Let's talk money... | Julie Grant Photography - Loughborough

It’s always an awkward one and something we prefer not to discuss, but equally, there’s no reason for it to be awkward - and when we understand the value of a product or a service that we’re receiving then the price often makes perfect sense.

Take this weekend, for example. I do the cooking in our house and I quite enjoy it, but I do find it draining to have to decide what we are all going to eat EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

So, I decided, I've had enough, I’m ordering in Sunday lunch. I launched the pub’s website and was quite taken back by the prices. My initial thoughts were, I could cook a Sunday lunch with wine and pudding for under £20, this is crazy. But then I thought, it’ll take me 2 hours to cook, I’ll end up spending all day in the kitchen while Simon and the kids do something fun (I’ll probably get drunk ‘cos I’ll open the wine at the point of switching the oven on) and then there’s the mountain of washing up…and I get incredibly frustrated when, after 2 hours of hard toil, one of the kids says “I don’t like it” before even taking a mouthful…

No, I thought, sod it, I’d love someone else to cook Sunday lunch…

4pm, the door bell rings, I open it and the first thing that hits me is the wonderful smell of gravy, I look up to see a very smiley Adam who hands me 4 bags (paper) of steaming Sunday lunch deliciousness. As a treat, the pub has included 4 mini bottles of Prosecco - this makes my heart sing! Each meal is served individually and it looks so pretty (better than my thrown on a plate effort) and the gravy is to die for. We all (me included) sit at the table at the same time, together. And we are all so excited because it is a real treat. We spend the mealtime debating who will get which dessert and decide that we should all try each one to get the best experience. As soon as we finish we pop the plates and cutlery in the dishwasher and collapse in front of the tv to enjoy a film.

Was it value for money? Absolutely.

Yes, I could have done it much more cheaply myself but I paid for someone to make ME feel special and to me that’s priceless.

So “how does that fit in with photography” I hear you ask. There are 2 ways to run a photography business - pile them high and sell them cheap or there’s the premium boutique model. Both options will probably generate the same income for the business owner.

I have chosen to run my business based on the second model. My reason being is that I want you to feel that you have had an incredible experience with me. I want to make YOU feel special in the same way that Sunday lunch made me feel special. I only take on between 4 and 5 clients each month. That means, that I devote a week of my time to each shoot that I complete. This is because I want you to receive a premium bespoke service that leaves you feeling wowed. I also want you to feel that I have listened to what you want and that I have delivered a beautiful set of images that will have you ooh-ing and aah’ing for years to come.

When you book me you are paying for my time, talent and creativity - you are also paying for a wonderful experience that will leave you feeling so much better than before you met me.

Get in touch - I’d love to hear from you! Julie x

Julie has been a professional photographer for 5 years since graduating from Leicester College. She specialises in Outdoor Family Photoshoots and Personal Brand Photography . She takes pride in ensuring that every client has a wonderful experience and leaves with her a beautiful set of photographs that will bring them pleasure for many years to come.

“I was really nervous about having the shoot - I hate having my photo taken at the best of times but I needed professional shots for my website. Julie went out of her way to make me feel relaxed and managed to get some great shots that look amazing online, I couldn’t believe it was me! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Julie for corporate or personal work” Lauren