Meg Tomlinson Photography Blog
0 The Real Cost of Cheap Photography (And Why I Changed My Pricing)
I told myself it was temporary, that "I'm new." I told myself it was how you “get experience,"how you "get clients." I told myself "I’ll just raise my prices later." What I didn’t realize back then, was that charging the next to nothing price wasn't helping my business grow — it was quietly burning me out. Cheap Pricing Has a Hidden Cost I was shooting constantly, editing late into the night, saying yes to everything and still struggling to make it make sense financially. The math never worked, because it couldn't work at those prices I was charging. It was quickly becoming an expensive hobby that was taking up a lot of my time. The “All-Inclusive” Mindset In the beginning of my career (when this was still just a side gig), I thought the answer to gaining and keeping clients was to give more photos. Bigger galleries. Everything included. 30+ edited images, delivered every time. But here’s the question no one ever really asks:How many of those images actually get shared, printed or displayed? Most don’t. I've seen it personally.They sit on phones, hard drives, and cloud storage — all those images carefully edited, thoughtfully captured, to be rarely seen or thought about again. When images are handed over in bulk, they lose their intention. They become something to scroll past instead of something to live with. Editing dozens of photos just so they can sit hidden on a device doesn’t serve the work, the client or YOU (the photographer.) Burnout Isn’t Sustainable A business that isn’t profitable isn’t sustainable. Truth: It's just an expensive hobby that you have. A photographer who never stops working, may quickly find themselves not enjoying the work at all. Once I shifted my pricing — and my approach — everything changed.I focused on creating fewer, stronger images. Images meant to be printed, displayed and revisited over and over again. Images chosen with care instead of buried in excess gallery full of similar or the same images. I worked less, but better. I showed up more present for my family. The work itself held more meaning. And my expensive hobby became a sustainable and profitable business. Undercutting Hurts the Entire Industry You may not realize it, but charging next to nothing and giving your images away doesn’t just affect one business. It plays a part in reshaping expectations across the ENTIRE photography industry - the very one YOU hope to be profitable in. It gives clients the message that photography is disposable, not a luxury. That someone will come along who will always do it cheaper. That education, experience, and talent don’t carry any real value. And eventually, when you need to raise your prices to survive and be profitable (and you will!) , you’ll be left undoing every single one of those very expectations. Price With Purpose From The Start Fair pricing isn’t about greed. It’s about longevity. It’s about building a business that allows space for creativity, for family and for a life outside of work — while honoring the value of the images themselves.It's about building a sustainable business and keeping this industry sustainable.
0 Baby-soothing Products Every Newborn Photographer Needs!
The goal of any successful Newborn Session is to get beautiful portraits of your baby in poses, all the while keeping them calm and content in the process. We all know babies can be challenging. They could be fed, burped and all needs met yet may still need a bit of extra soothing. We also know that not all babies are the same. While some may like the sound of a loud SHUSH , others may just need a gentle vibration to soothe them into that slumber needed for a successful Newborn Session. In this post I will talk about 3 Must-Have soothing tools that I keep handy in my studio and use frequently in my sessions. First, you've got to set the overall environment. When baby arrives to my studio, the lights are already off (except for the modelling light from my PLM) and my White Noise Machine is already going. The White Noise Machine I currently use is no long available on Amazon so I can't link it, but I would suggest looking for one that also has Brown/Pink noise, or fan noises. I find these sounds to be less harsh than regular WHITE noise is. Next up, is the Shhhhussshhing. After you've shushed enough times yourself during a Newborn Session, you find something that does it for you. Many of us in the industry use these little devices because they are small and portable. They easily tuck next to baby in a prop, or near them on the table. The loud shushing noise of these can really help to 'snap' baby out of a crying or fussing fit. You can find it on Amazon [HERE] If you want a cheaper option, the same company does also offer an App for both Android and iPhone users for a one time purchase of about $6.99. Rocking. Some babies just need that little bit of movement to lull them. But what if you're like me and you use a table to do your posing and don't use an assistant - making it difficult to jiggle, pose and perfect baby all at the same time?! Even the initial transition of putting baby down onto the table from my arms can be a big one, resulting in baby needing some settling. That's where the RockIt comes in. What is it? The RockIt is a portable baby rocker device that you can strap to a stroller, or bassinet etc to make it rock slowly or quickly. It sort of mimics the constant gentle jiggling movements of a car ride. I have mine strapped to the leg of my table in just a way so that it rocks the table if I need it. Super handy for those extra fussy or touchy babies while going through your table flow! Get it [HERE] Another option that may serve better for Newborn Photographers using a bean bag instead of a hard surface table for posing, would be the Baby Brezza soothing mat. This mat can be easily tucked under all your posing layers , offers multiple soothing rhythms and can be easily controlled via an app on your smart phone. Get it [HERE] Last but not least, the Lullavibe. It does exactly what it sounds like. It is a totally portable soft covered paddle that offers soothing constant vibration. I find this especially comes in handy for use when you’ve got baby in the potato sack pose , or when you have baby in pose on the table. A little vibration to the bum or back seems to do the trick in most cases! I like this tool as well because it offers just a bit of weight which can help keep baby feeling secure when rested against their little bodies. Get it [HERE]