(This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of my affiliate links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission for referring you. This comes at no additional cost to you. Please note I only offer resources that I have used and strongly recommend!)

Something that most, if not all, people would agree on is that everyone needs to make a living somehow. Whether that is selling real estate, running a restaurant, being a doctor, and so on.

One of the ways I make extra cash is by providing my creative services. When I first started working on projects in high school for friends and family, I never charged anything because I did not have any educational experience or a portfolio started. I honestly didn't even think of it as something that I could make money off of! These projects gave me the experience of working with someone and using my creative skills to make the concepts they had in their head (but not sure how to execute it) a reality.

Now that I have gone to school and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (with courses in art, design, and photography), and gained freelance opportunities, I am at a point where I can charge for my services.

In my experience with photography, I have run into many people who either think it is easy, or who think it is a creative service that should be free because anyone can take a good photo. So I thought I would help explain why services from professionals are worth getting paid for with a few comments I that have been said to me in the past.

"Your pictures are beautiful, you must have a great camera!"

This statement that most people would think is a compliment is actually a knife in the stomach. This statement pretty much says that anyone can be a great photographer, all it takes is the money to purchase a good camera...

A while back, I saw an Instagram quote with a perfect analogy to this statement:

"A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said 'I love your pictures - they're wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.' He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: 'That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove." -Unknown

I am not sure where I found this or who said this quote, but it gives those who are not photographers a perspective on the profession that they may not have seen. Does a chef need a fantastic stove in order to cook a five-star meal? No! So why would it be any different for creatives? It's not a matter of having high-end and high-quality tools to produce something amazing - what matters more is how you use what you have, whether that be the camera on your phone or the lighting you get from Mother Nature.

"Oh, you charge for your photos? I thought you did this all for free?"

Uh... no. Photography services should not be free. If they are, the photographer is either doing a school project or they are just starting to explore the profession. Otherwise, the services that a photographer charges include much more than just their time and the photos.

When you purchase a photographer's services, you are also paying for their experience. If they are also highly skilled, chances are that their rates will be more. However, the benefit to this is that you will most likely get higher quality images.

Other things that are included in the expenses is the physical equipment needed for the shoot (camera(s), lighting, computers, etc.). This equipment can either be the photographer's own, or rentals.

Post-production is also included in the expenses. Programs like Lightroom and Photoshop are more accessible nowadays because Adobe offers monthly payments rather than the only option of purchasing the program in full. This takes a HUGE load off of expenses for the photographer, however, it is still an investment over time.

Lastly, not only do the expenses include the equipment and post-production programs, but it also includes the time and costs put into education to learn how to use the equipment and all of these programs. Knowing how to properly use a camera as well as getting that amazing shot is the first part of being a great photographer but also being knowledgeable with editing the photo to make it legible, eye-catching and attractive.

"Can you send those photos over when you are done editing them? Shouldn't take that long, right? Like, 10 minutes?"

HA! This statement most definitely comes from someone who does not have a creative bone in their body. If you expect something to turn out nice and of high quality, you can expect that it will take some time depending on what it is. More often than not, if you had just done a photo shoot, it may take you from a couple of days to edit those photos to as long as a couple of weeks.

My post-production process starts with importing the photos to the editing software, then going through them to see which ones will turn out the best. Once I have done that, I start to edit each and every one (I'm not even going to list all of the things that can be done to edit a photo); lastly, I export them and send them back to my client. Something may also go wrong with the photos - my computer may have trouble importing them, they may be corrupted, or my computer may crash in the middle of editing!

There are many other factors that go into being a photographer, and I have only scratched the surface of the profession. I hope this article gives those who are not familiar a better understanding of a photographer's life!

What is something in your profession that is often misunderstood? Tell me in the comments below!