MVP Studios is the only photographer with a 100% "Keep Your Image" pricing structure for Wedding Photography, Senior Portrait Photography and Family Portrait Photography. Many photographers hold your "negatives" hostage forever, forcing you to buy prints from them even years later. Not MVP, all of our pricing includes the original, FULL RESOLUTION images with a COMPLETE copyright release!*
The
Photo CD will give you the option of reprinting photos on your own
using any photo lab like. Unlike most photographers, you will not have
to pay MVP for reprinting in the future.
Photo CD is the same as having the negatives with film. Our CDs may
be duplicated, so friends and relatives can have a copy of your photos
to relive memories for years to come.
Custom Packages are available upon request.
(951) 240-5537
info@mvpstudios.com
Satisfaction guaranteed!
About Professional Photographers' Pricing
At
MVP Studios, we believe our pricing model is revolutionary. We also
believe in being open and honest with our customers about the costs
associated with professional photography. In order to better educate
our customers, or potential customers, we have provided an overview of
the costs of photographers in general, not just MVP Studios. While we
hope you choose MVP Studios as your photographer, we think this
information will be valuable to you when researching the costs
associated with professional photographers.
If you talk to many professional photographers, you will get
considerably different stories when it comes to professional
photography prices and services. With so many new digital photographers
in the marketplace, there can be a lot of confusion regarding what a
true professional photographer is and what they can do for you.
People call photographers all the time to ask questions about prices.
In all too many cases, hiring a photographer comes to down price.
Potential customers look at sample photo galleries online to decide
what level of photographer falls into their budget.
Many calls and emails we receive regarding professional photographers
are asking about event photographers, wedding photographers, senior
portraits and family portrait prices. There are so many variables that
go into a shoot such as location, the travel involved to get to a photo
shoot and the length of the shoot itself.
“Professional Photographers” can have prices as low as $50 for senior
portraits or $5000 or more for a wedding photographer. The “cheap
photographer” may not be the best bet because someone working for $50
probably isn’t a true professional photographer. Many of our
customers are really confused by the prices associated with photography
so I have tried to shed some light on the subject here.
Your neighbor with a $500 Camera is Not a Professional Photographer
A professional photographer is not your neighbor who has made a trip to
Best Buy and bought what they think is the latest and greatest DSLR
camera. Even if they have the best professional photographer’s camera,
that does not make them a professional photographer. If you decide to
go that route, you may regret that decision and you can’t reshoot a
wedding and senior portraits are images you will have for a lifetime.
Using an experienced photographer is the best way to go. Also, keep in
mind that there is time involved. Even if you only need one shot, it
will take time to find the best shot, ensure the best lighting and in
the case of senior portraits, wait for the subject to change outfits.
Our professional senior portrait photographers will be able to give you
advice on what to wear and have suggestions for great photographs. Our
wedding, family and senior portrait photographers have done this before
and are here to guide you through the process. That’s why our
professional photographers stand out among the crowd.
Another thing to keep in mind is the cost of professional
photographers’ equipment. We only use high quality DSLR cameras,
specialized lenses, professional memory cards, and lighting along with
the customized software for image processing. MVP customers benefit
from the latest professional technology being used in the photographs.
Something else that falls under the time umbrella is the time it takes
to produce the image. Some things that go into a photo shoot are;
setting up the equipment in advance, downloading the photos and going
through them after the shoot, digital touch-ups to the photos, deciding
which photos are best for prints, burning the photos onto DVDs or CDs,
sending them to the lab, and many, many more things.
I
think most would agree that there is a great value you get from working
with professional event, school, youth sports, senior portrait and
wedding photographers.
Keep in mind that true professional photographers shoot for a living.
Our photographers are trained professionals who then go through
specific training and shoot methodology before they are able to work
for MVP Studios.
The Cost of Photography Service
Whether you’re a Marine Corps Unit looking for a Marine Corps Ball
photographer, a senior looking for professional senior portraits or a
couple looking for a professional wedding photographer, the big
question is always: How much is a professional photographer going to
cost me?
There are a few things to ask yourself when choosing a professional
wedding photographer. Is there a price value on your wedding night
memories? Most customers say no. What about senior portrait prices?
Senior portraits are another important part of a person’s life,
signifying moving from one chapter of their life to another. Isn’t it
worth paying a bit more to hire a true professional senior portrait
photographer to know you will have great photos to cherish for a
lifetime? The price of the photos could range from a few hundred
dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on the photographer but the
value sometimes cannot be measured.
When choosing a professional photographer for your photography services
it is best to make your decision based on value, not just the cheapest
price. Think of it like you would consider any other important
purchasing decision.
Pricing for Event Photography
Something to think about when considering event photographers is event
photography pricing. Event photography covers a wide range of
photography services, thus the pricing for event photography services
will vary depending on the type of event. We do a lot of Marine Corps
Ball photography, which is considerably different than corporate event
photography or Quinceañera photography. Many event photographers
charge Marine Corps Units just to come out to do their Marine Corps
Ball photography. In 99% of the cases, we do not charge the Unit to
come out for their Marine Corps Ball. We make our money when Marines
and guest make purchases. In most cases, we actually donate
fundraisers to the Marines to help with the costs associated with their
Ball. With our customer loyalty program, we actually donate a
percentage of the sales back to the Marine Corps Units in appreciation
for their business. When choosing a Marine Corps Ball photographer,
always make sure they will take candid shots of the Marines as well as
photograph the ceremony. We provide this service free of charge.
With event photography for corporate parties, there are many different
pricing models that come into play. Many companies hire a photographer
for a flat fee based upon the number of people at the event. In some
cases, companies pay for a specific number of photos in advance. One
customer knew they were going to have 100 couples at their event and
paid us up front for 1 5x7 for each couple and allowed them to purchase
more if they wished.
When considering an event photographer, think about if you want on-site
printing or prefer to have the photos shipped directly to the
customers. All of these things play a significant role in the cost for
your event photographer.
Why on earth do most Wedding Photographers’ Prices vary so much?
With most photographers, once you throw the words “wedding
photographer,” prices go through the roof. The reality is there are a
vast majority of wedding photographers whose prices are extremely
high. As a matter of fact, Wedding photography in general can seem
overpriced at times. You may Google “Wedding Photographers” (probably
how you found our site) and find the website of a photographer whose
work impresses you…until you see their price. Then if you even think
about keeping the original images, or negatives, the prices can be
insane. That is why we have “Keep Your Image” pricing for our senior
portrait and wedding photography. Digital photography has
revolutionized the industry and many of the wedding photographers out
there haven’t come along for the ride. At MVP Studios, we consider
ourselves the most innovative photographer in Temecula, the Inland
Empire, San Diego, Orange County and all of Southern California. That
is why all of our pricing for senior portrait photography, family
portrait photography and wedding photography includes original images
with a copyright release.
At MVP Studios our goal is not just to part you from your money!
Professional photographs are a wonderful way to capture your memories.
Choosing the right photographer is important and the photos they take
can be priceless.
You should never be pressured into paying more than you can afford to
pay for wedding pictures, but you shouldn’t assume they are a ripoff or
some sort of scam. After the guests are gone, the gifts are opened and
the honeymoon is over, aside from your marriage, your photos are what
you have left. MVP Studios photographers will provide you with photos
worthy of becoming part of your family's history.
Photographers do a lot more than just showing up and taking pictures.
Below is a list of just a few things that are relevant to ALL
professional photographers, not just MVP Studios.
Expenses incurred by most professional Photographers
Advertising - While it is nice to get referrals from existing
customers, typically that don’t bring in enough revenue to support a
sustainable business. Advertising is expensive. Web advertising can
range from $100 per month for a small photographer, up to a few
thousand dollars a month for a larger photography company. Other
advertising costs include print ads, ads on event planning websites and
Google AdWords and other pay-per-click advertising. At any rate, you
can be assured that 99% of professional photographers spend a
considerable amount on advertising which has to be paid for.
Taxes - Just like anyone else, photographers pay taxes on their
income. Not only do they pay income tax, they also have to pay sales
tax. For school photographers, event photographers and youth sports
photographers it is really cut and dry, you pay sales tax based upon
the tax rate for the area in which you shoot. For MVP, that is
Temecula, the Inland Empire, Riverside County, Orange County and San
Diego County, basically all of Southern California. That takes an
average of 8.75% of their fee right off the top of the sales amount.
In some cases, in many areas of the country, California included,
wedding photographers are required to pay sales tax even if they are
charging a flat fee for their service. Many photographers think that
sales tax doesn’t apply to “photography services”, like wedding
photography or event photography where they get paid a flat amount. In
most cases they are wrong and can run into trouble with the government
if they do not comply. I personally know of a case where a San Diego
event photographer did many of her events for a flat fee and thought
she didn’t have to pay sales tax. When she was audited, she had to pay
sales tax for a considerable amount of her previous events, which
nearly put her out of business. Think about that when you are
considering a photographers price, as much as 40% in some cases could
be being paid in taxes! So if you are paying someone $1000 fee, as
much as $400 of it could be going to the government.
Equipment - Professional grade, DSLR camera bodies cost as much
as $5,000. Lenses are typically more of a cost for a photographer
because they need many of them to get the right shot. There are
special lenses for portrait photography, event photography and all
sorts of specialty lenses that photographers carry in their bag to make
sure they have most potential shots covered. Professional
photographers’ lenses can EASILY cost $1,000 or more. Some lenses can
cost as much as $5000 or more depending on the type of photography they
are designed for. Professional sports photographers’ lenses are a
small fortune.
This equipment wears down just like any other piece of electronics
(that is what they are these days, electronics). High volume
photographers can wear out cameras in a couple of years. The average
life of a camera is 100,000 to 150,000 shots. At MVP Studios, just in
our youth sports photography and school photography business, we
photograph as many as 50,000 kids per year. At 2-3 shots per child,
you can see how fast that can break down equipment. With wedding
photographers it isn’t quite that bad, but a wedding might have as many
as 3000 shots taken, which can still add up quickly. Add to all of
that thousands of dollars in lights, flashes, tripods, camera bags,
memory cards, batteries and the hundreds of other miscellanies items
that professional photographers need and you start to get an idea of
how expensive being a professional photographer can be.
Insurance – For sports and school photographers, liability
insurance is a must. It is recommended that these types of
photographers carry at least 2 million dollars in liability insurance.
Equipment insurance is even more expensive. A large photography
company could have $100,000 worth of equipment or more, which is a few
thousand dollars per year to insure.
Other costs that effect photographers pricing
Sales and Prospecting – For youth sports and school
photographers, the vast majority of their time is spent is sales,
marketing and prospecting. This involves a lot of time. Just finding
prospects that they can market to takes hours out of every day. Once a
prospect is found, time is then spent trying to make contact and set a
meeting to present their products and services. Driving to the meeting
and meeting with customers can take an entire day. For wedding
photographers, time is spent with the customer before the wedding then
again after the wedding showing the finished products. If you add to
that a custom wedding album, you can see that the majority of
professional photographers’ time is spent doing everything but taking
pictures.
After a shoot, many photographers hours editing, color correcting and
touching up images. For youth sports and school photographers, there
will be HOURS of data entry of the customers’ orders. Unlike
photographers who only shoot weddings or senior portraits who typically
deal with 1 customer at a time, youth sports and school photographers
deal with thousands of customers a month in many cases. Additionally,
youth sports and school photographers have multiple “layers” of
customer interaction. For youth sports photographers, their main
customer is the league or organization, who makes the decision on which
photographer to choose, but the customers who make the purchases are
the parents in the league. At MVP Studios, our volume requires us to
have staff in the office during office hours to handle customer calls
and other office duties. We also assign a dedicated customer manager
to each league or school to make sure they have everything they need to
make sure their picture day is a success.
Skill – True professional photographers are artists. Anyone can
learn the ins-and-outs of a camera and memorize all of its functions.
Professional photographers have a “photographer’s eye”, which enables
them to see the right shot and take it. Really good images aren’t just
properly exposed, they are something to remember.
We hope this article helped shed a little light on the things to consider when comparing photographers' pricing. For more information on the types of photographers MVP Studios has to offer please visit our websites.
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