…by a Photographer
I created Professional Child Photographer in early 2007, partly for photographers, after a series of articles in the New York Times sparked frustration among professional photographers. These pieces oversimplified what we do, reducing our professional technical and artistic skills to “anybody can do it.”
Around that same time, professional wedding photographers were facing similar challenges – media romanticizing DIY photography and suggesting “your Uncle with a good camera” could capture once-in-a-lifetime moments. The popular Digital Wedding Forum (DWF) published articles highlighting the necessity of professional wedding photography and the technical skills required to deliver beautiful work on a couple’s most important day.
Completely inspired, I set out to create this resource for professional child and family photographers. As a dedicated professional, I knew these articles fundamentally misrepresented the depth, skill, and artistry of our profession.
Since day one, PCP has been the voice of reason during photography discussions about value, price, service, and artistry.
For clients and for photographers.
Continued Impact For Photographers
WELCOME TO PCP
In the years since launching this site, it became something bigger than I’d imagined. Hundreds of inbound links poured in as photographers and industry professionals found a voice that cut through the noise. What started as a frustrated response by dozens of professional children’s photographers reacting to oversimplified articles evolved into a focused resource that said what so many of us were thinking: “Professional photography is a serious craft, not a casual hobby.“
Many years later here you are, you’ve found this site and I hope you find these pages filled with information you can use in your business today!
I have always encouraged this site as being the “voice of reason” from a professional standpoint by encouraging readers to copy/paste any portions of text from the PCP site with the following usage policies:
Here is the Professional Child Photographer Content Usage Policy
You’re encouraged to share any and all excerpts from this site with proper attribution.
Please credit any excerpts you use on your site or blog by copying and pasting the following on your site or social media page (with appropriate links enabled):
” This article was written by Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography www.marmaladephotography.com and can be found at the Professional Child Photography site at www.professionalchildphotographer.com “
Explore Professional Photographer Resources:
• The Photographer’s Hourly Rate Calculator – Online calculator asking the question: “Are you making money, honey?”
• The Business Reality Check Quiz – Assess where your business stands today
• The Hard Realities of Running a Photography Business – Comprehensive guidance
• Time Cost Checklist [this is a pdf download] – Track your actual session hours
• Photographer Self-Evaluation– See if you’re directory-ready
• Why You Should Offer Custom Photography – The case for a custom photography business model with premium pricing
An Invitation to Collaborate
We welcome:
- Excerpt sharing : SPREAD THE WORD about the value of professional photography
- Client referrals : Help connect families with skilled photography professionals
- Feedback and article suggestions : If you have an idea for an article – share it! Would love to have idea contribution to our collective knowledge for future articles to be written by Marianne.
- Collaborative dialogue about our profession : Would love to engage in meaningful ideas about our shared profession.