shoot with thank you cards, christmas cards and surprise vouchers.

10.  Sprinkle lots and lots of detailed, personal and glowing praise everywhere from past clients who are exactly like the people you want to attract. I share some simple tips on how to get powerful testimonials for your photography business here.

11. Make sure your website is fast, attractive and super simple to navigate, so that your website visitors enjoy browsing your site and stay around for a while!

Honestly I could go on but we’d be here all day.

Do you need to do ALL of that?

No.

It really depends how much more expensive you are.

Do you need to start implementing all of this immediately? 

No. 

One small change at a time is always best (check out this complete photography pricing guide if you need help step-by-step).

And did I say earlier that it was simple to convince someone to spend more money with your photography business?

Yes I did! 

I didn’t say it was easy though. Because what is simple is not always easy.

It takes a whole heap of hard graft to be better than your competition and to prove it to people. 

To deliver a photography service that is worthy of higher prices is a lot of work.

But if you’re willing and able to put in that hard work - you will be rewarded. Both financially and emotionally.

So charge more for your photography. 

But don’t expect anyone to choose you unless you are differentiating yourself in a few key ways.

Need some guidance on how to price your products and services? Grab this free Photography Pricing Workbook & Calculator and follow my Complete Photography Pricing Guide. Work through it and you’ll always know what to charge!