I love a good deal, so I am well experienced in the true cost of cheap. For example, we had a stone patio guy just come level the ground because we could lay the flagstone ourselves. He said he would charge $4000 for that labor, and by the time we finished the job we’d understand why. He was right. $4000 would have been a bargain for the summer of blood, sweat and arguments it took for us to lay that flagstone patio.
Sometimes cheap is worse than doing it yourself, cause you’re out whatever money you spent plus the damage that needs to be repaired now. Like if you buy the cheap paint at Home Depot. $22 a gallon is way easier to swallow than $70 a gallon. But, the cheap paint means your wood trim is going to absorb water and rot by spring. So now you’ve spent money on the stupid paint AND you’ve got to replace the trim AND then buy paint again. Shoulda just bought the good paint from the get-go.
That’s kinda how I feel about cheap photography. Anyone charging less than $500 to point their camera at you might do more damage than just taking your money. A bad photo isn’t just one you won’t use, but it affects how you feel and think about yourself for ever. My friend in Austin just told me how she keeps this terrible photo of herself in her desk drawer because maybe it’s motivation to lose weight. She’s had it for years. YEARS! WHAT?!?!? was my response. It’s a bad photo. An incorrect photo. She does not need to lose weight. I told her to throw it away and let it go. The only way I know I can repair that damage is by photographing her correctly, so she can see how perfect and beautiful she really is. That’s why this is my obsession. Why I learned to be a Portrait Expert. Crappy snap-shooters can cause real damage.
Listen, I get it if you can’t spending the real money on great photography right now. But then a friend and a phone camera is free and will cause less damage. So just do that until you can come see me, ok? Because you’re beautiful and perfect, and don’t let any thing have you doubting that.
A Human Adjustment tool
