There is something a little vulnerable about talking openly about money as a photographer. For a long time, I went back and forth on how much to share, where to share it, and whether showing my full transparent photography pricing would scare people off or attract exactly the right people. Spoiler: after years of experimenting, a lot of 45-minute phone calls that went nowhere, and more than a few ghosted inquiry emails, I finally have my answer. Full pricing on the website. All of it. And honestly? I wish I had done it sooner.
How I Got Here (The Honest Version)
When I first started out, my full pricing lived right on my website. Easy to find, no mystery. It was also well below a living wage and not a number that promised a lot of value but, over time, growth came with experience. Once I had paid my dues, I changed up my business model and shifted to a “starting at” philosophy, thinking I could pull people in with that starting number and explain the rest of the value on a call. The idea made sense at the time – give a ballpark, weed out the people who truly can’t swing it, and chat with the rest.
But here is what actually happened: I started spending 30 to 45 minutes on the phone with people who, after all of that, still realized I was outside their budget. Time gone for me, time gone for them. And with the economy doing what it’s doing and quality photography being the kind of investment people sometimes don’t expect, those calls were happening more and more.
I kept thinking, there has to be a better way to find my people – the ones who already love my style, who are genuinely excited to work together, and who are ready to invest in images they will treasure forever.
So I went back to putting everything on my website. Full pricing, full process, laid out in clear and readable bites. And it has changed the whole energy of my inquiries.
What Transparent Pricing Actually Does for You (as the Client)
I know it might seem like this is all about me saving time (okay, partly 🤪), but hear me out – this is genuinely good for you too.
You get to do your research on your own schedule
Nobody wants to block off an hour of their day just to find out whether a photographer fits their budget. When pricing and process are on the website, you can read through everything with your morning coffee, share it with your partner, sleep on it, and come back when you are ready. No pressure, no clock ticking.
You already know what you are walking into
By the time you reach out to me, you have already seen my work, read about how I approach sessions, and looked at what it costs. That means when we do talk, we skip the preamble and get straight to the good stuff – your vision, your growing family, your excitement about this chapter. That is the conversation I actually want to have with you.
You can trust that we are a genuine fit
When someone contacts me after seeing my full pricing and process, I know they are serious. And that means I can show up fully for them from the very first message. I am already thinking about your session, your family, your images. I get genuinely excited the moment an inquiry comes in with real details about a new baby or a maternity session on the horizon – and I want that excitement to be mutual.
A Little Ask from Me to You
This part is important and I say it with all the warmth I have: please, please, please do not ghost your photographer.
I know life gets busy. I know sometimes you look at a website and realize it is just not the right time or the right fit. That is completely okay – seriously, no hard feelings at all. But if you have taken the time to inquire and read through a response, sending one last short email goes a long way.
Something like, “Thank you so much, but we have decided to go in a different direction” is all it takes. Ten seconds of your time.
Here is why it matters: from the moment I receive an inquiry with details about your maternity session or your new baby, I am already invested. I am already imagining your session, thinking about the light, picturing the connection I want to capture for your family. Going from that kind of anticipation straight to total silence is genuinely jarring.
You would want to know either way if the situation were reversed. Closure is important, even in a business context. We photographers are sensitive artists and we feel things 🙂.
Why This All Comes Back to Finding the Right Fit
At the core of all of this – the pricing transparency, the streamlined process, the honest conversation about ghosting – is one simple thing: I want to work with people who are genuinely excited to work with me.
I do this work because I love it. I love capturing the way a new dad looks at his baby for the first time. I love the in-between moments during a maternity session when a couple just looks at each other and you can feel everything they are feeling. I love that my background as a registered nurse means I can swaddle, soothe, and support families in ways that go beyond just pressing a shutter button.
That kind of connection does not happen in a transactional, let-me-just-get-through-this-call kind of environment. It happens when both sides are already on the same page, already excited, already ready to create something beautiful together.
Putting transparent photography pricing on my website is my way of making sure that by the time we talk, we are already there.
Ready to See If We Are a Good Fit?
If you have made it this far and you are nodding along, I would love to hear from you. Head over to my website to browse my full pricing and process (under the details tab), get a feel for how I work, and then reach out when you are ready. No long phone calls required upfront – just a genuine connection and a shared excitement about the images we are going to make together.
Your bump, your baby, your story. Let’s document it beautifully.
Liz Viernes Photography is based near Brookville, MD, and specializes in maternity, fresh 48, posed and lifestyle newborns and first year milestone portraits.
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