Well, it has been quite awhile since my last blog post, but here I am, still doing photography here on the wonderful beaches of Delmarva. I sure am one lucky woman! This will be my 15th year, counting my years in Baltimore, so “Happy Anniversary” to Atlantic Portrait Studios! Yay! Anyway, what inspired me to create a new post today was the fact that the last few emails and phone calls I have received were from families and individuals doing a “price shopping” comparison of photographers here at the beach. Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that everyone is on a budget these days and it is always wise to get value for our hard earned dollars, but the old saying of “you get what you pay for” is true of this business as well. Sure, you can get the Scopes guys to take your picture on the beach for a (relatively) moderate price, but chances are that you won’t want to hang your telescope picture over your fireplace.
They don’t charge a sitting fee, this is true. But they don’t retouch your photos, they don’t customize anything, they don’t use top quality equipment, and they take your “pictures” at the most awful time of day…the midday sun on a super crowded beach. They are not seasoned, professional photographers with a real web site, real references, real knowledge of what it takes to produce a family beach “portrait” (not “picture”). I am not trying to belittle these guys, because they are just trying to gain the experience to actually become real photographers with their own studios someday. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you want to pay them to do your beach portrait you might as well do the portrait yourself! I often marvel at the idea that a family beach portrait session is somehow less important than a few extra cocktails, a few extra souvenirs, one or two full body massages, or one expensive dinner. After all, pictures document the memories created here at a place that you love to vacation with your family. You should be willing to try to capture those memories at least once or twice professionally. It will be worth the extra expense, trust me. I wish I had a penny for all of the times that people thank me for doing their beach portrait sessions, because they become cherished memories for generations to come when the kids grow up, people pass away, or pets die. Just a suggestion. Happy summer!
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