‘Tis the season for family holiday photo shoots…and photography scams
What do I mean by photography scams and what is a fauxtographer?
I’d like to use the term fauxtographer scams to describe it best. What is a fauxtographer? The word speaks for itself – it’s someone pretending to a be a professional photographer, posting extremely cheap deals and offering a high volume of “edited” or finished images which they never intend to deliver as expected.
Unfortunately, photography scams are becoming more common, so I’ve decided to write about it to help you avoid falling prey to the fauxtographer.
Top 5 red flags of a fauxtographer (or photographer) scam:
1. Photographer Doesn’t Have a Professional Website.
Professional websites cost a lot of money, and a professional photographer running a legal business would make that investment. Fauxtographers, on the other hand, tend to use free websites without a proper stand-alone domain name. For example:Professional photography website: nestledintimephotography.com
Fauxtography website: www.freedomain.nestledintimeFauxtography.com
2. No Photography Contract.
Does the photographer have a contract that lays out the terms and conditions of your session? If not, run! It’s more than likely a photography scam.
A professional photographer should provide a contract that includes what you’ll receive from your portrait session, extra fees, estimated turnaround time for your photos, and cancellation policy. Contracts are important because it is a legal document allowing both parties to know exactly what to expect from one another.
3. Fauxtographer’s Uses Stolen Sample Images.
Check the photographer’s social media and portfolio for consistency in lighting and editing style. Big red flags are varying style in lighting and editing. This indicates they may have stolen images from other photographers, passing it off as their own.
4. Fake Social Media Followers.
Most people think that the more followers a photographer has, the more established that photographer must be. Although this is true in some cases, it’s also true that followers can be purchased bot accounts.
An easy way to determine this is to click on several followers and see if they’re from the same country as the photographer and how active those accounts are. Bots are usually from another country and will have little to no interactions with their followers.
5. The Deal is Too Good to Be True.
If the session fee seems extremely lower than the going market rate, it’s most likely too good to be true! Think of it this way: If minimum wage is $15 per hour, and the photo session is $45 with all images included, you’re most likely dealing with a fauxtographer.
But why are professional family photography fees so ‘expensive?’
Professional photographers invest hours into their art, photo sets, equipment and editing time. Legitimate photographers running a business must pay taxes, insurance and license – which is approximately 60% of their income. Like any other business owners, professional family photographers must charge profitable rates to cover expenses and make a livable wage to support themselves and their families.
Let’s go back to the $45 all-inclusive fauxtography session. This $45 fauxtographer would only be making $15.75 per session after 60% of their fee goes toward taxes and expenses. A typical photo session takes anywhere between 3-5 hours, from session preparationg to the actual photo shoot and all the way through the editing time (depending on the complexity of the edits). Does $15.75 for 3-5 hours of work sound like a livable wage for someone? If you answered, no, you’re correct.
Don’t fall prey to a photography scam
Bottom line: If a holiday mini photo session costs less than $200 for all images or includes more than 3-5 images, you should thoroughly consider the offer before securing your next holiday family photo session. Use our list of red flags to vet the photographer.
Another thing to remember: If a photographer is just starting out, they would still need to charge a livable wage. Consider a brand-new restaurant. Do they discount their menu the first year they’re open for business? No, if they did so, their business would not be sustainable. If the photographer does not have a sustainable business practice, there’s no guarantee your session would even take place or that you’ll love the pictures. As the famous saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” So this season, reserve your family holiday photo shoot with ease of mind with your favorite reputable photographer!
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