For What It Is Worth...

I'm going to throw this out there and then let is soak in for a second...Owens' Originals Photography pricing will be increasing in the coming year. Money is never an easy topic to discuss, heck...even I hate talking about it, just ask Joe.

With the increase in pricing, there will also be some new features so don't run away just yet. I'll get to those in a minute.

Lets discuss, shall we? I think it's important to say this, "Photography is an art". It's timeless. It's something that you will have in your family for ages and ages. I take great pride in knowing that you picked me to capture those memories for you. I want you to see your pictures and for a moment be taken aback by them. That is my goal and what I pray for before every session. In the last two and a half years, my photography style has changed and I think improved for the better. If you're looking for pictures that are 'matchy matchy', 'posey posey' {sorry my vocab is lacking today}, I may not be that photographer for you. It's taken me two and half years to realize that I'm okay with that. That doesn't mean we can't be friends. :) If you enjoy some of those 'in the moment' shots, I just might be your photographer. Yes, I still enjoy taking the family shots where everyone is looking, you'll definitely get those...but one of my favorite times of a session is catching the 'on the fly' shots.

I've upgraded equipment and that my friends is a never ending cycle. I started offering prints over a year ago and kicked myself for not starting that sooner. Oh, how I get excited every time my packages arrive with your prints. Will I still offer the disc? Absolutely. I'm going to add a package that is your session and just the digital collection of your images. Here's my thoughts on that, though...what, you didn't ask for my opinion? I'm talkative today, I'll give it to you any way. One of my greatest fears for my clients is that they won't fully enjoy their photographs. Raise your hand if you've gotten the disc from a session {from me or someone else} and then that disc sits in your desk drawer. Scarier yet, keep me in the dark if you've done this, you've gone to Wally World or Walgreens to print your images. My job is to educate you on what products to purchase, and I think I need to do a better job at that {stay tuned for improvements}. You would seriously cringe if I showed you a comparison of prints from 'those labs' and prints from the lab I use. I don't want to rip off any other photographers images, but if you Google 'print lab comparisons', there are some good examples out there.

It's also important for y'all to know me. I'm a full time high school teacher, a photographer, a wife {a coach's wife at that}, a mother to 2 very active kiddos, a daughter, a sister, an active church member, and a friend. I am not complaining {at all}, just letting you guys know that I wear a lot of hats. When I started teaching 9 years ago, I coached volleyball {I played thru college and is still my favorite sport}. Lots of family and friends have asked me if I will ever go back to coaching. Never. People say, "never say never"...but, you see, photography has taken over my passion. It's no longer volleyball, it's photographing families, seniors, newborns, brides, etc.

My time with my family members and most of all my kids, is important. For a couple of years now, I have underestimated the value of my time {some would say severely}. From the time you and I start communicating about your session, to the session, to the uploading/editing of your session, and the prep time to finalize your order...I've easily spent 10 hours invested in just your session.  I think the studio photography industry makes that hard to believe. When Trey was little, I could walk into JcPenney {yikes} and walk out with images in hand. However, with the evolution of boutique photography, you get a much more personalized session and a better image of what your family is really like. That, to me, is priceless. I've gotten countless e-mails asking me about my pricing over the last couple of years. I've been fortunate to not have any ugly comments, but I've gotten LOTS of non-replies after the pricing sheet is sent out. In the very beginning, not gonna lie, it kind of hurt my feelings. Thankfully, I have a fabulous husband and family that believe in me and my talent and they've helped me to grow thick skin. From here on out, I'll be photographing people that want me and my talent and want to invest in me as an artist. {Please don't take that as conceited, just as someone that's finally grown professionally to realize their worth...does that make sense?}

The price increases will not be astronomical, the session fee will remain the same, but the packages and what they come with will change. Drum roll please, after some Facebook feedback, I will be offering in-person ordering sessions. Gone will be the day that I send you the link to your slideshow, you watch it countless times, and then stumble through what you want and where it's going to go. I will bring the slideshow to you, we'll watch it, we'll measure if you're wanting a custom canvas/standout/frame/whatever, and you'll be guided along the way! If that's not for you, don't run for the hills...we can work something out. :)

Over the Holidays, I'm also going to be adding some custom framing options. They're VERY cool, and I can't wait to unveil those.

If you would like to book and pay for a session before the end of the year {ie January 1, 2012}, I will honor the current package prices.

It is my hope and my prayer that this does not come off as offensive, but words that will help you decide if I am the photographer for you and your family.