likewise, capturing every tender moments of my lovely client was the satisfaction i get in my career as a photographer. moments are priceless. it happened once and gone forever if it not well captured. and when it captured, that’s where a picture worth a thousand smiles…..

and when comes to shoot, “fun” is always my main focus element. enjoy Victor & Sophia’s pre-wedding pictures…….

Referrals and word of mouth has always played a big part in the wedding photography industry, so it’s usual for clients who are happy with my work, to pass a word of two about me/my work to their friends who’re seeking out photography services. But lately, i’ve received puzzling references from potential clients, to images that don’t exist on my website. How could that be? It’s only when i asked them for the web address and company name they’ve referred to, that it dawned upon me, it’s not my web address!

Somewhere out there in the blogging sphere, there now exist another close twin, also a photographer by the name of darren chong, but with an additional ‘r’. And the irony is, even the web address is also as close as the name gets! This website had probably emerged only sometime in mid 2009.

Just in case you’re wondering if it’s the same, well, it’s not. There is absolutely no association, affiliation or whatsoever between www.darenchong.com with this new emergence. I thought i needed to made this known to my fellow readers, friends and potential clients. If you’ll like to refer my website to your friends, be sure to mention it’s www.darenchong.com, with only one ‘r’.

And once again, thanks to friends that had called/emailed/smsed to inform me; and thanks for redirecting your friends to the correct website!

so, daren and darren? ..well, it may look same same, but its DIFFERENT.

cheers,
daren chong

This article has been very well received by the photography community, and is published in the December 2009 edition of Professional Photographer Magazine.

In this digital age where everyone has cameras, scanners, and home “photo printers,” we hear this all the time: How do professional (or personal) photographers charge $X for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drugstore? Simply put, the customer is not just paying for the actual photograph; they’re paying for time and expertise.

The average one-hour portrait session

First, let’s look at the actual work involved:

* Travel to the session
* Setup, preparation, talking to the client, etc.
* Shoot the photos
* Travel from the session
* Load images onto a computer
* Back up the files on an external drive
* 2 – 4 hours of Adobe® Photoshop® time, including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, and backing up edited photographs. Proof photos are also ordered.
* 2 – 3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment, and ship.
* Possibly meet clients at the studio to review photos and place order. Meeting and travel time average 2 hours.

You can see how a one-hour session easily turns into an eight-hour day or more from start to finish. So when you see a personal photographer charging a $200 session fee for a one-hour photo shoot, the client is NOT paying them $200 per hour.

The eight-hour wedding

A wedding photographer typically meets with the bride and groom several times before and after the wedding. And it’s not uncommon to end up with 1,000 – 2,000 photos, much more than a portrait session. Many photographers spend 40-60 hours working on one eight-hour wedding if you look at the time that is truly involved. Again, when a wedding photographer charges $3,000 for eight hours of coverage, clients are NOT paying them $500 an hour!

(Don’t forget that the photographer runs the wedding day to some extent. A comfortable, confident wedding photographer can make a wedding day go more smoothly.)

The expertise and cost of doing business

Shooting professional photography is a skill acquired through years of experience. Even though a DSLR now costs under $1,000, taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.

Most personal photographers take years to go from buying their first camera to making money with photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera, there is a mountain of other equipment and software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, etc. And don’t forget backdrops, props, rent, utilities, insurance, etc!

In addition to the financial investment, photographers actually have to have people skills to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera. Posing people to look their best is a skill by itself. You could argue that posing is a more important skill than actually knowing how to use the camera. A poorly exposed photo can be saved, but a badly posed photo cannot.

The chain store photo studio

Chain stores do have their place. For a very cheap price you can run in, shoot some quick photos, and be done with it. But you get what you pay for.

Consider the time and effort that a personal photographer puts into photographs, compared to a chain store. Store sessions last just a few minutes, while a personal photographer takes the time to get to know the people, makes them comfortable, makes them laugh. If a baby is crying at a chain store, they often don’t have the time (or the patience) to wait because everyone is in a hurry.

The truth is that many chain store studios lose money. In fact, Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios in 2007 because of the financial drain. What the chain stores bank on is a client coming in for quick, cheap photos…and while there, spending $200 on other items. They are there to get you in the door.

The real deal

Professional, personal photographers are just that—professionals. No different than a mechanic, dentist, doctor, or electrician. But a personal photographer often becomes a friend, someone who documents a family for generations with professional, personal photographs of cherished memories.

Maybe we need to help clients look at it this way: A pair of scissors costs $1.50 at the drugstore. Still, most people will gladly pay a lot more to hire a professional hair dresser to cut their hair.

The added attention and quality that a personal photographer gives is worth every penny.

Conclusion

We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs, created by a Personal Photographer are so expensive.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

By,
Susana Barberá

well i guess, it’s time for blogging now since my last session here.
let me introduce you another lovely couple, Soon Leong & Sook Wai… love to shoot them! here’s the 1st series of the shoot….. enjoy!

Dr.Enda Kelly, a shy gentlemen and Dr.Farrah Hani, a cheerful lady who had their pre-wedding shoot over at the ever beautiful Carcosa Seri Negara. Carcosa Seri Negara was the official residence of the highest British representatives to the Malay States and it is one of the leading hotels in Kuala Lumpur with its manicured lawns and luxurious setting. But very unfortunate, Carcosa Seri Negara has been close on the 28th December 2009 for renovation until further notice.

Dr.Farrah’s wedding gown, from Temperley, London designs of combining eternal elegance with modern femininity and the most luxurious of fabrics and embellishments. With a gentle touch on the gown, one knows how luxurious and softness of the fabrics.

Being a photographer who love vibrant colour and fun shoot, capturing Dr.Enda & Dr.Farrah in a different way, was a challenge to me. Here’s are some of my favorite shoots.

Stay tune for their Wedding Day and Dinner Reception!

hey Jenny Sun, thanks for tagging me along for the fun shoots…. love it!

My Favourite Shot




Gorgeous  Shoes








Some urban shoots

Have a wonderful Christmas celebration everyone!

The week before……..

And here she comes……