I think about this a lot—this idea of paying what you can for something you truly want. Until recently, I had always talked myself out of it, but after spontaneously posting about my experiment on Facebook the other day, I’m taking the leap. I love the idea of offering family photography at a price people can afford, while still earning the income I need, feeling valued, and being fairly compensated for my time and art. But then, I wonder: will this make things awkward for people? Will it feel unfair to my clients who pay full price or to my photographer friends in the area? Doesn’t this risk attracting clients based solely on price?

I’m not sure if it’s possible to make this work in a way that feels right, but I’m going to give it a good try and see what happens! My hope is that I’ll enjoy the process, photograph incredible families who otherwise couldn’t afford my regular rates, pay my bills, take care of my kids, and maybe even experience some unexpected positive outcomes.

Are you curious? If you’re a photographer or business owner and want to follow along with how this experiment unfolds, be sure to check out my Facebook page where I’ll be sharing my observations. I plan to be completely open about the wins, challenges, and everything in between.

And if you’re a family who feels a connection to me or my work, and you’d love to have your family photographed, I encourage you to take the next step right now with the details below. Let’s capture this wild, beautiful, messy, and love-filled season of your life!

Here are the steps. They are all in the questionnaire as well, so if you’re ready to get started, you can head right over there:

1. Complete this questionnaire. I’d like to know a little about your family, your story, your experience with family photos, and what draws you to my work.

2. Read this page to learn what it’s like to have me photograph your family (if you don’t already know), including my standard pricing. Think about whether my style suits your desires. If you are looking for the photographer with the lowest price, I’m not for you. If you’d like styled or posed portraits with props, and polished studio portraits, I’d be happy to refer you to some talented friends of mine. But if you want to have your real life captured in an authentic and natural way, and you value experience and art, please continue to step 3!

3. Think about your unique financial situation, and what is a doable amount for you to pay at this time. It might be that you find great value in photography, but can only give a small amount because you’re having a tough time. Maybe you can offer a product or a service to barter, or you have gift cards you’re not using. (I LOVE barters!) It might be that you can pay my standard pricing. Maybe things are going well for you in the money department, and you can even do more, to help cover other families who aren’t able to offer much. Let me know your number. Yes, this might feel awkward to you. Please know that I wouldn’t be doing this if I weren’t confident about my own value. Your number won’t insult me if it’s below my standard pricing. Feel free to also share any feelings that your number bring up in you.

4. I respond and let you know what I can offer you. I may be able to travel to your home/backyard on the weekend for a full family photo shoot with 30+ pictures. Or I might offer a weekday morning shared time slot in a park close to me including a few pictures. Or anything in between. Either way, we have fun and you get some pictures of your family.

5. If you feel good about the exchange, we arrange payment, and we schedule your family photos for 2025! This offer will extend for sessions planned for January through the end of May, so we have time to plan.

6. I hope you will enjoy the time we spend together during your family photo shoot, and I hope you will treasure the photos. I also hope you will remember this experience and take some good feelings from it with you, into your everyday life, and into your future.