Luxury Photography
What is the difference between a luxury portrait studio and your typical photographer? In this blog post I will explain how luxury photography is vastly different than your run of the mill family portrait session. I will also discuss why paying for a luxury photography experience is so much more valuable.
When most people think of portraits they think of showing up at a park, stressing about choosing their outfits and praying that everyone cooperates. Two weeks later, they receive their digital downloads and share their memories on social media. There is an initial surge of adrenaline with the likes and loves and comments. Two weeks later when the adrenaline spike of the social sharing is gone, the digital images begin to float into the sea of icloud photos to be enjoyed whilst scrolling. Two years later, those memories are all but lost on a hard drive. A decade later at your daughters wedding they are gone because technology has changed so much you can't seem to retrieve them from wherever you stored them way back when. If you are part of the 5% of humans who get around to printing, congratulations. Give yourself a pat on the back, you are an anomaly. Many people will print 8x10's for their home or perhaps grab a Costco canvas and hang it over their mantle. In twenty years from now, those images will be collecting dust in a storage room as they are taken down to make room for the new portraits.
After seventeen years in the industry, I have seen this story play out-over and over and over. Don't feel bad if this is you. It's everyone, myself included. Procrastination is our human nature.
I used to be a shoot and burn photographer. I charged $500 and hand over all the digital images to my clients. I left them to their own resources to create something magnificent with the memories we poured our hearts into capturing. What I didn't realize at the time was the disservice I was doing for my clients.
One day I had a client inquire about her digital files taken a decade prior. Her mom had passed on and she desperately wanted her memories from our session together. I couldn't blame her. The problem was, I only keep digital backups for four years. I no longer had her digital images. My heart sunk as I realized how I had been doing business was actually hurting my clients.
That day, I decided I'd do things differently. I'd serve my clients at a higher level. I'd be sure that the effort my clients went to get portraits done would never be wasted with lost memories. And that is what led me to offering a luxury photography experience.
Now, in my luxury photography studio, I don't just show up with a camera and snap some photos and hand them off and cross my fingers something magnificent will be done with them to preserve them.
How my luxury photography experience is different:
- We begin with an interior design consultation. I walk through my clients homes and discover where they want their portraits, the feeling they want in their portraits and the design of their home. This is all important because it determines the way I photograph the session. I shoot specifically for the space we are designing.
- We hold a wardrobe consultation. I guide my clients through wardrobe selection based on the interior design of their home. It is important to choose your wardrobe to match your interior decor. If your home is decorated in blues and pinks, you don't want to dress in yellows and reds for your session.
- I scout out locations conducive to your home. If you live in a modern home, we do not want to shoot at a barn. If your decor is farmhouse, you don't want to shoot in a marble classic setting.
- I spend time talking about each individual family member. I understand what makes them unique. I spend time learning their personality to draw out their true colors. I become aware of possible awkward dynamics. I prep my clients for the connection that will take place at their session.
- My sessions are vastly different from any other photographers session that I have ever seen. Because of my back story, I focus more on creating feeling than I focus on creating images. I have mastered the psychology of invoking emotion. So when you see your portraits on your wall, you don't just see beautiful imagery, you FEEL your love.
- I spend as many hours as you need designing an end product you are proud to display in your home. From wall art to albums. Your portraits become the statement pieces of artwork in your home.
- Luxury photography studios pride themselves in offering only the most premium final products. Our canvases are hand stretched and hand finished with acrylic brush stroking that make your portraits museum quality canvases. Our albums are designed to last a lifetime and beyond. With double thick, layflat pages held bound with Italian leather, it is luxury in your hands when you reminisce. As a luxury photographer, we have access to product only available to professional photographers. You cannot and will not find the product a luxury photography studio offers on your main market.
- It's ALL DONE FOR YOU! We finish your luxury photography experience by installing your artwork in your home. It is a completely hands off experience for our clients. Those who don't have time to think or stress about creating heirloom keepsakes, we handle it for you.
- Above all, a luxury photography experience is one where as a photographer we care about every tiny detail of the process and ultimately do everything we can to make your life easier.
In the end, it's not that luxury photography is overly expensive. It comes down to the experience that is offered. If you want to be poured over and pampered, I'd love to chat and make something magnificent for your family, senior or glamour portraits.
Much Love,
Michelle
