Why Editing Takes Longer Than People Expect

When you book me, you're not just paying for the hours I spend behind the camera. A big part of what you're paying for happens after the session, when I sit down and actually edit your photos.

After a shoot, I go through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of images to find the best ones. Sharp, well lit, full of real emotion. Then each one gets individually adjusted, color, exposure, skin tones, all of it. I don't run one preset over everything and call it done. Every photo gets tuned by hand so the whole gallery feels consistent, whether it was shot in bright sun or a dim reception hall.

Retouching is part of it too, but it's subtle. I'm not changing who you are. Softening a shadow, cleaning up something distracting in the background, making sure skin tones look natural rather than processed. Small things that take a trained eye and real time.

People sometimes assume it's just running photos through Lightroom presets. It's not. Color grading and selective retouching are a craft, and every image gets reviewed more than once before it goes into your gallery.

I'd rather take the time and hand you a gallery you'll want to look at for years than rush something out fast. That wait is always worth it.

Why Photography Costs What It Does — And What You’re Really Paying For

I love what I do. Capturing moments, building emotion, telling stories. But I know pricing can feel confusing, sometimes even steep. So I want to pull back the curtain and show you exactly what goes into that cost.

The work you don't see:

When you book me, the shoot itself, say three to five hours for an event, is only one piece. Before that comes planning, communication, travel, sometimes scouting a location, and setting up gear and lighting. After the shoot ends, the real work starts: downloading and backing up every file, culling to the best shots, editing for skin, color, and artistic tone, retouching, resizing and formatting for print or web, uploading galleries or preparing USBs, and handling any revisions you request.

For a five-hour shoot, I typically spend an additional 30 hours or more on everything above. That puts the real time invested closer to thirty-five to forty hours, not just the time we spend together on the day.

What it costs me to do this right:

Running this business means incurring costs most clients never see but that absolutely benefit them. High-end camera bodies and a full range of lenses so I can adapt to any condition. Flashes, strobes, modifiers, stands, and backups. Software subscriptions for Lightroom, Photoshop, and specialized retouching tools. Fast computers, color-accurate monitors, and multiple backup drives or cloud storage. My website, galleries, and branding. Equipment and liability insurance. Ongoing upgrades as gear ages and technology moves forward. And overhead that doesn't pause during slower seasons, even when fewer shoots are booked.

Why Colorado's cost of living matters here:

The average cost of living per person in Colorado runs around $53,374 a year, about 13% above the national average, driven mostly by housing. Median home values in many areas are well over $450,000, and both rent and mortgage costs reflect that. Running a business here means those baseline costs are simply higher than they'd be almost anywhere else.

What my rate actually breaks down to:

My event coverage starts at $350 an hour. A five-hour shoot day comes to $1,750. But that fee covers roughly thirty-five hours of total work once you add in editing, culling, and delivery. Divide it out and my real hourly rate comes closer to $50 an hour. And a portion of that fifty still goes straight back into overhead: insurance, hosting, software, storage, and gear maintenance. Once those are paid, my actual take-home is lower still.

What you're actually paying for:

Beyond the hours themselves, you're getting consistent professional quality. Photos that tell a real story and work across print, web, and social. Peace of mind knowing your images are backed up and handled with real expertise. Someone in the room who manages lighting, posing, and whatever comes up, so you don't have to think about any of it. And the reliability of working with someone insured, professional, and committed to delivering on time.

Photography isn't just pointing a camera and pressing a button. It's preserving memories and creating something you'll actually want to keep. When you invest in a photographer, you're investing in a lot more than the few hours we spend together on the day.

I'd love to work with you and create something worth keeping.