I have friends & family that will ask me to take their pictures which puts me in an awkward place because my portraiture prices aren’t cheap! So, I am writing this article to address this awkward issue because there are some “deals” that I am willing to make to reduce your portraiture price.

A custom portraiture session starts at $150 – time & talent only. There are several packages with prints, albums and digital files. The most popular package is the hour session with a session disc…that package is $400. I don’t know about you, but I think that is a steep number. The truth is that custom photography is a luxury item. Most can more easily stomach the prices of a big box portrait studio – ie. Olan Mills – or hope for some lucky shots out of our personal point-and-click cameras. Every couple years, we might be able to spring for a boutique photographer but it hurts, I know.

So, here are some ways for my friends and family to make a deal with me.

1. Refer engaged couples to me for their wedding photography. If they sign on the dotted line and go through with the wedding, I will reward you with a portrait session – The $150 session fee will be deducted from your package total.

2. Organize a multi-family or multi-person photo session – a.k.a. portrait party. – Get 4 or more families or people together – you are 1 of the 4 – Your $75 session fee will be deducted from your package total.

3. Barter – Are you a business owner or have a talent of your own? This is a bit more complicated and may be opening a can of worms. I am about to trade a session for a Keratin Hair Smoothing Treatment. I am willing to trade for landscaping – including trees, edging, and a shed, an in-home personal trainer, upscale restaurants, personal chefs or caterers, hotel or airline buddy passes, certain “beauty” treatments, or classes for my children – in-home piano, tumbling, or dance. I will literally trade $ for $. I am not interested in trades for advice or consulting at this time, nor am I interested in your makeup, pyramid scheme or sex toy product line – I’m good there.

4. Lastly, if you can wait for one of my organized portraiture events. I will do 2 or 3 a year – spring and fall and maybe a summer nighttime one. I would be happy to deduct the session fee from your package total if that will help. I may even offer some discounts for buying sessions for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day – not actually doing the session on V-day or Mother’s Day…just buying the session gift card.

* please note that these deals do not apply to wedding or corporate photography.