Portfolio-Building and Its Real Cost to You

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Lindsey Mix is here to share her journey and tell us how she learned to value her photographic art and talent. Thanks Lindsey!

In 2010 I bought my first DLSR. I started practicing. I started learning. The more I learned, the more I wanted to practice. I read. I studied. I wanted to shoot MORE!

Enter the Free Session.

I started reaching out to friends in 2012 and asked if I could practice with their families. My very first “Session” was maternity pictures with a very dear friend, her almost 2 year old, and her awesome husband. They were sweet and oh so patient. They were happy, I was happy. Life was good. Sound familiar?

My very first session…

I continued asking friends if I could take pictures of their families and I always felt as if they were doing me a huge favor when they’d take time out of their day for me to practice. I rushed, I floundered but man, did I learn a lot!

At the time, I did not value the pictures I was turning over. I valued the practice I was getting and the lessons I was learning, but I didn’t understand that each digital image I turned over had a value to that family. It was WORTH something.

But, since I didn’t give them a monetary value, how could anyone else? How could anyone else know what the real “cost” was?

Then, mid year 2013 I was offered a paying job. Suddenly, my work had tangible value. Someone was willing to PAY me. My friends were all happy for me but I don’t think it meant much to them, it was just a good gig. But to me, I was WORTH SOMETHING!!

Sooner or later, someone will likely say “you should go into business” or “you should start charging”. The only problem is, what most people don’t recognize is how significant the investment is once you go into business, both financially, and with your time.

Suddenly money needs to be spent on equipment, licenses, insurance, education, products, thank you cards, advertising, web hosting, TAXES and a myriad of other expenses.

Also mixed in there is an interest in editing. At some point, if you’re shooting in RAW which most professionals are, you will need to learn to edit. And it will take time, A LOT OF TIME.

You have reached the tipping point. You can no longer be free.

Was there a value in your free sessions? YES. There is an incredible value that you BOTH benefit from and that’s what you can’t forget. Your friends ARE getting something. They’re getting pictures from an emerging photographer whose work is only going to continue to get better as they support you. For some of them, they may be the only family pictures they get.

Was there a price? Yes. Not to them, but to you. You paid with not just your time but your emotional investment in trying to create something beautiful.

I also made a catastrophic mistake while I was shooting for free; I had run my mouth and told everyone I’d always be able to shoot their families for free. IF YOU’RE SHOOTING FOR FREE, DON’T SAY THAT. Don’t make promises for the future. I’m only a freshman in my career and even this early, I’ve learned to not talk about what I will or will not do in the future with any sense of finality.

So, I opened my business doors officially in January 2014. I set my prices where I wanted them to be and then offered a Spring Special. I offered 12 sessions at that special rate. I have another blog post I’m working on called “Am I worth it?” where I go into this in further detail but for now, just know that it was portfolio building pricing without calling it “Portfolio Building Prices”.

The Spring Special took off and I started booking. It was a slow, but steady start. In the meanwhile I was still shooting my friends for free. I had people paying me for my time and products but was still offering others free. It didn’t feel balanced.

I didn’t know what to do. I kept shooting for free. A lot. Too much. My family was at home and my husband who wholeheartedly supported me was getting worn down. I wasn’t just giving away MY time for free, I was giving away HIS. I also felt like my value had increased over time and I wasn’t getting much affirmation from my loved ones that they were seeing the improvements.

Meanwhile, my business clients were raving. They were INVESTING in me. They saw the value in what I was doing.

So, I sent out an email to my closest friends explaining where I was coming from and that I could no longer shoot for free. I explained that I was undervaluing my family’s time and that wasn’t fair to them. I offered a discount for my closest friends that wanted to book me and I promised each of them one last free session.

But eventually, I got my feelings hurt. It’s a natural progression when you bring money and friendships together. Going into business makes you incredibly vulnerable. You’re not just trying to take nice pictures. You’re trying to create something so wonderful that people are willing to pay you for it. When someone tells you they don’t want to pay you, even if it’s subtle, it’s SO hard not to feel like you’re not good enough, like what you’re doing is failing.

For me, it happened in the form of a friend choosing a shoot and burn photographer. I was devastated. I was so incredibly hurt I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I felt like she wanted photography, she just didn’t want ME. I worried that she didn’t like my work and didn’t feel like I was worth it so she hired someone else.

I felt like if I brought it up, I’d be forcing her into saying my work wasn’t strong enough for her taste and I really didn’t want to put her in that position. She never mentioned it to me, I only found out via facebook, which I thought was further confirmation that she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. So, I stayed quiet and barely talked to her. It wasn’t the best thing to do but I just couldn’t figure out whether or not to ever bring it up and I couldn’t seem to let it go.

She called me on my avoidance. I told her how hurt I was. She explained that it wasn’t that she didn’t like my work, it was just that this shoot & burner was cheap and they just couldn’t afford me at the time. She told me she didn’t bring it up because she didn’t want me to feel  guilty for my prices. She went on to give me super sweet compliments and tell me how she really hopes to hire me in the future for maternity and newborn pictures because there’s no one else she would trust to do those.

Photography is a luxury. When you were free, it was a gift of luxury that your friends embraced. But, when it comes with a price tag, every family has to make choices that are personal to them. They may not choose you. It’s not a rejection. It’s prioritizing. We all do it and we all do it in different ways. It will probably sting, but the more prepared you are for it, the more likely you will be able to handle it.

You have value. Don’t ever feel guilty about that. When you reach a point where you’re ready to start charging, be honest with your friends and family. Set clear limits & boundaries not only for them, but for yourself and your family.

When you’re asked to gift a free session (because you will be), it’s ok to say “I wasn’t really planning to give a $500 wedding gift so I think I’ll need to stick to the registry.” or something similar. It’s ok to say NO.

At the end of the day, remember, if you don’t value yourself and your work, you certainly can’t expect other people to.

Lindsey Mix

Lindsey Mix lives in Wilmington Delaware. She specializes in Maternity, Newborn, & Family Photography. She’s a begrudging marathoner, an avid laundry doer, and a huge fan of Starbucks. She hates cooking but luckily married a man that loves it. Her heart belongs to lifestyle photography and capturing the fleeting moments of her two children’s lives.

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