09/17/2026
I seen a post where a woman was telling people to “take a few good photos of yourself/family and let AI do the rest. Photographers are overpriced.” This baffled me. Although I know this is where the age of technology is headed and AI will eventually take over… it’s not as great as everyone thinks. AI over exaggerates. It will changes facial features, it will remove things and add things that sometimes you don’t even catch. People can tell when your photos are AI and when they’re genuinely you. AI is fun to play around with, and I’m guilty of playing with it myself, but I use it for just that. Play.
Also, the pricing. Just in these two main parts of photography:
Camera: $1k-$4k can be more.
Lens: $500-2k can be more. Everyone wants those crispy photos with the blurred backgrounds, and those lens are NOT cheap.
When upgrading equipment, sometimes the lens are not universal and you’re stuck buying both the body and lens at the same time. Not to mention, the software is a monthly (can be annually) expense. Most photographers are paying for multiple programs because they all offer something different that we like to use. Paying for Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. We pay for the digital website to send you your invoices/galleries. We have to pay to have the camera fixed when there are issues or it needs calibration. We buy tripods, speed lights, backgrounds, etc.
There is behind the scenes planning and scoping out areas, planning out props, etc. the time spent editing the photos and making sure they’re the best for our clients.
Photography truly is a passion for most photographers and AI will eventually ruin that, and I hope I’m wrong. There is so much to be learned from true photography, going out and capturing the moment, IN the moment. We don’t want to give you a fake, overcompensated photo that was never real to begin with. Photographers are not trying to overprice themselves, they’re pricing their worth, their equipment and time. Photography is not cheap, so please just remember that if you’re blown away when asking prices. Try to consider all that goes into photography. Ask the photographer if they will work with you to make payments before your session, etc.
And please, don’t ever suggest AI to someone when they’re asking for referrals to a photographer. That’s doing them such a disservice of the experience they could have with their family and the quality of the photos they’ll receive.
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