Here is the difference between 50 pounds for 100 pictures and a very expensive photoshoot

I get to hear this so often. “Why are newborn baby photographers so expensive?”

“Hi all, I am looking for a photographer but not too pricey.”

And then I have a plethora of my own photography students who say to me that the market is filled with photographers who are charging 50 bucks for 100 images and so they themselves are not able to charge their worth for a photo session because they are worried the competition will get all the clients.

So, I decided I will show you in the form of pictures, a very very obvious difference between these two categories of photographers.

THE 100 images for 50 bucks photographer

Well, I am a living example of that photographer who charged a pittance and went on clicking photos of the clients for 6-8 hours and gave them 100 images at the end. This is when I had just started my photography career. I did not know what I was doing. 

Here is an example of the work I produced for my first few newborn baby photoshoots (and you may wonder what isn’t right with them. So let me explain as well.)

 

Newborn baby wrapped in a blanket for newborn baby photoshoot by Sujata Setia | But Natural Photography
Well that is just incorrect posing to begin with. In a classic newborn potato sack pose the baby’s tiny fingers and thumbs are nicely tucked under their neck, supporting their chin. Also, if you look at the editing here, the white fur under the baby is completely blown out and there is a strange halo around the right side of the baby. When you will print these kind of images, it will just not turn out to be the keepsakes you had imagined them to be for you and your family.

 

Newborn baby wrapped in a blanket for newborn baby photoshoot by Sujata Setia | But Natural Photography
This chunky knit blanket is just wrong styling. Correct and aesthetic props and bringing the right colours together in designing the sets for your newborn baby photoshoots is just the absolute key for creating masterful newborn baby images that look less like photos and more like paintings. As photographers, we are here in the business of not producing photos but of creating heirlooms…

 

A personal scarf used for a baby wrap | But Natural Photography
Again, this is incorrect posing. A personal scarf used for a baby wrap. Baby’s face is edited to be too red and the background is awkwardly painted black.

 Now, we can argue that these images still look cute. And that is alright until you come across the job of a thorough professional… which I became within 6 months of starting my business and realising the mistakes I was making. Taking proper training in newborn baby photography several times over, until I became fully educated in

  • how to pose a baby.
  • how to keep a baby calm during the entire session
  • how to move the baby from one pose to the other without disturbing them too much
  • how to design the sets in a way that they look classic, timeless and stunning beyond imagination.
  • how to buy the right props in a market that is cluttered with so many variety of props. Oh and don’t forget the ultra cheap ones that you can buy off eBay and Amazon. You bet the cheap photographers will use those for their baby photoshoots.
  • how to pose parents. I mean parents of newborn babies don’t feel comfortable being made to pose and forcefully simple. It is the responsibility of a good photographer to make the aura; the energy of the session so warm and comforting that no one feels out of place or uncomfortable. 
  • how to make parents feel comfortable and loved and taken care of while they trust you with their life’s most precious gift for those two hours.
  • how to finish a photoshoot maximum within two hours and not pushing it to 6-8 hours

After having gained all this knowledge, I finally got back to taking newborn baby images once again but mind you… by this time, I had become the other kind of photographer:

THE very expensive photographer

I am guilty of being called that “very pricey” photographer ever so often but here’s why. 

  • These sessions aren’t mere photoshoots; they are heirlooms
  • I buy new props for every single baby’s session and to give you a sense of the prices, just a vintage baby romper costs anywhere between £50-£90 and in every set up at least 6 different props are used including basket, flowers, fillers, rompers, bonnets, headbands, felt toys and more. Multiply it with minimum 6 set-ups per shoot. There you go.
  • For every session, I spend time with the family, understanding their colour, styling and other preferences. I spend time listening to their stories and seeing how I can incorporate that narrative in the sessions. How can I make that session exclusive to them.
  • I then spend several hours carefully styling each set up and preparing for the session before the family arrives.
  • Once they come over they are treated like family. My baby parents never leave home without being fed some yummy Indian food and pampered like they truly deserve to be.
  • Once the photo session is complete, it takes a minimum of 10 hours worth of editing to finish the photo gallery of these exclusive fine art child and family images that is each a piece of art. 

Here is an example of some of the work for you.

    Newborn baby sleeping with a cute smile on a round-shaped flowered prop | But Natural Photography, Sujata SetiaNewborn sleeping on a wooden bed prop for a newborn photography session by Sujata Setia | But Natural Photography  

Newborn baby sleeping on a red coloured round-shaped flowered prop | But Natural Photography, Sujata SetiaNewborn baby sleeping round-shaped prop for newborn photography session | But Natural Photography, Sujata Setia Newborn photography by Sujata Setia | But Natural Photography  Newborn baby sleeping on a round-shaped prop | But Natural Photography, Sujata Setia Newborn baby sleeping on a round-shaped prop | But Natural Photography, Sujata Setia Newborn baby wrapped in a blanket for newborn baby photoshoot by Sujata Setia | But Natural Photography 

Newborn with a cute a cute little smile | Newborn baby photographer Sujata Setia | But Natural PhotographyMom with her newborn baby | Sujata Setia - Newborn photographer | But Natural PhotographyMom with her newborn baby | Sujata Setia - Newborn photographer | But Natural PhotographyDad with his newborn baby | Sujata Setia - Newborn photographer | But Natural PhotographyMom & Dad with their new born baby for a Newborn photography session | But Natural Photography - Sujata Setia

 

So here’s exactly what is the difference between a cheap or “not so pricey” photographer and one that may be charing a bit more but will give you memories that will adorn the walls of your home for generations to come and will become a priceless addition to your life’s memoirs. 

You can’t put a price tag on your life’s most precious memories… only entrust them to someone whom you can truly trust.

 

Also, check out my another interesting blog: At what age should I do my Baby Photoshoot?

About Me:

Hi! My name is Sujata Setia from But Natural Photography. I’m based in the UK. I’m a professional photographer and have won many awards for what I do. I have also been teaching the art of photography for more than 8 years now. Some of my recognition includes being published in Forbes, The Daily Mail and, Vanity Fair amongst others. The journey with my camera started when I had my daughter Aayat, and I have never put it down since. It helps me to capture the right moment so you can cherish it forever, and my services to deliver perfection to you knows no bounds, no distance, and no obstacles. People come to me to make a pitstop of their life a milestone so I’m willing to dedicate the time and effort it takes to understand the very essence of the family; to make every moment I capture is timeless.

 

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