The session fee is $85 and covers my travel, time and talent.  This is the amount due when booking your session to guarantee your date and time.  Products are separate and will be chosen and paid for at the ordering session.  You may choose items a la carte or you may love one of my collections (which can save over $300)!  There is a minimum $250 product purchase, although the average customer spends between $400 and $700.  Click here to contact me now to talk about your session.

If you're not yet totally convinced, and depending on how much research you've already done on local area photographers, you might be experiencing a bit of sticker shock right now.  It can be difficult to imagine spending that much money for a photo session!  But hear me out on a few things before you close this browser and forget about me forever:

You are getting more than just a photographer.

As I mentioned in my What to Expect page (go visit there first if you haven't done so yet), this is not simply a "shoot and burn" business.  I do not just take your picture, I am your photography consultant.  You have my experience and expertise to rely on when deciding what to wear, what location is best, which images look best on which products, and which of those products will look best on your walls and in what sizes, etc.  I am here to hold your hand (as much as you need) until the very end.

What do you want your kids to remember in 30 years when they're sitting around the Thanksgiving table, reminiscing about the house you live in now?

Yes, you can hire someone else for much cheaper with all the digitals.  Wait! I’m not telling you to go do that now, I’m just saying you can.  But picture the above scenario, and think about what you want to hear from your grown children when your grandkids are sitting nearby: 

"Hey, remember that large family picture we had hanging in the family room at our house we grew up in?"

"Yes, I totally remember it!  Man, that reminds me of the good old days.  We had some really great times back then, didn’t we?"

"I remember having so much fun at that photo session -- that photographer was a blast to work with!"

Okay, I threw that last one in just to boost my own ego.  :)  

But seriously, do you imagine they'll say "Hey, remember all those digital files we got from our photo session back in 2014?" Nope, because they will rarely have looked at them.  What they will remember are the photos they saw every day, the ones that reminded them of your awesome family and the amazing childhood that you gave them.

You get what you pay for.

This old addage is never more true than in the area of photographic products.  Yes, I know, there is a Groupon from ABC company for a 24x36 Canvas for $50.  I’ve purchased these cheap canvas deals myself.  And you know what?  I regretted it every time.  The quality was lacking, the colors and contrast were different from my file, and I felt like I had wasted my money.  The lab I use for my canvases?  Ah-mazing.  Bright, beautiful colors, tightest corners, and UV-coated to be fade resistant.  They are the highest quality I’ve seen.  They will last a lifetime! And some of the greatest photographers in the country use the same lab.  I promise you will not be sorry when you see your favorite family photo on these gorgeous canvases.  I have samples to show you so you can be amazed yourself.

Digital files won’t last forever and you can't hang a CD on your wall.

Well, okay technically you can hang a CD on your wall, but people might wonder about you.  What do you plan to do with all those digitals?  Keep them on your hard drive?  Store them on a USB? How often will you go open them up to look at them?  

Remember how we used to store digital information 20 years ago?  Wait, you don’t, because we didn't have digital files 20 years ago.  And how do you think we will view those files 20 years from now?  Yes, digitals seem nice now, but let's face it, digitals can be destroyed, they can lose quality over time, and they may be obsolete in 20 years.

But a high quality print will last a lifetime.

Value is in the eye of the beholder.

Wait, did I mess that up?  Well, maybe the original proverb was referring to beauty, but I think my point is clear -- we all prioritize our spending based on what we value.  We sacrifice things we might want in order to purchase those things that are really important to us. 

How much is spent each year on getting hair and nails done?  On new shoes or purses?  How much is shelled out each year on golf, or football, basketball or baseball tickets?  How much will that new phone cost this year? 

Those items are not unimportant.  Personally I think there is nothing better than a fresh new ‘do and a sassy pair of pumps.  And our family buys K-State season football tickets because my husband is a fanatic and if we want to see him in during the fall we all have to trek to Manhattan every weekend with him.  Oh, and it’s a lot of fun and we create lots of great family memories, too. 

So I propose to you, how much is an everlasting memory worth, and what can be sacrificed to obtain it?

I have to make sure I’m earning enough to make it worth my time away from my family.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I have costs outside of the product cost.  IT, marketing, equipment and those pesky taxes are all a part of running a business. And they’re important so that I can provide the highest quality of service to you!

And with what’s left at the end of the day, I have to pay myself.  On average each session will take 8-10 hours to complete, from the pre-session consulting, the session itself, editing, perfecting, ordering, delivering, etc.  And all of this takes me away from my family, so I have to make sure I’m earning enough to make it worth it.  How much do you have to earn at your work to make it worth it to spend time away from your loved ones?

Sound like a good investment?  Click here to contact me so we can set up a time to talk about what you want for your everlasting memories.