What You're Actually Paying For When You Hire Photography Services

The biggest misconception about professional photography is the camera. Almost everyone in this field has heard it from someone in front of their lens. They see the finished pictures and say, wow, your camera takes such good photos. And I’ll be honest with you, that hurts us every time.

I understand where it comes from. The camera is the only part of the process you can see. So in this guide I want to walk through everything you can’t see, because that invisible part is what you’re actually paying for when you hire photography services.

What goes into a photo before and after the click

When you look at a finished image, you don’t see what went into it beforehand and what went into it afterwards. You don’t see the inspiration collected over years. You don’t see the experience built up session after session. You don’t see the lighting decisions, or how the frame was composed, or how we adapted on the spot to conditions nobody planned for so the image still came out great. And once the shot exists, you don’t see the post-processing, the color work and retouching that takes a file from the camera to something you’d hang on a wall.

Any seasoned photographer can take any camera and capture incredible moments, because the image is the culmination of their knowledge and experience. The camera is just a tool, and the tool is only as good as those using it. A smartphone in experienced hands will out-shoot a $5,000 kit in inexperienced ones, every time.

Good photographs versus great ones

Here’s the distinction I care about. A good photograph is technically perfect. Lighting, composition, posing, all of it correct. A great photograph makes you feel something. It lingers. It starts a conversation.

Think of the images that have stayed timeless. Muhammad Ali standing over his opponent. Winston Churchill scowling right after the photographer took the cigar out of his hand. Those photographs carry emotion, and that’s why people still talk about them. One frame can generate so many emotions, so many thoughts, and so many conversations. Technical skill comes with practice, I cannot stress that enough. The goal is what you do with it once you have it.

When you hire Pottinger Studios, technically correct is the floor, and it’s included in every session. What I’m chasing on your behalf is the frame you actually feel something about when you see it.

What your money buys, item by item

So here’s the honest receipt for a session with us:

• Experience. I’ve been a working photographer since 2008, and I’m a member of Professional Photographers of America and Professional Photographers of Central Florida. Every situation your session throws at us, I’ve likely handled before.
• Preparation. The pre-session conversation, location scouting, permits, charged and cleaned gear, backup equipment, and a plan B for weather and light. (I wrote a separate guide on how to prepare for your session.)
• Direction. You will never stand there wondering what to do with your hands. Posing, expression coaching, and a relaxed atmosphere are part of the job, whether it’s a headshot or a full commercial shoot.
• Judgment in the moment. Reading the light, reading the person, and adapting when the real world doesn’t match the plan.
• Post-processing. Color-corrected, retouched, web- and print-ready files, typically delivered in 5 to 7 business days.
• Accountability. A business you can call, with a reputation in Central Florida that depends on you being happy with the results.

The gear shows up in that list exactly once, and only as “backup equipment.” That’s about the right weight to give it.

The compliment we’d rather hear

If you love your photos, tell us the photos are great. Tell us you look amazing in them. Folks in front of my lens giving that feedback is the whole reason I do this. Just maybe leave the camera out of it, and we’ll get along fine. (I’m mostly kidding. Mostly.)

If you want to see what all of that invisible work looks like when it comes together, book a session. Pottinger Studios provides photography services across Orlando, Winter Park, Lake Mary, Kissimmee, and the rest of Central Florida.