You’ve probably seen them – the discount coupons for photography packages. Pay $20 – they say – and you’ll get beautiful portraits! So you sign up. Why not, after all? $20 isn’t too much to spend on pictures of your children or your family, and by going to a studio you’ll be sure to get nice quality photographs. Our first piece of advice is to read online reviews on websites like PissedConsumer.com to find out where’s the hidden catch of cheap photography.

The Hidden Agenda

What’s not mentioned on the discount portrait packages is just how many other things you’ll have to avoid to be able to leave the studio with $20 worth of a single portrait. You can’t really blame the photographers. It’s their jobs to sell as many pictures as possible.

In fact, their entire job depends on how many pictures you buy. A single picture for $20 doesn’t cut it where they are concerned, and this can create a rather uncomfortable environment for both you, the customer, and the pushy photographer.

When you make an appointment to buy pictures, you’re signing up for a sales pitch. There’s no getting around it. The $20 coupon deal you are excited to take advantage of is simply your ticket in. Once you’re in the studio you’re in for a much longer ride than you anticipated.

The Photography Experience

Many people go into the studio with $20 to spend on their $20 coupon. It doesn’t matter. Every customer will get the same treatment. The photographer will take pose after pose. They will choose backgrounds and colors. They will position your family in different ways and take pictures by yourself, in groups and in every format you can think of.

Once the session is over, get comfortable in the viewing seat. You may have signed up for a single package of a single picture, but you’re going to get the hard sell on every other picture the photographer took. Don’t take it personally – this is just part of their job.

Some people get angry and frustrated that the photographer has to go through the hard sell for so long when they just want one picture. But don’t be angry.

If anything you should feel a bit sorry for the photographer. Their job is on the line if they don’t go through the full spiel to sell you more pictures. You did sign up for a professional photography session, so you might as well take advantage of the session.

You might not buy $400 worth of pictures, but you can at least enjoy the process and perhaps pick up one or two other special memories. Or at the very least, be patient, allow the photographer to do their part, and then walk away with your $20 picture at the end of the process.