09/02/2026
Photographers, tell me I’m not the only one who has been thinking about this lately…
I’m so tired of seeing posts that say, “Looking for a photographer who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
And every time I see it, I think…
Okay, but what exactly is your “arm and a leg” budget?
Because that phrase means something completely different to everyone. And you’re asking a business to tell you what their service should cost without even considering what it costs them to provide it.
I completely understand having a budget. Photography isn’t going to fit into everyone’s budget, and that’s okay.
What gets frustrating is seeing more and more posts treating photographers like hobbyists with a camera who should be willing to work for whatever someone feels like paying.
We’re not.
There are thousands of dollars in equipment, software, insurance, education, editing, travel, taxes and all of the other costs that come with running a business.
And then there’s our time.
Time away from our families to serve yours. Hours spent communicating, planning, preparing, shooting and editing. And often, even more hours working from home while our own families are there.
This is a business.
We don’t typically walk into another small business and say, “I’m looking for someone who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
Someone can spend $7 on a coffee, $200 on a pair of jeans, thousands on a vehicle, or spend money at another small business without questioning whether that business is charging “too much.”
But photography?
Suddenly our time, talent and work are expected to be as cheap as possible.
Have a budget? Totally fair.
But instead of “Who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?” tell us what your budget actually is and what you’re looking for. That gives us something to work with.
Because honestly, when I see “doesn’t cost an arm and a leg,” I’m just sitting here wondering…
What exactly is your arm and a leg?
I’m curious how other photographers feel about this. Do you see these posts as often as I do? And does the “doesn’t cost an arm and a leg” wording bother you too, or do you just scroll past it?
Sharing this from another post i saw in a photog group and feel it needed to be shared.
