Best of Mother's Day Mini Sessions | Spring Forth Farm

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of working with Spring Forth Farm to provide Mother's Day mini sessions! Spring Forth Farm is a small, family farm in Hurdle Mills, NC that grows flowers. They were hosting an open house event and so we worked together to provide mini sessions in addition to farm tours and bouquets. It was a gorgeous day and a big success and we look forward to hopefully offering mother's mini sessions at their farm again in the future! Also, they just started a wonderful bouquet subscription program and so be sure to check out their website if you're interested in having farm fresh flowers every week! 

Mother's are so special and important and so it was a joy and privilege to capture pictures for several mothers and their families! Here's a few of the highlights from the sessions:

Why is Wedding Photography So Expensive?!

A question many people ask (or at least think!) is: "Why is wedding photography so expensive?!" And I get it, really! Before I was a photographer, I wondered the same thing! I understand that most brides are on a tight budget, as I was, and they're looking to cut costs wherever they can. So this blog is my attempt to try and explain why wedding photography tends to be expensive and why I think it's SO worth the expense!

1. There are Many Expenses Involved in Running a Business
Before owning my own business, I had no idea how many expenses are involved in running a business. I have so much more respect for small businesses now that I understand how many things they are balancing! Here are a few of the expenses I have:

Expenses Associated with One Wedding:
-Second Shooter
-Gas
-Meals for client meetings/travel
-Wooden USB, prints, and wedding package materials and postage
-Taxes
-Client gifts

Other Business Expenses:
-Equipment (thousands spent every year...I have $10,000+ worth of equipment that is always growing!)
-Equipment insurance (average $500/year)
-Equipment maintenance
-Website
-Computer & external hard drives
-Editing software
-Marketing
-Education and workshops
-Home office
-Cell phone
-Health insurance
-Retirement
...and the list goes on!

2. Taxes
Believe it or not, the IRS typically takes 30%+ of our income! In normal jobs, your employer pays half of the tax and you pay the other half. But when you're self employed, you pay all of the tax! So that typically amounts to at least 30%.

3. Time is Money
Many people think, "Man! Photographers are making bank! I mean they charge $2500* and they only work 8 hours!" In order to clear up that misconception (which you already know isn't totally true because of the taxes and business expenses that are already taken out of that $2500), let me break down the time I typically spend one wedding for you:
*Please note: I chose $2500 as an average amount that low-mid range photographers may charge. These numbers do not necessarily reflect what I charge.

• Initial client emailing, phone calls, and/or coffee/lunch/dinner meeting, preparing the contract and invoice: estimated 4 hours
• Engagement session: estimated 3 hours (usually 1.5 with the couple, .5 to arrive early and check out the location, 1 for driving)
• Total post-processing time to upload the session, back it up, cull, edit, export, upload to the online gallery, and blog: 6 hours
• Continued client communication throughout time leading up to wedding: estimated 2 hours
• Social media posting between the engagement session and wedding: estimated 1 hour
• Build final timeline for wedding day: estimated 1 hour
• Assorted administrative stuff (e.g. send out final invoice, contact other vendors, etc.): estimated 2 hours
• Wedding day: estimated 12 hours (8-9 official, 1 to be there early, and 2, on average, for driving)
• Total post-processing time for wedding to import, cull, edit, export images, load them to online gallery and organize in gallery: estimated 30 hours
• Blog wedding: estimated 2 hours
• Submit wedding for publication: estimated 2 hours
• Social media following the wedding: estimated 1 hour
• Send images to wedding vendors: estimated 1 hour
• Continued client communication following the wedding: estimated 1 hour

TOTAL ESTIMATED HOURS: 68 hours

That's right, a photographer most likely spends an average of 68 hours on every wedding! That's a week and a half of full time work! Time is one of most valuable assets. Time is time spent away from our family and friends and time is something we can never get back. Time is valuable!

So, let's take that $2500 average profit made from one wedding that I mentioned above. Let's say after expenses and taxes a photographer theoretically take home $1250. That means that after a photographer's 68 hours of work, they're making $18/hour (VERY different than the $300+/hour price tag some people may assume photographers make). 

4. If They Book Your Wedding, They Probably Can't Book Another Wedding

Another thing to keep in mind is that if a photographer books your wedding and something happens or you have to cancel for some reason, it's highly likely they will not be able to book another wedding because most couples book their wedding photographer 6 months-2 years out. That is why almost all photographers require a non-refundable deposit (usually 50%) to book their services. your wedding is cancelled, that 50% will offset some of the costs they'll still be loosing.

Why I think wedding photography is worth the expensive for a talented, professional, and personable photographer:

1. Tangible Memories are Extremely Important

In my opinion, your wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of your day because it is one of the few (or may the only) tangible reminders you'll have of your day once it's over. Your wedding pictures are something you'll look back on and cherish for years and years to come. I think that makes them incredible valuable and important and so they should be an aspect of your day that you invest in and prioritize. 

2. You Get What You Pay For

Often, I think that people can assume that all photographers are created equal and so they should just book whoever is cheapest. However, like most things in life, you typically get what you pay for with photography! In my opinion, it is important to not only preserve your most cherished memories, but also to have someone who can capture them in a beautiful, artistic way. When a photographer charges more, it is likely because they are in demand, they have experience, and they have better equipment. Most photographers, at least in the early years of their businesses, raise their prices a little after every few weddings they book (or maybe after each year). That is because their experience, equipment, and talent continue to grow.

Many people think that if a photographer has expensive equipment, it makes them a great photographer, While equipment is very important, that is only part of what makes someone a talented photographer! Being able to find light and composition, pose subjects, and work with people in order to make them comfortable so they can capture natural, candid expressions are a HUGE part of the quality of photographs. Really equipment is only half of what's involved in getting a beautiful photograph and light, composition, and posing are just as (if not more) important.

3. Your Photographer Impacts Your Wedding Experience

In addition to paying for beautiful pictures, you also want to pay for an amazing experience! From the very beginning you want to have a relationship with a photographer who is professional, hard working, and enjoyable to be around! Having your pictures taken can be awkward and so it's important to have a wedding photographer who you communicate well with and who makes you comfortable. You'll probably be with your wedding photographer more than almost any other vendor (or even any other person for that matter!) on your wedding day and so it's important to be with someone who you enjoy being around! In addition, it's also important that your photographer is able to work with your friends and family, handle stress and pressure, and respond calmly in difficult or unexpected moments (because there's likely to be a few unexpected moments during every wedding!). For me, it was so important to have a photographer who I enjoyed being around and who I felt would be professional and capable to capture my wedding day.

I hope this post has better helped you understand all of the financial aspects that are involved in running a wedding photography business and why wedding photographers are worth the investment! As always, I would love to hear your feedback so please leave comments and questions below!

5 Tips for Hiring the Right Wedding Photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer is SO important! I've found that many people base their decision on who to hire solely on cost. While I completely understand working within a budget, I also think there's a lot more involved in deciding on a wedding photographer than money! After all, you're with your wedding photographer more than most other people on your wedding day and you're entrusting your photographer with the important task of capturing one of the most memorable days of your life! I learned a lot when I was searching for a photographer for my own wedding, as well as from conversations with couples who are inquiring about my services. Here's a few tips I've picked up along the way:

1. Determine Your Style
There are so many different styles out there and to me, that is one of the beautiful aspects about photography! Photography is art and its subjective so everyone has different preferences and styles. First determine if you want a photographer who has a documentary style and who captures candid pictures of people and action, or a portraiture style photographer that spends more time posing people and objects. In addition, do you want a fine art photographer whose pictures look like film and are more grainy, airy, and muted, or a photographer with a crisp, clear, and bright style, or a photographer with a vintage, dark, and heavily edited style? If you're having trouble determining your style, I encourage you to look through numerous wedding photography websites and write down the things you do and don't like about the pictures you're seeing. Then choose a photographer whose pictures have the qualities you like.

2. Ask the Right Questions
I encourage you to either meet your prospective photographer in person, on the phone, or at least over email to get to know them better and to ask questions. Here's a few questions I would encourage you to ask:

• How much experience do you have and how long have you been shooting weddings?
• What type of equipment do you shoot with?
• How would you describe your style?

3. Get to Know Their Personality
The personality of your photographer is very important! You want to make sure that you hire someone you feel comfortable with and who you feel that you can be yourself with in front of the camera. In addition, you want to hire someone who is responsible, professional, and a hard worker. You may not be able to determine all of these things right away, but I think you can find out a lot about your prospective photographer by reading their blog, social media, and talking with them in person, on the phone, or at least over email. Personally, when I was looking for a photographer, it was most important to me that my photographer was professional, laid back but also punctual and able to keep a schedule (really important on a busy wedding day!), kind, and enjoyable to be around.

4. See a Full Gallery
I encourage you to ask to see a full online wedding gallery. It is easy to present just a few great images online, but you want to see a full and accurate picture of the types of images you'll be getting. A few things you should look for are consistency in their style and editing, a variety in the types of images they capture (for example: some detail pictures, some posed, some candid, etc.), and the overall quality of all of their pictures.

5. Compare Packages and Pricing
If you haven't done so already, sit down and think through your wedding budget and approximately how much you have to spend on wedding photography. As a wedding photographer I do feel the need to encourage you to seriously consider prioritizing wedding photography in your budget as one of your top expenses. I truly think wedding photography is one of the most important things you can spend money on because it is one of the only tangible reminders you'll have of your wedding day that will last for years and years to come. I also understand that most brides are on a budget and that money is a big factor in planning a wedding. As you compare packages and pricing, make sure that the photographer and package you are considering can meet your needs within your budget. Make sure you're aware of the specifics of whats offered in a package (like, do you get all of the edited digital images or is their an additional fee per image once the wedding is over, etc.). Keep in mind that if a photographer is more expensive its because of their level of experience, equipment, and the quality of their work. 

I hope you found this post helpful. If you are searching for a wedding photographer and feel that my style may be a good fit for you, I'd love to hear from you! 2016 & 2017 are filling up quickly but I do still have available dates so please contact me and we can talk more about your wedding day photography needs!

Pollard Family Pictures | A Durham, NC Family Photographer

I had so much fun taking pictures for the Pollard family! Stephanie found out about me because I photographed her living room for an interior designer a few months ago. The Pollards recently moved into their new home and so they wanted updated family pictures and a few pictures at their new home. We also took pictures in their backyard which backs up to a creek and we had a blast wandering through the woods! Here's a few of my favorites from their session:

My Goals for 2016

The Lord has abundantly blessed Alex and I this year and I'm amazed as I reflect back on the ways He's grown DiPrima Photography. It's so easy for me to just how my business is lacking or all the places I wish it would go and to forget to celebrate all the ways its changed and grown! So, before I share my goals for 2016 I want to reflect back on my 2015 goals:

1. Get to know wedding vendors and other photographers in North Carolina

• I've DEFINITELY had the chance to get to know SO many amazing photographers and vendors this year! I'm so blessed as I reflect on the relationships the Lord has provided! One that stands out to me is the women I've met by doing "Tuesdays Together" with the Rising Tide society in Burlington. These ladies and entrepreneurs have been a great source of friendship, encouragement, and business advice to me! In fact, I even got to plan a styled shoot back in August with many of these creative and talented women.

2. Continue Re-branding from "Jenna Wayment Photography" to "DiPrima Photography"

• I think this was certainly well accomplished! I love my logo and the current state of my website. I do still have room to grow and I will have some branding goals in my 2016 goals.

3.. Shoot 8+ weddings in 2015

• Wow! I can't believe how the Lord has blessed this goal! I remember being scared to type the number "8" because I didn't think there was any way that was going to happen. I ended up shooting 14 weddings and second shooting 6 weddings! I get teary eyed as I reflect on all of the couples this year who trusted me with the very important of capturing their wedding. To all my clients and friends: thank you SO much for believing in me and my business!

4. Attend one photography workshop (Katelyn James' workshop would be my dream but it's pretty pricey!)

• I didn't attend a full blown workshop this year, but I did get to attend the "Come Together" event which was extremely profitable! I also got to watch most of Jasmine Star's class on Creative Live as it was coming out and it was SUPER helpful (I highly recommend it to wedding photographers or aspiring wedding photographers!).

5. Purchase a Canon 5D Mark III and 50mm 1.2L lens. 

• Again, the Lord abundantly blessed in this area! I was able to purchase the Mark III, Canon 50mm 1.2L, Sigma Art 35mm 1.4, Canon 70-200mm 2.8L, and the Canon 600 EX-RT flash. I was able to buy all of this by working 2 jobs in addition to my photography business. So there was several months where I was working like crazy but it was worth it to be able to put all of my profits towards equipment and to invest into my business without going into debt. I HIGHLY recommend working full time or doing whatever you need to do in order to take your profits and re-invest them rather than buying equipment on a credit card and having debt looming over you (Dave Ramsey all the way!).

5. Train my husband Alex in photography and take him shooting with me! 

• This happened a little bit! Alex third shot one wedding with me and shot a few engagement sessions with me.  He has an eye for photography and if he decides he's interested, he could be a great second shooter!

6. Run a few give-aways throughout the year. 

• I was able to do a few Instagram and Facebook giveaways that went well! I have plans for another giveaway soon!! :)

7. Blog regularly. I'd like to blog at least 2-3 times a week with pictures of my work, wedding/photography related posts, and personal posts about my life.

• I did fairly well at blogging but there's definitely room for improvement! 

Some other notable things that happened in 2015:

• DiPrima Photography was published 3 times!! It was secretly a goal of mine to be published once in 2015 but I was too scared to list it on my blog because I didn't think it would happen. I'm SO amazed and blessed by the fact that I was able to be published 3 times (in Rustic Wedding Chic, Something Turquoise, and TALK Magazine).
• I was able to produce some blog series I'm proud of, notably: "For Brides," "Friday Feature," and "I Just Got My First DSLR...Now What?!" series. 

My Goals for 2016

My Business Goals:
1. Shoot 15+ weddings in 2016.

2. Create a wedding welcome packet and continue to work on branding (new business cards, stationary, etc.).

3. Continue building relationships with other vendors and photographers.

4. Purchase more gear.
Specifically the Canon 100mm 2.8L lens, Canon 24-70mm 2.8L lens, and another 600 flash and a light stand (so I can start doing off camera flash).

5. Serve my clients well and find ways to bless each of them individually!

6. Attend a workshop and continue developing my photography skills.
Specifically I'd really like to focus on learning off camera flash this year as well as continuing to grow in lighting and posing and framing pictures well.

7. Do at least one styled shoot.

8. Make a sample album and begin selling albums.

9. Improve my culling, editing, and blogging process and make it more efficient.

10. Blog AT LEAST 3 times a week every week.
I really want to work on getting better at pre-blogging so that I don't get so overwhelmed that I neglect blogging.

11. Start offering business mentoring and coaching and design and teach a class for beginner photographers.
I have to admit, this goal REALLY scares me!! I still have a lot to learn and in a lot of ways, I don't feel ready to teach others. But I've had a few precious women seek me out for mentoring and I'm truly amazed and honored that they want to pay me in order to learn from me! I love mentoring and would LOVE to incorporate more of this into my business this year. I've also had a lot of beginning photographers and moms wanting to take pictures of their children reach out to me and so I want to create and teach a class for them to learn beginning photography skills.

My Personal Goals
1. Spend time in the Word and prayer daily.
I want to spend at least 30 minutes every morning in the Word and prayer.

2. Memorize a book of the Bible (probably James because I'm studying it with a group of women right now).

3. Work out at least 30 minutes 3-4 times a week (I REALLY failed at working out this year!).

4. Grow in loving my husband better, encouraging him more frequently, and exercising more self control by withholding mean or unhelpful words.

5. Continue finding ways to serve at Grace and continue working on building relationships.
I want to accomplish this by getting coffee with at least one woman per week and having at least 2 women/couples/families over for dinner each month.

6. Read 10 books.
A few on my list are: Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 1776, The Speechwriter, Spurgeon's Autobiography, The Measure of Success, and Iain Murray's biography on the Life of Martin Lloyd Jones. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

7. Spend less time working and more time with Alex and with friends.
I've struggled more than I have in the past with work/life balance this year. I'm learning that when you're an entrepreneur and you're the ONLY employee at your business, it's easy to work constantly because the tasks never seem to be done! It's also easy for me to get very wrapped up in work because, thankfully, my business is something I enjoy and am passionate about. However, about six months ago I started to see that I was neglecting friendships and doing a bad job of pursuing people. I think I've improved a lot in the past few months and have begun meeting regularly with a few women, going through Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God with a friend, and attending a bi-monthly bible study on the book of James. I really want to continue learning to work more efficiently and to be more organized so that I can choose people over tasks more frequently!

8. Take WAY more personal pictures this year! 
This one kind of makes me sad. I used to be SO good about documenting everything. When I look back on the last year, I have almost zero pictures of friends and family. Yikes! Its so easy to get caught up in photographing everyone and everything else that you have no time or energy to photograph your own life! I'm going to make a really intentional effort to photography for myself more, even if I don't feel like it. I also want to spend more time growing creatively and photographing just for the joy of creating art.

9. Learn basic sowing skills. 
I don't want to learn anything complicated, but I just want to learn how to sew up holes, hem pants, etc.

10. Continue to grow in being frugal and saving money and BUY A HOUSE!
This is a big goal that I'm not sure will really happen but Alex and I are hoping for it! We would love to buy a house by this time next year. I think it's pretty doable if we do a really good job of saving and spending carefully. I definitely struggle in this area because I have to admit that I love shopping! Marriage and God's grace is helping me learn to be more frugal though!