10/09/2026
📸 So you want to be a photographer? 😂
Well, buckle up, buttercup, because it’s a whole lot more than buying a fancy camera and pushing a button. 💁🏻♀️
Let’s talk about the glamorous life of a photographer, shall we?
First off, say goodbye to your weekends. 👋🏼 While everyone else is at the lake, having BBQs, going camping, or spending time with their families, you’re spending time with someone else’s family. You’re capturing their memories while missing out on making some of your own.
You’re on your feet for HOURS. Squatting, bending, running, climbing, carrying equipment, sweating in places you didn’t know could sweat. Your back hurts, your knees hurt, and if you’re lucky, you might actually remember to take a p*e break. 😂
And let’s not forget the financial side of this little adventure. 💸
SD cards, SSDs, external hard drives (because apparently we need 47 of them), camera bodies, lenses that cost more than some people’s vehicles, batteries, editing software, gallery hosting, website fees, CRM subscriptions, insurance, advertising, education, equipment maintenance, and the list goes ON.
Oh, and heaven forbid something breaks. 🫠
But then comes my favorite part…
“Wait, you charge HOW MUCH for pictures?!”
Ma’am. Sir. Respectfully. 😂
I promise you, you’re not just paying me to show up for an hour, push a button, and send you some pictures.
Because when I get home, my job is FAR from over.
I’m downloading and backing up hundreds, sometimes THOUSANDS of images. I’m sorting through every single one, finding the moments that matter, choosing the best images, correcting colors, adjusting lighting, editing, retouching, organizing, and carefully putting together a gallery that doesn’t just show you what happened.
It tells the story of what it FELT like to be there.
And that takes HOURS. Sometimes days.
Then there’s answering emails, sending contracts, creating timelines, managing bookings, updating websites, posting on social media, paying taxes, and trying to remember what day of the week it is. 🤪
And somewhere in all of that, we’re supposed to have a personal life, too.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE what I do. I love the people I meet, the families who welcome me into their lives, the couples who trust me with one of their biggest days, and the moments I get to freeze in time.
But I think sometimes people forget that behind every beautiful photograph is a real person who has poured their time, money, creativity, energy, and heart into making it happen.
We aren’t just photographers.
We’re business owners, accountants, marketers, editors, storytellers, problem solvers, occasional wedding dress bustle experts, professional kid entertainers, and sometimes even emergency therapists. 😂
And we’re often doing it all while running on caffeine, a granola bar, and approximately four hours of sleep.
So the next time you see a photographer’s pricing and think, “Wow, that’s expensive,” I hope you’ll remember you’re not just paying for the hour they’re standing in front of you with a camera.
You’re paying for everything it took to get them there, and everything they’ll do long after you’ve gone home.
Because at the end of the day, photography isn’t just pointing a camera and taking a picture.
It’s pouring a little piece of yourself into preserving a piece of someone else’s life. ❤️
And despite the sore backs, missed weekends, overflowing hard drives, and questionable bladder health…
I wouldn’t trade the privilege of telling your stories for anything. 📸❤️
Much love from one very tired, very grateful photographer. 😂
Caitlin Marie Photography
