Lots of love to this amazing family. I had some awesome help from my husband who got some cheesy laugh’s, but I wont mention what he did to get them. 

Here it is! The 12 Day’s of Christmas prizes!. And because I’m just super excited, I’m letting you all start entering today!! Each day, I will pick a winner from the entries as of 6 PM that day. There are 4 ways to enter, and 2 of them can be repeated each day for more entires!!! Check out the entry form below, and share share share for more entires!! Thanks for all of your support in 2012, cheers to making 2013 even better!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stephanie Huffman!! Thanks all so much for being part of The best of 2012 Giveaway. I so appreciate all of you playing. Congrats to Stephanie Huffman – she won a $75.00 gift certificate to use anytime in the next year.

Tomorrow begins the Best of 2012 giveaway. I can’t be any more excited about the chance to give back and the awesome prizes. Be sure to come back tomorrow for your chance to win!!

I LOVE Christmas and the whole season. And because I am so thankful for all of my awesome clients and their support this time of year especially while I take time to spend with my #1’s, God, Family and Friends, to CELEBRATE, I’ll be having an awesome GIVEAWAY!!! It will start December 10^th and run for 12 days. Over those 12 days, I will be giving away a few of my favorite products from my favorite places. Some will be photography related, some will not – something for all! Giveaway starts December 10^th, 2012 and runs for 12 days. You will have several ways to enter from 12:00 AM until 11:59 PM MST. Prizes will be announced the following day. Below you will see a preview of some of the items included in this super rockin’ giveaway.

In the meantime, let’s play another game!! Since I’ve had an awesome break since Thanksgiving, I’m all done with sessions for the year. I’ve compiled an album on Facebook with my favorite photograph from each client’s session in 2012, titled BEST OF 2012. To win, share this album (or your photo within the album) on your page and ask your friends to “like”  Tami Fosher Photography and/or Simply Swoon Studio!! Do anything you can to get people over to your photo on TF Photography’s page and “like” your photo and the page. Come back over here and enter through the Rafflecopter below. You do NOT have to be a previous client to win, but do have to use the gift card at TF Photography only and/or be willing to travel to Chadron, Nebraska for a session – just share the album and like the page.

The contest will run between NOW, December 3rd until December 9th at 10:00 AM MST. The photo with the most likes will win a $75 gift card to Tami Fosher Photography to be used by December 31^st, 2013.  You can also get more entries by tweeting and following Tami Fosher Photography on twitter! Cheers!… now get to sharing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ve debated this post for quite some time. I go back and forth with its helpfulness to potential clients, but I err on the side of caution with sounding ungrateful. I wear my heart on my sleeve for those that know me – so here goes.  I love being a photographer, and I mean, I really LOVE it. It’s something I am passionate about and I really pour my soul in to my business. I have since the start. But it’s not the most profitable business, as most photographers would tell you. The problem with all this awesome technology is that it makes people think that it should be free or cheap. That I press that little button on the computer and load them right up to your finished gallery. People don’t quite get what it takes, and I didn’t either….when I started.

I want people to value the art of photography and value the time it takes to create images that are worthy of hanging on your walls and being part of your heirloom forever. It’s not only an art, but it takes countless hours to do custom photography. I know this list in not all inclusive, but it was a start….

 Preparing for a session, gear checks, props |  90+ minutes
Booking, questions, emails & Contracts | 1 hour
Location Scouting, set-up indoors | 1 hour
Shooting Session & Travel | 90 minutes -3 hours
Image Transfer and backups | 1 hour
Culling, editing, image preparation | 5-8+ hours
Blog, FB, Website Proofing Gallery uploads | 1 hour
Designing and order prep | 2+ hours depending on needs
Ordering images | 1 Hour
Delivery of images & Packaging | 1 hour
Total Time for average session = 20+ hours

That’s a lot of time… I will say it again, that’s a LOT of time per session. For many clients, they think “I paid her $100 for a session fee, she’s making a lot before I even order”…. Well that $100 session fee pays me about $5 hour, BEFORE taxes, BEFORE expenses. To spare you any more reading and details… there is even more time in continuing education, marketing, actually caring about the client and what they are in to or their session…. There is sooo much more time than this. The overhead is killer in any business, and photography is no exception.

 Interesting Fact: Wal-Mart charges $200 for their disk…. on top of their session fee… and Sears.. $300, on top of their session fee. And you know what? That is no editing, get in people as fast as you can, shoot in 15 minutes, upload and order right there, no edits, no creative design, no thought in to the family or their hobbies, nothing.

For all of us self-employed photographers out there, it’s a lot to keep up with everything and just cover overhead. And, this is with NO studio.

Camera body | $2500 (just for one – no backup)
Lens’ | $3500 (on the low end)
Continuing Education | $1-2k a year
Packaging for products | $20 per order
Website and Hosting | $25 a month
Props | $2500+ a year
Insurance | $25 month
External Flashes’ | $500 each
Lighting Equipment | $1500
Computer | $2000 (plus a laptop if you meet with clients remotely)
Software | $1500
Marketing & Promotion | $750 a year+
=approx. $17,000 a year!!

The list could go on, but it’s really not the point. As you can see, at about 17k a year, your overhead for each session is crazy. JUST to cover expenses and break even (not including time), I’d have to take 170 sessions, at $100, to break even. That’s 14 a month, and 280+ hours a month, or over 70 hours a week. It’s not possible, not even a little.

 This industry has changed so much over the past few years, and so many people are sadly leaving. Talented, awesome, gifted people.  It consumes your life… and the money isn’t great, and not everyone appreciates custom photography.. but so many LOVE what they do and keep going. But photography is an investment, and I hope that you choose a professional to capture those memories. It takes a lot to create images that last and tell your story….